Finished Basement

Windows and patio doors are collectively one of the most expensive components in the building of your new home. They are also responsible for a major operating expense throughout your occupancy because they are accountable for most heat transfer (loss)between your living environment and the great outdoors. Where a typical insulated wall has an R factor of R-20, a standard double glazed window has an R factor of R-2. So we gain or lose 10 times as much heat through our windows as our walls. There are several things that can be done to windows to minimize heat transfer and these all add to the cost. One simple thing that will save you money is to minimize the windows and patio doors with a westerly exposure.

There are a wide choice of windows available and we will present more articles on choosing windows in the near future. However, in this first article I will cut to the chase and give you some targets to think about.

There are important government and industry standards that will help you choose the right windows for your climate and your budget. The two most important standards are the Resistance to heat flow or R-value, and the Energy Rating or ER. Fortunately, these standards are consistent across the US and Canada making window comparisons possible.

The ER standard is a valuable consumer tool because ER is based solely on a window's performance regardless of how, or with what materials it was built. The higher the ER numbers the better.

A common, poor performance, fixed window, with an aluminium spacer between the glass panes and double glazing (2 panes of glass), might have an ER of -35. The minimum ER for what is considered to be a high performance fixed window is +2 and the ER for the opening version of the window is -11. A moderate cost, high performance, fixed window, with insulated spacer, double glazing, low-E coating, and argon filled should have an ER of +5 and the opening version should have an ER of -8. The highest performance, fixed window, with insulated spacer, triple glazing, low-E coating on 2 surfaces, argon or krypton filled gap has an ER of +15 or more. It is also the most expensive.

If you are concerned about energy costs to heat or cool your home, you need to consider the ER number when choosing your windows. There are many other considerations including appearance, price, durability, condensation resistance, wind resistance, water resistance, lower sound transmission, and coatings for reflection of sunlight. Generally speaking, if windows are certified to have high ER numbers they will have been built with enough to ensure that many of these other items have already been included.

Be sure to buy windows that are certified by a trusted standards body, have a visible certification on the window, and are guaranteed to meet the standards that you require.

What's Next? In next month’s newsletter we will be exploring what you should look for in window frames. In the following newsletter we will discuss Low E Coatings and Other Films on the glass.

Should you finish your basement and turn it into useable living space now as you are finalizing your construction plans for your new home or should you wait a few years? This is an important question for many people and the answer is of course different for everyone and depends on their personal needs and financial situation. This may be a non issue for many folks in southern climates using slab construction techniques. However, in northern climates, the majority of homes are built with some kind of basement or crawl space.

We have listed a number of issues on both sites of the discussion to help you decide which alternative is most appropriate for you. Here they are :

Finish your basement during the construction phase.

Finish your basement a few years after you complete initial construction of your home.

Useful Links

The benefits of basements
http://www.eplans.com/article-basements.asp?mscssid=&serviceID=4&refer=0

Keep basements in mind to meet future space needs.
http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20020425_basements.htm