botteron@alum.mit.edu
> Maybe I missed something, but could you put awnings above the
> Maybe I missed something, but could you put awnings above the
> windows, to let in low-angle winter sun but keep out high-angle summer sun?
Hello;
The problem with fixed overhangs, is that the sun angles do not directly
correspond to the need for heating and cooling. There is a temperature
lag of roughly a month and a half behind the changes in the sun's angles
Fixed awnings create a further problem due to their location, either just
at the top of the windows, or even setting down in front of the windows.
The effect of this is that there is reduced up and down movement of the
shadow (of the awning/overhang) so that you get less shading in Summer,
and more shading in Winter. And, shaded window area represents a poorly
insulated area with nearly no Solar gain. However, even with a large high
fixed overhang (so that the shadow moves a greater distance with changes
of sun angle) it is still out of time with the seasons and the need for shading
or Solar heat gain. Besides awnings can be quite expensive, as well as
the fact that they radically alter the look of the house. There are a variety
of other solutions that may meet the situation better. Maybe just interior
reflective (such as white) shades or blinds would be adequate, while
also providing the advantage of flexibility to alter their position as
needed rather than having shading dictated by only sun angles.
Some window shading solutions also provide insulation. There were
a couple of good books written on the subject back in the 1980s. They
are still available on Amazon.
Another seller:
An old article from the New York Times.
An old article from the Washington Post:
A simple, easy DIY window insulation strategy, that is very effective
as well as low-cost, is to make inside window inserts/plugs/covers,
from rigid foam insulation (polyisocyanurate), which is available at
home building supply stores. Cut it to the size of the window glass,
and use small pieces of magnetic tape, stuck to the glass and the
insulation to hold it in place. Cover it with your choice of attractive
material. When removed, they can be stored behind a piece of
furniture, or even hung on the wall, like art. For rooms that you
seldom use, leave the window insulation in place all winter, or
all Summer for West facing windows that cause overheating.
Such insulating insert can turn an R1 window into an R7 (or
more) insulated wall, that can still be easily opened anytime
you want to let the sunlight in, or just look outside.
Here are various window insulations that DIYers have tried:
Another discussion:
Here is an inspectopedia discussion:
While there is a comment that foam window insulation without
1/2" drywall is a code violation, I have not seen such window
insulation ever actually addressed in the codes (to my best
knowledge) and a lot of the furniture and items that we add
to our houses, do not have such high fire ratings. Building
codes do not seem to apply. However, it does seem wise to
only use polyisocyanurate insulation, instead of polystyrene.
ISO (polyisocyanurate) has foil surfaces and a much higher
design temperature. It also has a smoke toxicity that is
similar to wood.
There is also a discussion of the extremely rare event of glass
cracking, due to heat difference which seems to be isolated to
very large pieces (like 8ft x 5ft) of thick (1/4" plate glass) and
not to standard window glass sizes, or the tempered glass
that is used in and near doors.
Laren Corie
Joyce....low-E regular glass comparison, very soon
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Posted by: Laren <sylvanabode@gmail.com>
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