Customer Reviews

Residential Windows: A Guide to New Technologies and Energy Performance (Third Edition)

5 star:		(4)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I used the first two editions of this book to educate myself about modern windows. This knowledge was used to design and build a passive solar house at 7300' in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, where the winters are often severe. The design was successful since the heat has been left off for more than three years, yet the house stayed comfortable year round.

Residential Windows is written at a semi-technical level that is ideal for builders, architects, and home owners. I have given several copies away (including this third edition) and recommended it without reservation to many others. All the issues pertaining to windowing are explained lucidly and are well illustrated. Other than a Consumers Union style review of named makes and models (which it scrupulously avoids doing), you could hardly ask for more.

Not recommended. Having previously read "Window Systems for High-Performance Buildings" (covering commercial and institutional buildings) by most of the same authors, I assumed "Residential Windows" would continue the same detailed discussion and information applied to residential buildings. It does not. "Residential Windows" particularly lacks information about windows used for passive solar heat gain.

This book is so packed with studies, reviews, and reports on glass and all the various properties that it almost makes me dislike it. Glass is supposed to be fun, right? Well, already I have put the knowledge to good use while discussing the properties of windows with my clients. It is a must for people serious about glazing or window installs.

Jim Dewey
owner, Gig Harbor Window Defoggers
"We Make Life Good."

[...]

This is an absolutely outstanding resource for anyone who is looking to specify, sell, buy or install window or skylight products into residences. Up to date in the 3rd edition with the latest technology, inluding software packages and product information, Residential Windows is a Bible full of must know and must think about information.

The book covers various frames, glazing options, specifications, design considerations, building code information, window prperties, analysis tools and basic physics and technologies. You can pick up this book (and should) with almost no window knowledge and get smart enough to not be bamboozled by the slick window sales guy.

Strongly recommend for any of our customers looking to replace windows, and anyone with interest in selling, spec'ing or installing. A modest investment in great information compared to the five figure investment in new windows. Get smart...

Windows cost a lot; studying this book will help you to avoid making a huge mistake, and pick the right kind for your climate, house design, and comfort needs. I learned a lot. For example, people tend to think of "temperature" as something you adjust by turning up the heat or the A/C. This book patiently and carefully explains the difference between thermal heat and radiant heat, and how glazing choices and frame choices both matter. You will see many diagrams illustrating exactly how different layers and coatings and spacers work. You will realize that if you live in the north, you probably don't want the low solar gain glass promoted by the 2009-2010 tax credit. First, you will lose much of the radiant heat you now enjoy on a bright winter day, and second, your windows will allow in significantly less light all year, making the dark days gloomier. After digesting all the details covered in the book, and then studying windows and their cross-sections in stores, you will appreciate that the windows sold by the really big companies right now are still a long way from being ideal. And if you, the buyer, know what to ask for, window producers will be motivated to improve what they offer, especially if you tell them you'll wait a year until the product improves, or that you'll keep looking for a company that is ahead of the curve. Given that we are still in the early stages of a major upgrade in Energy Star guidelines, many of today's windows are going to look inadequate as early as 2012 and pathetic in 2015. It doesn't help that window companies make useful information very hard to find. Get informed!