Even though it can be hard to let go of the beautiful summer season, the fall season in Syracuse is perfect for opening up your windows and letting in the fresh air that might have been too humid a few weeks ago. The fall is a eventful time—children are back to school, yard work and house cleaning increases—but there's one thing that you need to remember to include on your to-do list: washing and/or taking off your window screens for the colder months.
Letting in more natural light—Window screens are another barrier for much needed natural light during the dreary winter months. Eliminating your window screens will allow for that much more light to fill your home.
Reducing snow buildup with exterior screens—When a huge winter wind whips up snow and directs it toward your windows, not having an exterior window screen helps decrease the amount of snow that can get wedged between your screen and window.
Enhancing solar heat gain—Window screens can block not only light from entering your home, but heat, as well. Heat from the sun helps through the winter season to keep your home energy efficient and warm. A study from Midcoast Green Collaborative showed that keeping screens on the windows during winter blocked about 30–40 percent of heat from the sun that could have entered the home.
With this new information, it's a good time to ask yourself, "should I remove my window screens before winter is here?" As technology has improved, removing window screens has become more of a style preference instead of a requirement. With double- or triple-pane windows, homeowners aren't required to take additional steps to enhance their energy efficiency in Syracuse's colder weather. However, you still have the natural light, snow buildup, and improved energy efficiency to consider with your window screens—the choice is yours.
If you have any more questions about window screens, energy-efficient replacement windows or other questions about seasonal changes that affect your windows, give the team at Pella Windows and Doors a call at 315-565-0399, visit our Syracuse showroom or schedule an appointment with us online.