Could Low-E Windows Melt Your Neighbors?
(Courtesy WCVB)
Every rose has its thorn, including those supposed holy grails of sustainable products. CFLs contain mercury. Biofuel competes with farmers for topsoil. Now high performance windows, particularly those of the double-pane, Low-E variety, have become the bane of suburbia, as they can apparently melt your neighbors home—or at least their vinyl siding. That was the news from a surprising report on Boston’s Channel 5 news, sent to us by Infared New England, who tests for these sorts of things. It turns out that under the right circumstances, the windows work as magnifiers, focusing light on nearby buildings like a rascally child picking off ants. At least two area women have suffered the consequences, and there are plenty of similar videos on YouTube. So let this be a warning to you about the risks of vinyl siding next time you consider using it on a project. (Okay, let’s be honest, if you’re reading this, god forbid such a thought ever crossed your mind. Still, it’s pretty crazy, the unintended consequences of this business of ours. Eh, Frank?)
8 Responses to “Could Low-E Windows Melt Your Neighbors?”
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Low-E? Vinyl siding has been exposed once again for the junk siding it is. Vinyl siding definitely not eco-friendly or green and it’s life cycle cost is atrocious. Builder’s and remodeling contractors should be required to use greener materials and quality durable materials such as thin natural stone veneer for example instead of wasteful, inferior products like vinyl siding. Low-E windows are an environmentally friendly, energy efficient product that should not only be mandatory on every building but should be made even far more reflective.
[...] Architects Newspaper recently shared some surprising news suggesting that new low-E windows could be responsible for melting the vinyl siding on neighboring homes. Reflections from the windows are reported to be heating up nearby vinyl siding to the point that it melts. [...]
[...] Architects Newspaper recently shared some surprising news suggesting that new low-E windows could be responsible for melting the vinyl siding on neighboring homes. Reflections from the windows are reported to be heating up nearby vinyl siding to the point that it melts. [...]
[...] between their homes in what will surely end in the fiery destruction of the Greater Boston area. [ArchPaper via Inhabitat] [...]
[...] low-E windows might melt your neighbor’s vinyl siding [Architect's [...]
Yes, Low E windows, i.e. …the glass buildings that reflect all the heat and further contribute to global warming versus buildings built with mass that retain the heat, allowing the heat to dissipate more evenly over time…
[...] between their homes in what will surely end in the fiery destruction of the Greater Boston area. [ArchPaper via [...]
I’ve seen a few cases of vinyl siding melting, but then again it was the cheaper thin siding. I dont think your siding would melt if you have a thinker more durable quality vinyl siding. And in all cases it was in extreme weather conditions with high heat.