Dual pane "insulated glass" windows?

[TashaB]

Because heat/AC loss

If I knew I was selling my house in less than 5 years, I’d ask myself why I want to fix the windows. The fogging is basically a cosmetic issue. When I bought my house, the inspector noted two windows that were fogging up. Said I could replace but did not need to. Fast forward, 6 years and the drapes cover the windows and I don’t typically look out those two windows and I saved myself about $800. If they were on the other side of the house, looking out to our back yard, I may have thought differently. However, it’s worth asking, are you fixing them because they actually bother you or just because you don’t like the idea that they’re “broken”?

I wonder why this was said. Yes, you can just draw your drapes and not look at the fogged over windows however....fogged over windows mean your seal is broken. Broken seal means you are loosing heat/ac through your windows. So repairing them would make sense as you would be keeping your heat/ac in the house and not have it leaking outside. Therefore being more efficient.

 

[Jerry1]

I wonder why this was said. Yes, you can just draw your drapes and not look at the fogged over windows however....fogged over windows mean your seal is broken. Broken seal means you are loosing heat/ac through your windows. So repairing them would make sense as you would be keeping your heat/ac in the house and not have it leaking outside. Therefore being more efficient.

I doubt you could even measure the leakage from a failed seal. Also, compared to the many other leaks that a house normally has, like around doors, this would have to be at or near the bottom of the list. For me specifically, in my 1956 ranch house, there is no way I’m at the point where a failed seal would be anywhere near the top of my efficiency repairs.

In that regard, I am in need of attic insulation, however, do to the structure of my house (on a slab - no basement), a lot of my mechanicals are in the attic and I’m struggling to make sure everything is in good repair before I go covering everything with a couple feet of cellulose. I’ve also thought about a hot roof insulation process, but I have concerns about that as well. Thankfully, the house is not too big and by keeping the thermostat down and using the fireplace in the room we watch TV, we keep the gas bill in check. Still, the attic will be insulated way before I consider the windows in terms of energy efficiency.

 

[RobLJ]

We lived in Houston until 2015, for 25 years. about 13 years ago (2007?), we replaced all of our aluminum frame single pane windows with low E windows. I think it cost 5000, but the decrease the in AC/Electricity costs were 6dramatic (from about 300/month in spring/summer/fall to about 150 but we also blew in more insulation in the attic, which probably had a payback of 2 years). I think the payback looked like 5-6 years (about the time we moved).

Knowing Austin and how damn hot it is, I would go lowE, for everything.

YMMV. But Austin is only going to get hotter.

 

[BarbWire]

OP here. Regarding a couple of comments made up-thread about energy efficiency:

My decision to replace 5 of 38 windows has nothing to do with energy efficiency. I am replacing these five windows for two reasons: (1) they bother me. I don't like looking through "soaped" panes while at the kitchen table, and I don't like watching water dripping between the panes on the LR arch windows. (2) in major public areas (kitchen, LR) they are very obvious and scream "poor /deferred maintenance" to a potential buyer.

I started this thread to get input on manufacturing/sealing systems and eventually concluded that aluminum vs foam spacers, and "double seal" vs "super seal" really doesn't matter much. Mission accomplished!

As an aside: as noted above, the cost of glass has doubled in the past year. The glaziers said the wait would be 2-4 weeks to get the five windows from their manufacturers (and at the beginning of the summer my neighbors waited 6 weeks). I placed the order on Monday afternoon and on Friday afternoon got a call that the windows were in! The glaziers were as surprised as I, but said that demand at the window manufacturer has dropped way off this fall ....

Will Austin get hotter? Yep. One of the million reasons that I'm jonesing to sell and get outta here!