Remember how annoying it was when your neighbour blasted Katy Perry at 3am? Now just imagine if his windows were literally melting the side of your house off. Low-E insulating window panes look like they’re doing just that.
The incredible Low-E technology imbues glass with insulating properties on par with a thick brick wall, thanks to a thin vacuum layer between panes. This manages to save homeowners a nice chunk of change on heating bills. But what else does Low-E do? It looks like it might be concentrating sunlight like big magnifying glass, reflecting scorching heat toward neighbouring properties and causing serious damage to vinyl siding.
A news report out of Boston has highlighted the problem, interviewing shocked residents now faced with expensive repair jobs. An employee of Infrared New England, a thermal imaging firm, observed “this looks like someone took a blow torch to it”, adding that “we had temperatures that were 248 degrees Fahrenheit (120C).” Ouch!
Inhabitat argues that the Low-E coating isn’t to blame, but rather the curvature of replacement windows, which these days are pervasively of the high-efficiency variety. At any rate, it’s probably only a matter of time until infuriated neighbours begin a passive aggressive arms race, placing mirror shields between their homes in what will surely end in the fiery destruction of the Greater Boston area. [ArchPaper via Inhabitat]
lol.. isn't that like, a MAJOR fire hazard!?
While 120ºC is pretty damn hot, it's a fair way short of being hot enough to cause ignition. A quick Google reveals vinyl ignites at 390ºC, while timber ignites at about 300ºC (or higher, depending on the type).