Low 'E' Glass and Argon

Energy Efficient Solutions for Replacement Windows

WHAT IS ARGON? Thermal performance of insulated glass units is accomplished by reducing the conductivity of the air between the layers. Argon is nontoxic, clear, and odorless gas that provides extra insulation. Since argon is heavier than air rather than being in continuous motion like air, it greatly reduces the transferrence of heat and cold through glass window panes.

Year Round Savings, Year Round Comfort In the home, windows provide natural light. Yet, they also can account for up to 30 percent of the year-round energy consumed in a typical house. LoE² glass products from Cardinal IG give you year-round energy savings and comfort by helping manage the sun's energy and the heating system in your home. LoE² glass products are coated with microscopically thin, optically transparent layers of silver sandwiched between layers of antireflective metal oxide coatings. These "smart" coatings provide optimal year-round energy saving benefits by selectively filtering the sun's energy in summer and reducing heat loss in winter. In the summer, LoE² glass products let in visible sunlight while blocking 84 percent infrared and ultraviolet solar energy that drives up cooling costs and damages curtains, window treatments, carpeting and furnishings. And in the winter, Cardinal's LoE2 glass products offer greater comfort and reduced heating costs by reflecting room-side heat back into the room. What You Need to Know Insulating glass units are the heart of the best residential windows. These typically are two-pane sealed units incorporating a low emissivity coating and Argon filling. U-Value is the amount of heat transmitted by the window. The lower the number, the more efficient the window in reducing winter heating costs. R-Value designates a window's resistance to heat flow. This number is the inverse of he U-value; the higher the number, the more efficient the window in reducing winter heating costs. Solar Heat Gain Coefficient is the fraction of incident solar radiation entering a home through the windows. The lower the number, the better the window is at preventing solar gain - critical to reducing summer cooling costs.

Laminated Glass

Laminated glass consists of a tough protective interlayer made of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) bonded together between two panes of glass under heat and pressure. Once sealed together, the glass "sandwich" behaves as a single unit and looks like normal glass. Annealed, heat strengthened or tempered glass can be used to produce laminated glass. Similar to the glass in car windshields, laminated glass may crack upon impact, but the glass fragments tend to adhere to the protective interlayer rather than falling free and potentially causing injury.

Laminated glass is the only glass to provide durability, high-performance and multi-functional benefits while at the same time preserving the aesthetic appearance of the glass. Laminated glass furnishes solutions to many architectural design problems and offers increased protection from the effects of disasters such as hurricane, earthquake and bomb blast. Benefits of laminated glass include:

Safety
The toughness and resiliency of laminated glass makes it an excellent safety glazing. In vertical or sloped applications, laminated glass can resist penetration from impact. If the glass is broken, fragments will adhere to the PVB, reducing the risk of personal injury and property damage.

Security
Laminated glass offers greater protection for people and property over other glass products. The standard two-ply construction provides resistance to penetration when subjected to attempted force entry. In multi-ply configurations, laminated glass can even resist bullets, heavy objects, or small explosions. In most cases, it takes many blows, all in the same spot, to penetrate the glass.

Sound Control
The shear damping performance of the PVB makes laminated glass an effective sound control product. Laminated glass is commonly used in airports, museums, sound studios, and schools to keep away unwanted noise from airplanes, heavy machinery and traffic, to name a few.

Residential
The PVB in laminated glass helps reduce solar energy transmittance to reduce cooling loads.

Ultraviolet Screening
The ultraviolet (UV) filtering performance of the protective interlayer helps protect valuable furnishings, displays or merchandise from the fading effects of UV radiation.

Hurricane, Earthquake and Bomb Blast
Laminated glass can help provide protection from injury and property damage from man-made or natural disasters. By keeping the glass intact within the frame, laminated glass helps reduce injuries from large shards of flying glass.

Keepsafe Glass for Premium Protection

Peace of Mind for Your Family's Home

When it comes to safety, KeepsafeŽ glass provides premium protection. Made with a tough plastic interlayer fused between two panes of glass, KeepsafeŽ technology creates an impact resistant barrier so strong that it can withstand a direct blow from a crowbar!