Energy efficiency is on almost everyone’s minds these days, and its no surprise. Keeping your home as energy efficient as possible not only keeps your home more comfortable and your energy spending down, but also helps protect the environment. Most homeowners know all about how their windows can effect their home’s energy efficiency, but what about energy efficiency and patio doors in Tucson, AZ?
Patio doors have a big impact on energy efficiency. After all, doors are just big holes in your home’s insulation. If you want to make sure your home is as energy efficient as possible, you need energy efficient doors. Before you get stressed about how to find energy efficient patio doors, look to Energy Star.
Energy Star and other similar organizations try to help you by offering different ratings and measurements that quantify a patio door’s energy efficiency. You can use these measurements for quantifiable and comparable information to guide you to choosing the best patio doors for your home. From U-values and solar heat gain coefficients, these measurements are important. But, one of the most important ones is R-value.
What Is R-value?
R-value is the resistance to heat flow through a patio door. Heat always moves from warmer to cooler areas because of the laws of physics. Therefore, when there is a large temperature difference between the outdoors and inside your home, your doors’ R-value is very important. If it’s a chilly Tucson winter night, the warm air inside your home will naturally escape through your patio doors. If it’s a super hot summer day, the outside heat will try and move through your patio doors into the air-conditioned indoors.
This phenomenon means that inefficient patio doors will allow more heat flow, making your heating and cooling systems work overtime to maintain your ideal indoor temperature. The harder your heaters and air conditioners work, the higher your energy usage and bills. When shopping for patio doors, look for those with a higher R-value. A patio door with an R-value of 5 is50% more efficientthan a window with an R-value of only 3.3.
R-value and Your Home
A patio door with a high R-value will definitely help reduce heat loss and gain in your home, making it easier to keep warm or cool. High R-value patio doors offer lots of other benefits for your home, including:
- Lowered energy usage
- Lowered heating and cooling energy costs
- More consistent temperatures all around the home
- Higher overall home resale value
Do you want to learn more about R-value, energy efficiency, or patio doors? Olander’s Window Replacement can help. We have years of leading experience in the Tucson, AZ patio door industry, and would be happy to use our experience to help you find the best and most energy efficient patio doors for your home. Please stop by our showroom located at 4141 E Speedway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85712 to visit us in person, or give us a call at (520) 326-2909 to learn more about what we can do for you.