LESLIE: Dennis in Connecticut needs some help with windows. What can we do for you today?
DENNIS: Hi. I’ve been looking at windows and there are several different kinds; many kinds. Some have welded sashes; some are not welded. Some have insulated sashes; some don’t. But most of them are low-e and argon gas or either krypton gas. Are the welded windows very important to have?
TOM: You are going through a situation that many folks that are shopping for windows find themselves in, Dennis, and that is that you’re trying to compare apples to apples in a situation where it’s just impossible to do that. There are so many variables in window construction. What’s the right way to build one particular manufacturer’s window may not be the right way to build another manufacturer’s windows, based on a whole bunch of different factors.
So how do you sort this out? Well, the first thing you want to do is make sure that whatever window you’re considering is Energy Star-rated…
LESLIE: Mm-hmm.
TOM: … because this will enable you to at least have some bit of a benchmark to compare efficiencies.
LESLIE: (overlapping voices) Some sort of standard to follow by.
TOM: Mm-hmm. The other thing to look at is the NFRC rating.
LESLIE: And that’s the National Fenestration Rating Council.
TOM: And it gives you several things to look at and compare, from window to window, to determine which window is the most efficient.
DENNIS: OK.
TOM: So rather than try to decide whether a welded frame or a mechanically-attached frame is better, compare Energy Star ratings and compare the NFRC rating and then you’re going to come out ahead.
DENNIS: OK. Thank you very much.
TOM: You’re welcome, Dennis. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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