Hi, can someone give us tips on furthering the life of a sliding glass door with blinds inbetween the 2 panes of glass? They are from Lowes, and look great, but someone pointed this out to me...after I paid and ordered.

Also, the windows will replace a sliding glass door that is aluminum and single paned glass (it gets ice on it in the winter!!) These are not marked "energy star", but are double paned with blinds on the inside and Low E. Will that still count?

Thank you!

 

What you are talking about is Pella, most likely. They are not double pane insulated glass, they are two pieces of glass with blinds between. Considerably less energy value than a true double pane/Lo-E, but better than aluminum single pane. Getting rid of the aluminum frame is a big plus.

 

Hi,

They are Reliabilt, and I think you are right...just 2 panes of glass with blinds between the glass. Will that still count as an energy saver/tax break? It is a definite improvement over the other windows! The other windows in the house will be Pella.

Also, how do I lengthen the life of the blinds...it just occurred to me that I won't be able to fix them....!

 

The blinds you are referring to on your Reliabilt doors are sealed inside a double paned insulating glass unit (IGU) and are operated by a magnet.

All the information you need to have for energy tax credits can be found at:
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=windows_doors.pr_taxcredits

If your windows / doors meet the requirements listed, and you have the documentation to back it up, along with your purchase receipts, you have everything you need.

If the original stickers are long gone, you may still be able to obtain a certification statement from the manufacturer to prove their compliance.

As far as the Reliabilt blinds go, this might seem obvious, but they will last longer if you don't mess with them frequently. Leave them be as much as possible, and they will last much longer. Yes, the product "should" provide many years of service even if operated several times daily, but common sense dictates that the less they are used, the longer they should last.

If you purchase Pella windows with blinds, you can choose from several glazing options. Their double-pane unit is not a true IGU, but is actually a single pane plus an interior single pane storm sash. Low-E or clear glass can be specified on either or both panes. Their triple-pane unit features a double pane IGU w/ Low-E and argon plus an interior single pane storm sash that can be specified as either Low-E or clear. The triple-pane unit obviously has better u-values and is more energy efficient than double-pane units.