# Miami, FL - what windows do I want...



## derekcentrico (Feb 20, 2017)

Good evening everyone.  It's been a bit since I hopped on this forum.  Needless to say, with a kiddo inbound and a stressed wife I'm ready to motivate myself to do some work.

We bought a cookie-cutter house freshly built in 2014.  It has plenty of insulation i the attic and between the cinder blocks.  However, we have tons of heat pouring through the windows on the south/southwest facing side of our home.

Turns out the developer used just basic impact glass to meet minimum code requirements.  Wow who would've thought they would do that, right?

Anyway, balanced the A/C which is barely large enough under proper insulation/windows calculations.  It keeps the area cooling and not horrible when running.  

However, we see a 10-12F difference in the master bedroom and kitchen as compared to the rest of the house mid-day if the temperatures are 85F or higher.  The evenings are just 3-4F difference - not so bad.

I've done tons of reading about SHGC and U-Factor.  Clearly, SHGC is a big issue for us.  We have windows that are 0.8.  I can get windows at a good rate for 0.21 (argon gas, etc.).

The big issue for me is the U-Factor.  Vinyl windows are running a good bit more.  The U-Factor will be under 0.5 for vinyl vs the non-thermal aluminum alloy which has 1.04.  

I'm wondering if the U-Factor will be so important where we have multiple windows side by side as to warrant me spending an extra $200 per window to go vinyl down here...

Any opinion would be greatly appreciated.  I'm just not so sure I can sacrifice a few more thousand bucks right now.  At the same time, I don't want to spend a heck of a lot of money and it NOT work because I didn't know what I was deciding against.

Making a family costs...want to make the house-side of the equation as optimal as possible.

PS - this isn't for like instant savings on an electric bill.  Rather, it's for pure comfort of the Mrses.

THANKS!


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## nealtw (Feb 20, 2017)

There are some good films than can be applied for uv.
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/pros-cons-solar-film-home-windows-79595.html


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## derekcentrico (Feb 21, 2017)

Thanks for the suggestion, unfortunately I didn't mention that I've tried this already. It helped shave off a couple degrees but that's it.


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## Snoonyb (Feb 21, 2017)

With metal frames there is always the heat transfer question which is usually mitigated with high-gloss paint, IE., reflected instead of re-radiated.


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## derekcentrico (Feb 21, 2017)

Right, I understand that part.  My real crux is whether or not this "non-thermal" aluminum windows product is going to be a real problem bringing in excess heat as compared to vinyl to necessitate me spending about $1,800 extra on the project.

Basically, the mullins and the exterior around the window would be this non-thermal aluminum stuff vs the plain aluminum that we have now.

The glass which is the largest surface area would have a substantial decrease in solar heat passing through.

I got a manufacturer down here which has both non-thermal and vinyl.  They say the inside heat increase would be negligible for non-thermal for our climate.  They aren't trying to up-sell me to the next level.  That sort of tells me non-scientifically to save the extra cash.

I'm just stuck at where to sink my cash.


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## Snoonyb (Feb 21, 2017)

Whether you are dealing with vinyl or aluminum, the effectiveness of the reflective properties will be diminished by atmospheric chemicals, which if left unattended will deteriorate the finish, over time.  

Here's another thought and I don't know if they do, but probably do exist in your area.

I can purchase dual glazed inserts that fit into the existing glazing channel, leaving the existing frames to be prepped and painted.

Aesthetics are a question as well.


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## derekcentrico (Feb 21, 2017)

Great thought.  I have double pane impact glass.  I suppose I just measure that area and find some glass repair person to swap it out professionally so I don't screw something up in the frame?


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## Snoonyb (Feb 21, 2017)

I'd look them up first, because, because of the aesthetics, the product is a frame within a frame, and tend to have limited success.


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## slownsteady (Feb 23, 2017)

I'm not sure why the tint film didn't work for you. It may have been applied wrong, or it may not have been the good stuff. I wonder if you should try again. You could also consider awnings above your windows, which would add a certain character to the house.....but that becomes an aesthetics question. I've also seen drapes with reflective backing that could deflect some of the heat.
Maybe someone will come along who can answer the cost / benefit question on AL vs. Vinyl, but if they want to charge you so much more for vinyl, it will take years for you to get a return on the investment.


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## zannej (Feb 23, 2017)

I'm wondering if maybe the windows just weren't sealed properly. Could they have not put flashing and insulation around the windows? Or could there be missing caulk?

I don't know if those factors would affect the temperature that much. I need to learn more about windows.

Some builders skip things that won't be visible to the buyers unless they are watching the building process (and know what to look for) or until things have to be taken apart. I'm wondering if somehow there is hot air just straight up getting in to the house through some gaps.


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