If you sit near an uncovered window on a cold winter night you might have noticed just how cold it is. That is because the heat from the room is flowing through the glass (glass is an excellent conductor of heat), and the inside surface of the glass cools down to the outside temperature.
If the glass is at a temperature lower than the dew-point, moisture in the air will collect on the glass as condensation. On aluminium window frames it will often form on the frames too.
If you want to maximize the warmth in your home and stem this loss of heat, have all of the windows covered with some sort of window treatment, usually curtains or blinds.
What about double glazing?
Standard double glazing does limit how much heat escapes through a window, but still is just 1/4 as effective at insulating as an uninsulated wall. So even if you have double glazing it is still recommended to have good curtains or blinds.
There are many types of system for covering that window to reduce the heat loss, and make the room more comfortable. Consumer NZ have recently released the results of their study into window treatments on their website, and it is worth looking at, especially if you are thinking of upgrading.
Hutt City Council offers a free home assessment service by our in-house Eco Design Advisor.
For a full house assessment and advice,
- Call 04 570 6978,
- Or visit our website and book your own assessment
