The fast paced world of technology has given rise to many a new term, abbreviation and acronym. Most of them need never concern you and I. However, if you are a homeowner thinking about buying new or replacement doors in San Diego, then we better acquaint ourselves with some of them. While it is not necessary to intimately know everything about each one, a little knowledge about all of them will help liven up your discussions with contractors when you decide to replace your doors in San Diego.
The U-Factor: When discussing replacement of doors in San Diego, the flow of heat or it’s conductivity through the material from which the door is made up of is measured in terms of “U-Factor”. Said differently, it is the rate at which non-solar heat is conducted through doors in San Diego. You should look for a lower value for the door to be more energy efficient.
SHGC: Short for “Solar Heat Gain Coefficient”, this number is relevant to doors in San Diego because it indicates the amount of solar heat that is able to be transmitted through the door’s structure. Defined in numeric values from 0 to 1, northern homeowners looking to replace doors in San Diego should look for a higher value for trapping the warmth of the sun, while southerners want lower values indicating the doors ability to block solar heat thereby reducing cooling requirements within the home.
Low-E: Short for “Low emissivity”, these types of doors in San Diego block almost 85%-90% of dangerous UV rays from penetrating through its shield. Doors in San Diego that use Low-E technologies help to also prevent heat from inside your house home escaping out. These types of doors in San Diego are excellent for home comfort and could easily provide economical return on investment through long-term reduction in energy bills.
STC: Also known as “Sound Transmission Class”, this term defines the ability of doors in San Diego to block noise from penetrating through them. Often, salespeople of doors in San Diego will use this term in conjunction with other terms when discussing the noise-blocking qualities of doors in San Diego, including OITC or “Outdoor Indoor Transmission Class” and EWNR or “Exterior Wall Noise Reduction”. In terms of better quality doors in San Diego, you want to see higher numbers for these measurements.
And if that’s not enough, you can look up NFRC on the internet just before your meeting with your contractor for doors in San Diego. This stands for the “National Fenestration Rating Council” which tests, labels and certifies doors for their energy efficiency performance.
When you name drop these terms, acronyms and abbreviations during your discussions with salesmen offering to sell you doors in San Diego, you are bound to gain their trust and earn their respect. After all, the best customer is an informed customer!
