Look for Low-E, But Beware Added Costs

Talk to any replacement window salesperson for any length of time, and he will trumpet the fact that his windows have "low-e" or "low emissivity (or emission)" coating. What's so special about this? Everything and nothing.

Low-e is a tint that is applied to double-glazed (or triple) replacement windows which can cut down on as much as 25% of the sun's rays into your house. This is a great thing in extremely hot climates. Low-e is applied at the factory - it is not a window film. The best types of low-e tint are difficult to detect with the naked eye. But what's not so great about low-e is that it is often held out as a special bonus, when really most replacement windows today come with low-e coating. In fact, only the most low-end replacement windows will not have low-e coating. So, it is disingenous of any salesperson to offer low-e coating at added cost.