How Smart is the Glass in Your Home Window?
by Wendy Croix
Home Improvement Ideas Columnist
Low-e "spectrally selective" home window glass uses film coating to reduce UV light by as much as 75%. If you're considering home replacement windows, the standard low-e film is the most affordable option. But if you're attracted to the latest home improvement technology, check out 'smart' glass for your home windows.
Home Windows: Why Film When You Can Tint at Will?
Lighten or darken your home window tint at will? Absolutely--with just the touch of a button. Using a lower voltage than a 100-watt light bulb, the new "superwindows" let you, the homeowner, control the amount of daylight your windows admit. When you control light, you control privacy as well. So if you have a big beautiful glass window that you're hesitant to cover with shades or blinds, smart glass provides you with a customizable visual barrier.
Smart Home Window Tint--Outside and In
The same window technology that upscale businesses are using to give conference rooms privacy is now available for the home. Some liquid-crystal glass changes from clear to frosted, so it's useful both inside and out. Imagine turning on the privacy in your glass shower stall or your Jacuzzi surround. Scientific American points out the benefits of privacy glass that's "impossible to see through because it scatters incoming rays" while filling the home interior with "natural light."
Smart, but...
Smart glass home replacement windows come at a price--twice that of low-e windows. Since the technology is so recent, nobody knows for sure how durable smart glass will turn out to be. Still, the idea of lightening and darkening home windows with the touch of a button is irresistable, especially if you're a glass-lover. You can even get smart skylights!
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About the Author
Wendy Croix, Ph.D. is a creative writer, freelancer, and home improvement junkie. She's also a professor with more than twenty years’ experience in the field of education.
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