There are many reasons that homeowners consider installing home replacement windows. Home replacement windows offer owners enhanced energy efficiency, an attractive appearance and ease of cleaning — but did you know that installing replacement windows can have health benefits?It’s true! Replacement windows play a critical role in maintaining a home’s integrity against the environment. They’re a layer that separates you from the great outdoors — which, at times, is a clear benefit, especially if you or your child has allergies or is sensitive to items like pollen, mildew, mold, or polluted air.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the number of people, especially children, with asthma, has reached epidemic proportions. A great deal of attention has focused on mold as a contribution force in asthma development.
Mold needs three things to grow: nutrients, a place to grow, and moisture. Unfortunately for homeowners, pretty much everything a house is made of — from the sheetrock on the ceiling to the two-by-fours in the walls — can serve as both a nutrition source and a place to grow for mold. There’s not much you can do to alleviate this, unless you choose to live in an all-plastic and stainless steel environment.
The third factor, moisture, however, can be controlled. In fact, controlling moisture is the key to stopping mold growth. Setting aside issues of external and internal flooding — if the Mississippi washes through your front door, there’s not much replacement windows can do to help you — let’s look at the other sources of moisture, especially those that can be affected by replacement window usage.
Condensation: Condensation is a major indicator of moisture levels within the home. Condensation forms whenever there is excessive humidity in a home. When warm, moist air contacts a cold surface — generally a window — it will cool and leave that moisture behind in the form of condensation.
Often, this moisture collects and pools in the sash and hidden corners of the window — a banquet served on a silver platter for mold spores, which waste no time ‘digging in’ and expanding their colony.Replacing leaky, older windows with replacement windows creates a tighter, more sealed building environment. If replacement windows are used in conjunction with exhaust vents, fans, and other humidity reduction strategies, the result is a more comfortable, drier environment. The replacement windows will prevent any moist air from the outdoors from penetrating the interior space. The homeowner can regulate the interior air at the desired humidity level for comfort and mold control, knowing that their efforts won’t simply ‘leak’ out faulty single-pane or poorly sealed double pane windows.
Controlling mold has many clear health benefits. It is obviously of great interest to asthmatics and others who face respiratory challenges to eliminate or minimize mold growth. It is also important to remember that toxic molds, such as the infamous black mold, can pose a health concern to you or your loved ones — even if there is no previous history of asthma. Mold should concern every homeowner. Replacement windows can play a critical role in keeping mold under control.
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