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Disadvantages Of Low E Glass
Let me be clear at the outset, there are not all that many disadvantages to low e glass. In fact, low-e glass is a pretty amazing advancement in home window technology over the clear glass of the 1970s and prior. However, I will outline a couple of disadvantages of low e glass, which consumers and homeowners ought to be aware of before they purchase replacement windows. If you do have a question about glass options, costs, etc. please shoot me a line - john@replacementwindowsprices.com.
Article By John M. - Site Editor
Low E Glass Basics
Low e glass is a clear glass that has a thin coating on the outside of the pane that is comprised of metallic particles. The coating helps to allow sunlight to pass through the glass, but reflects heat (or UV rays). The result is a more energy efficient window from clear glass used in past decades.
The result is a more energy efficient window that helps homeowners do a few different things. For instance, some homeowners want to pull in more passive heat because they live in very cold climates. Typically, however, the low E glass reduces the amount of heat that enters through the glass pane and therefore keeps the home cooler or more energy efficient - especially during hot months. Low E glass can have one, two, three, or four coatings, depending on the intent of the homeowner and how their home is situated, etc.
Disadvantages Of Low-e Glass | Darker Glass Color
The biggest disadvantage is that with each coating added, the glass becomes darker. Now, low e glass should not be confused with a simple glass tint that darkened the glass without achieving increased performance. However, the coating does still darken the glass. With a single low E glass, this isn’t much of an issue.
However, when you get into the multiple coatings, this can create a problem. For some homeowner owners, this darker glass is quite annoying. For others, it really isn’t a big deal. What is certainly true is that if your home has lots of shading, this can be problematic as your home will be darker than with clear glass. If this is the home you live in, you may wanna go with a single low-e glass or even a clear glass.
Disadvantages Of Low E Glass | Cost
The other disadvantage is that low E glass is more expensive than clear glass. In today’s market, most standard double pane windows will come with a single low E glass coating. In these cases, the cost of the low-e glass is built into the window itself. So, for example, if you wanted to go with a clear glass, the window price would typically be $25 - $50 less per window for the clear glass option.
Some windows do not come with low-e and the cost to upgrade from a clear to a low-e is roughly $50 per window. That’s for a single low E coating. As a general rule of thumb, for each additional coating, you can expect to pay an additional $25-$35 per coat. So a top-of-the-line low E 366 would add approximately $100 per window. But remember, these top-of-the-line window coatings will be darker in color.
Disadvantages Of Low E Glass | Green Tint
I mentioned the darker tint before, but what some people mention is an actual green tint to the high-end low E glass options. This green glass color is very distracting for certain individuals. So obviously, if this is you, you’re going to want to avoid this option. My advice for any homeowners considering more than two low E coatings is to visit a show room near your home where you can see what these different glass tints actually look like.
Certain websites do illustrate visually what their different glass packages looks like. But for me, there is nothing like seeing it in person to truly appreciate what it will look like once installed. It’s always better to take a little bit more time at the front end in order to save yourself from being disappointed once the windows are installed. (Plus it would be very costly to replace them again at this point.)
Bottom line: low E glass is a great technology that has made residential and commercial windows much more energy efficient. However, there are these two (or three) disadvantages that we spoke of - one cost, and two a darker glass color. In terms of cost, I think a single low E or a double coating is worth it. In terms of the glass color, I think whether or not it annoys you is really a personal decision, and you should investigate this prior to your purchase.