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Field Evaluation of Low-E Storm Windows

File Under: Air Sealing & Building Envelope, Ventilation & Indoor Air Quality

A field evaluation comparing the performance of low emittance (low-e) storm windows with both standard clear storm windows and no storm windows was performed in a cold climate. Six homes with single-pane windows were monitored over the period of one heating season. The homes were monitored with no storm windows and with new storm windows. The storm windows installed on four of the six homes included a hard coat, pyrolitic, low-e coating while the storm windows for the other two homes had traditional clear glass. Overall heating load reduction due to the storm windows was 13% with the clear glass and 21% with the low-e windows. Simple paybacks for the addition of the storm windows were 10 years for the clear glass and 4.5 years for the low-e storm windows.

TechSpec: Cold-Formed Steel Framing

File Under: Resilience, Structural Performance

Steel has a proven track record in a number of industries from automobile and railroad manufacturing to bridge and commercial construction. Over the past two decades, cold-formed steel has seen increased usage as the structural frame for residential and multi-story commercial buildings due to inherent features that overcome the downsides of conventional products. Rigorous building environs, like Hawaii and California have seen the largest increase in residential steel framing where earthquakes, high winds, termites and brush fires wreak havoc on less-durable materials.

Implications of the Soft Housing Market for Suppliers of Building Products

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During the 2004-2005 housing boom, the U.S. home building industry operated at a level unsustainable by population growth and new household formation – generally agreed to be about 1.95 million new units annually. Low interest rates and aggressive lending tactics increased affordability and drew homebuyers who typically would not have qualified for homeownership into the market. Further, the double-digit annual appreciation rates of homes lured investors looking for high returns into the market.