Wood Windows Offer Traditional Appearance and Energy Savings

It's possible to lose as much as 30 percent of your home's energy through leaky or poorly sealed windows. If you're reluctant to replace traditional windows with modern energy saving windows, don't worry. You can have your wood and energy savings, too.

How Wood Windows Can be Energy Saving

Energy saving windows work using several components:

• Wood (or vinyl) frames are not heat conductive, which keeps them from absorbing the sun's heat
• Multiple layers of glass (double or triple) treated with specialized coatings can boost energy savings by nearly 100 percent.
• Gas filling between glass layer enhances insulation: Gas (typically argon or krypton) in between layers of glass

Choosing your windows' frame material is important--did you know that window frames account for approximately 25 percent of a window's total area? When installing wood windows, it's essential to ensure that the windows are sealed properly. Leaks between frame-to-frame, glass-to-frame, and sash-to frame connections will diminish the performance of energy saving windows.

Maintaining Wood Windows is Important

Wood windows can have drawbacks, but these can be reduced by selecting windows that are clad with vinyl on the exterior sides. It's important to properly maintain your wood windows; they can be subject to pests, dry rot, and warping if not protected from the elements and termites.

Proper care can prolong the benefits of your energy saving wood windows for many years.