Lots of people are plenty serious about their houseplants: they need to know whether or not their plants are going to get enough sunlight through Salt Lake window replacement Low-E (emissivity) glass. Many tests have shown the effects of Low-E glass on houseplant growth. After I’ve mentioned a few complexities that are involved, I’ll tell you the conclusions of those tests.

The health of plants that flourish behind glass results from many variables: which way the window faces (for the northern hemisphere-south for most intensity of light, west and east for 2/3 as much intensity as south-facing, and north for 1/5 as much intensity as south-facing); how well is sunlight getting through the glass (with dirt on the window or outside awnings, trees, or buildings); how close are the plants to the glass; are the walls light-colored and reflecting light onto the plants: do the plants need total shade, or low, medium, high, or full sunlight; do the plants have any special lighting needs such as long-day or short-day, or increasing or decreasing days of light; do the houseplants have variegated leaves (requiring more light) or dark green leaves (requiring less light); and what season of the year is it?

Ordinary glass allows transmission of 81% of all visible light; Low-E glass allows transmission of 62-76% (it varies by manufacturer). The majority of studies have determined that this negligible reduction in visible light transmission doesn’t appear to adversely affect plant growth, and that Low-E glass: affords nearby plants as much light as they need; gives more intensity of light than a grow lamp does; and has been used in greenhouses for more than a decade without negative impact. Many studies, in fact, have ascertained that Low-E glass typically optimizes and enhances growth for numerous varieties of plants (from orchids to tomatoes) because the temperature fluctuations around the plants are reduced. However, other studies hold that all of the above assessments only apply with neutral-colored and non-tinted Low-E products and that color-tinted Low-E products could reduce the photosynthetically active blue and red light too much for some types of houseplants. As well, some studies have shown that even neutral Low-E glass can reduce photosynthetic blue and red light more than what some varieties of plants can tolerate.

There are different ways to determine light requirements and availability. Prior to converting to Low-E glass, houseplants can be moved to a slightly lower-lighted position for a few days of assessment. Also, the light requirements of various plant species can be discovered from nursery staff, plant instruction tags, and the Internet. Light meters for cameras can show light availability. Also, a household test can show light availability: holding your hand one foot or so above a piece of paper shows if there is high light (a definite shadow), medium light (a fuzzy shadow), and low light (no shadow).

Low-E glass seems to work for houseplants that can thrive in low-to-medium light conditions, as most of them can. Salt Lake window replacements with Low-E glass, therefore, work well for many houseplant enthusiasts.