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| Help please--I am driving myself crazy over new replacement windows! My home is
a colonial/traditional, 14 years old with MW wood windows--some are rotting--most leak---my husband wants new vinyl windows--white windows just wouldn't look good and Simonton offers a new series that has a driftwood (mushroom) color outside--and white inside--perfect! However, I am not used to the appearance of low e or any new energy techniques. I love my windows because they are crisp and clear--and the 5500 Reflection series--seem to have a green look from the outside--or at least standing 3 ft away. Are all the new windows this way? Will my white curtains look green? Also--we have a two story foyer--with a huge window at the top--5 ft below the bottom is a 6 panel solid front door with sidelites and a transom--regular glass--will it look odd? What do people do with a situation like this? I'm afraid to buy these windows for fear they will look like a coke bottle, inside and out????? ! Advice please?? Thank you so much. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by windowsonwashington (My Page) on Mon, Mar 22, 10 at 23:42
| All Low-e windows are going to have some tint. This is one of the trade offs of this technology. Was the window that you looked at equip with Low-e 366 or Low-2 272? 366 is a 3 coat low-e and will appear a little more green than the 272. I would check into that and see what you looked at first and check into the other option if available. If you looked at 272 and didn't like it, you are between a rock and a hard place. |
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| Thank you for your response--I will check to see if it is 272-- What about the reg glass transom and sidelites in the door below the foyer window--what do people do in that situation--and will the green 272 be noticeable from the street--especially the contrast with the door?? Thanks again. |
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- Posted by windowsonwashington (My Page) on Tue, Mar 23, 10 at 17:29
| Most customers that are sensitive to it from the outset notice it for about a week and then their sensitivity to the tint diminishes. From the street, you will only notice it in low light conditions most likely. When the sun is up, it is hard to tell from distance. |
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| Thank you--what about the front door with glass transom and sidelites--will that glass standout like a sore thumb in comparison??? Will the green tint be so obvious it detracts from the appearance? I guess this is the wave of the future--I'm just not used to it--this window has argon gas in the middle--should I think about not having the low e--is the argon gas enough without it??? |
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- Posted by windowsonwashington (My Page) on Wed, Mar 24, 10 at 0:35
| I was speaking to the comparison between non-Low-e glass and Low-e coated glass when I was talking about seeing it from the street. If they are not right next to each other, the difference will be slight. Argon without Low-e is not efficient enough to make it worth changing your windows. I would confirm the coating on the Low-e that you looked at. I would bet a dime to a dozen it was Low-e 366. It is not enough of a detractor to dissuade most of the purchasing public. Like I said, most customers don't even notice it after about 10 days. You may be different but I am speaking to what our customers say. If you think it will be that bad, you may want to look into storm windows, however, they carry and aesthetic impact whether mounted to the exterior or interior. Look at your neighbor's home. I am sure there are several that you may not have even noticed. |
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| My whole thing here is to purchase the windows with the least amount of tint--I'm frustrated that local suppliers do not have samples of the different glass packages. I've called Simonton and have been told that the Low E 366 (Energy efficient package) is slightly clearer/better visibility than the standard glass package of 270 (doesn't qualify for the Energy efficient package)---yet know one can show me a sample. Very frustrating. Don't know how they can assume people will spend this kind of money $$$ without actually seeing what they are buying. Guess it is a woman thing--to be so specific ref the visibility factor/less tint. Any ideas? Thank you. |
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| Two panes of untreated glass have a Visible Transmittance of approx 77% the 270 glass is 70% and the 366 glass is 66%. The small amount of VT loss is only something most people care about before buying windows. I hear very few complain afterwards. There are always trade-offs with most anything. I seriously doubt you will care about a little discoloration when your utility bills are lower, you have $1500 in your hand from the tax credit and your house is more comfortable. |
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