28 — Friday, September 21, 1990 — North Shore News When was the last time you cleaned your blinds? Finally, there’s an easy way to take care of your dusty, grimy, smoke-stained blinds. Call MURLIN Blind Clean and have them cdeaned and back on your windows THE SAME DAY — SPARKLING. > MURLIN ~ BLIND CLEAN A NORTH SHORE COMPANY oe” FAST -some day service & instollotion su” EASY —all work done at your convenience w” SAFE —no harsh chemicals or abrasive leaners Uv: CALL FOR FREE ESTIMATE 671-0351 or (CELLULAR) 929-478) (ANSWERING MACHINE) Systems Shelving Elfa Units © 1325 MARINE DRIVE NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. ViP 3E5 ° (604) 984-4381 VANCOUVER, BC. ICHMOND, B.C. VEM 3W6 Vev I (604) 266-1252 (604) 278-4542 TING HUGE SELECTION OF WINTER VPANSIES & MANY OTHER OUTDOOR PLANTS FLOWERS ARE GREAT FOR “EXTERIOR DECORATING” DYKHOF NURSERIES “Serving the North Shore since 1957" 985-1914 Open 7 days a week, 9am-6pm 460 Mountain Hwy. N.Vancouver © 5828 WEST BOULEVARD O men BRIDGEPORT RD. New windows cut home heating costs IN THE ongoing battle by homeowners to keep the heat in and the cold out, windows represent an enormous handicap. Twen- ty-two per cent of the heat lost in a conventionally built home escapes through windows. This lost heat represents a lot of energy — about three per cent of the total energy use in Canada. or the equivalent of 60 million barrels of oil each vear. At cur- Tent energy prices, heat loss through windows costs homeown- ers a signficant part of their an- nual fuel bills. A new generation of windows promises to revolutionize the in- dustry and transform a serious li- ability into an attractive, energy- saving option. High-performance windows apply advanced technologies and materials to im- prove all three major window components: glazing, edge spacers and frame. Super Glazings Back in the 1970s, researchers discovered that a thin film applied to window glazing acted as 2 heat barrier. The film is virtually transparent and it returns up to 90 per cent of the heat given off by warmed objects inside a room. The process works equally well in either direction, keeping heat inside in winter and outside in summer. The result is lower heating and cooling costs. As an added benefit, the coating also blocks incoming ul- traviolet light (some manufactur- ers now claim up to 99 per cent effectiveness), which is responsible for fading carpets, drapes and furniture. These coatings, called “low-E, ” are either hard or soft. Soft or 22 per cent of heating bill goes out the window **sputtered’’ coatings are most ef- fective, and can reflect 90 per cent of the heat back into the room. More difficult to manufacture, they are more expensive. Hard coatings are more dura- ble, cheaper and can be handled tike normal glass. The coating may be applied to the giass or to a thin plastic film suspended be- tween two panes. This arrange- ment performs like a triple-glazed unit, but without the added weight of an extra sheet of glass. Before buying ‘‘low-E’’ coated glass, ask the dealer about the type of coating that is used and its emissivity; the lower the rating is, the higher the insulating factor. ‘“*Fill’Er Up”’ Another mechanism of heat loss in windows is convection — the migration of heat between the two panes of a sealed unit on currents of air. One way to prevent air move- ment between the glazings is to replace the air with an inert gas. The inert gases, argon and kryp- ton, are most commonly used for this purpose. In a conventional sealed win- dow unit, gas-filling yields only a marginal improvement in perfor- mance. But in windows equipped with ‘‘low-E’’ glass, gas-filling boosts the thermal performance of WE INSTALL DECORATIVE GLASS INTO 00 INTO METAL 9 . gac INTO WOOD INSTALLED 5 Year Limited Warranty on Seal « Tempered for Security & Safety ¢ Professionally Instalied on Site OFFER EXPIRES SEPTEMGER 30:90 “A UNIQUEL y SPECIALIZED COMPANY” cHoicl: nto. 15420 Fraser = DECORATIVE. = BBO LTD. WwW HOURS Mon -Thurs 9:306.00 FRIDAY 9:30: 00 1 Satuday 9:30.5 09 . Sunday Noon-4-09 the glazing, thereby increasing the insulation factor. “Low-E,’’ gas-filled windows are now widely available in Canade. A gas-filled window should be clearly fabelled as such by the manufacturer. Before you buy, ask about the warranty on the window and the gas seal. Edge Spacers No matter how effective the glazing may be, the use of con- ductive spacers can reduce a win- dow’s overall performance by as much as 34 per cent. Conventional windows use roll- ed aluminum spacers. Rolled alu- minum is light and durable (it lasts up to 20 years), but it con- ducts 3,000 times more heat than the plass. New, non-conductive spacers are now being developed for use in high-performance windows. These include plastic, extruded foam reinforced with pleated aluminum strips, and black steel. An insulating foam spacer is being developed with support from Energy, Mines and Resources Canada. Tests have shown that it can reduce heat loss by 20 per cent compared to a standard unit. The effect of irfsulating spacers on window performance can be dramatic. The more energy-effi- cient the glazing, the greater the benefits of a non-conductive spacer. An insulative spacer also keeps the edges of the glass warmer, reducing thermal stresses and lessening the likelihood of condensation during cold weather. Before buying a high-perfor- mance window, ask the dealer about the type of edge spacer us- ed. Frames and Sashes Since the frame can account for as much as 25 per cent of the total window area, it should be at least as well-insulated as the giass. Aluminum, wood and PVC plastic are widely used as material for frames. Aluminum is durable and re- quires little maintenance. But unless the inner and outer por- tions of the frame are effectively separated by a thermal break (a non-conductive spacer), heat will conduct through it rapidly. An aluminum frame — even One provided with a thermal break See Windows Page 29 Harriet’s House } Lonsdale Quay Market FABRIC unique 60" wide cotton prints ‘17° 987-0004 | eee ee