Natural light’s positive impacts on our mental health and connection to nature have long been established. Sensory deprivation experiments conducted on college students resulted in lost sleep and hallucinations.
By law, bedrooms must contain at least two means of egress – that is to say both a door and window are required as means of exit from within. Furthermore, window sizes must meet specific standards.
Energy-Efficient
Energy-efficient windows help ensure a cooler and drier home during summer, keeping cool air from your AC inside while hot humid air outside. In addition, energy-efficient windows help control sunlight entering your home reducing indoor temperatures to maintain comfort while helping save on your monthly energy costs.
ENERGY STAR certified windows meet minimum requirements in each geographic region for their U-factor and solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), helping homeowners compare products more easily and choose ones best suited to their needs.
The U-factor measures how much nonsolar heat passes through a window’s glass, glazing, and frame without passing through its solar insulation layer. A lower value indicates more efficient window performance.
Energy efficient windows must also have a low U-factor and have a high solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) value. This value measures the resistance to increased solar heat gain caused by solar radiation and is determined by materials and coatings found on each window’s construction. Each manufacturer may use different formulas when determining their SHGC values so it’s wise to consult the ENERGY STAR label when looking for replacement windows.
Visible transmittance values for windows should also be carefully considered when shopping for new ones, with higher values allowing more natural light into a room than lower ones. When purchasing bedroom windows with low visible transmittance values for maximum cooling during summer months.
At no great expense, energy efficient replacement windows can make an immediate and noticeable impact on your monthly energy costs. Simply upgrading to ENERGY STAR qualified models could save hundreds of dollars annually! In addition, investing in energy-efficient home improvements may qualify for tax credits of up to $500!
Durable
Windows are an integral component of bedroom bliss and should therefore be carefully selected as they play a vital role in how well we sleep at night and feel during the day. Therefore, durability should be ensured against Texas weather elements like heatwaves, incessant rainstorms, snow, and ice accumulations.
If you are shopping for bedroom windows, make sure that they are both energy-efficient and durable – this will help lower your energy bills and maintain a comfortable temperature in the room. Double-hung windows combine traditional beauty with great performance while offering improved ventilation by opening either half of their window halfway. This enables fresh air while still protecting privacy and security.
Casement windows are another energy-efficient window option worth considering, offering easy inward or outward opening and great ventilation while letting plenty of natural light in. Plus, these are relatively easy to clean while offering various designs such as French casement or narrow frame casement to fit seamlessly with the architecture of any home.
Sliding windows offer another great choice, operating similarly to double-hung but featuring sashes that slide back and forth instead of up and down. Sliding windows make an excellent addition to bedrooms as they offer similar ventilation while creating a modern aesthetic. Plus, their durable designs can withstand harsh weather conditions without warping, fading or corrosion concerns!
Add architectural flare and highlight stunning landscape views by choosing bay or bow windows as part of the architecture of your bedroom. These windows protrude from the home’s exterior, creating extra space inside as well as providing more seating or reading nooks for use by creating extra natural lighting into the room through these protrusions.
Egress windows should also be included as one of your considerations, since they’re required in bedrooms and other spaces to provide safe escape routes in case of fire or other disaster. Egress windows must meet specific size specifications to ensure they can easily open in case of fire or another disaster and be used as exit routes to evacuate a building quickly and safely.
Low-E Glass
Energy efficient glass, commonly referred to as Low-E, has become the standard in windows. This type of transparent window features a microscopic coating designed to lower its emissivity level – this factor determines how much heat escapes through it and must therefore be reduced as much as possible.
Traditional clear windows typically have higher emissivity values; the Low-E coating significantly reduces this value to lower transmission of long-wave infrared energy (heat) into your home during summertime, keeping your house cooler. Furthermore, shortwave infrared warmth transmission (reduced during winter), decreases furnace/AC usage costs to warm or cool your house by cutting energy costs by up to 40%!
Low-E glass windows are specifically designed to block harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays that cause your carpets, furniture and draperies to fade over time, as well as sun damage on your skin. A Low-E coating on bedroom windows will block these harmful rays and keep them out – saving money in expensive repairs or replacement costs!
An accurate way of identifying windows that contain Low-E coatings is using a light meter. Simply set it to “light” and move slowly back and forth until a reading appears on your meter – this indicates whether they contain Low-E coatings. If this number drops below certain thresholds, your windows likely contain them.
There are various kinds of Low-E glasses, each of which offers its own distinct advantages depending on your climate. For example, hard-coated windows reflect infrared energy that heats your home during summertime but allow shortwave rays through in winter for reduced energy costs; making this glass perfect for cold climates.
Soft-coated windows work more like thermos by reflecting heat away from your home during summer and absorbing it during winter, making them perfect for warmer climates like Texas. Many insulated windows contain inert gases like argon to further increase energy efficiency.
Tempered Glass
Tempered glass is created through a process of intense heating and rapid cooling that makes it far stronger than standard window panes. If broken, its fragments tend to shatter into small pieces that pose less risk of injury than their traditional counterparts; additionally, its melting point is lower and thermal breakage less likely. As such, tempered windows are commonly installed in rooms where windowpanes could pose safety threats.
Tempered glass may cost more than regular windows, but its additional strength often justifies it. Furthermore, this type of window glass is more resilient to damage from strong winds or direct blows, reducing maintenance costs over time.
When purchasing windows that need to be tempered, specialty retailers can usually help make this task easier. Their extensive selection of styles and manufacturers makes it more likely that one matches up with your decor perfectly, while they’re more familiar with tempering processes so they can ensure it occurs appropriately.
Safety should always be your number one concern when it comes to bedroom windows, especially if you have young children in their rooms. One effective method to accomplish this goal is by choosing cord-free window coverings; blinds with cords pose a potential hazard for babies and toddlers; therefore opting for cordless systems instead can ensure a more child-safe bedroom environment.
Your windows and the paint used on them also pose safety concerns. If your house was constructed prior to 1978, have it tested for lead paint as this hazardous substance was widely used during that era; to protect your family from exposure. In some instances, stripping and repainting could suffice in eliminating health risks altogether.
