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What are U-Values and why are they important?

What are U-Values and why are they important

Many building materials, including windows, have a U-value.

The values are used to give important information about the insulation of a material and how energy efficient it is.

Yet, it can be confusing to understand what U-values are and exactly what it is the numbers are telling you.

That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you understand what  and why are they important for you to know.

 

What are U-values?

Fundamentally, U-values are a measure of how good an insulator a material is.

Any material in your home, including your roofing, walls and flooring, will slowly lose heat. A U-value measures how much heat is lost per square metre of the surface.

The U-value is measured in Watts per square metre per degree Kelvin (W/m²K). This means that for every degree of temperature difference between the air on the inside and outside of the material, the U-value is equivalent to how many Watts of heat are lost.

So, if the U-value is 1: for every degree of temperature difference between the inside and the outside, one watt of heat will escape your home.

These values are important for giving you the information you need to understand how energy efficient your home is. When you’re purchasing a new window, what do you need to know when it comes to U-values?

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What do you need to look out for in a U-value?

For those planning to transform their home with natural light, roof windows and skylights are excellent ways create light and open spaces full of potential and ready to handle whatever you have planned.

When it comes to choosing the right window, U-values are an important factor that you need to consider in your decision.

Materials with lower U-values are better insulators.  So, the lower the U-value, the less heat will be lost from your home.

Although windows with low U-values may be more expensive, they will give you better energy efficiency and help you save more money on heating bills – giving you long-term savings.

In new buildings, new regulations also state that windows have a maximum U-value of 1.6 W/m2k, so it’s important that your window doesn’t go over this value for these properties.

For more information about U-values and picking the right roof window for your home, get in touch with a member of our team today.

 

Written by: Joe

Published on: 30 April 2018

Categories: Advice, Company News