Glazing Materials Traditionally, clear glass has been the primary material available for windowpanes in homes. Now severaltypes of special glazings are available that can help control heat loss andcondensation. Some of the absorbedheat, however, passes through the window by conduction and reradiation. Reflective glass has been coated with a reflective film and is useful incontrolling solar heat gain during the summer. It also reduces the passage oflight all year long, and, like heat-absorbing glass, it reduces solartransmittance.
Plastics can bestronger, lighter, cheaper, and easier to cut than glass.
Some plastics alsohave higher solar transmittance than glass. However, plastics tend to be lessdurable and more susceptible to the effects of weather than is glass. The simplest type of storm window is aplastic film taped to the inside of the window frame. These films are usuallyavailable in prepackaged kits. Although plastic films are easily installed andremoved, they are easily damaged and may reduce visibility.