Typical U-factor & SHGC by frame material and glazing
Typical published planning values / code minimums — NOT a certified design or a compliance sign-off. Actual egress compliance and energy performance depend on your local building code (AHJ), climate zone, the exact product’s NFRC-rated U-factor & SHGC and the installation; confirm against local code and the manufacturer’s NFRC label, and consult a pro. Structural headers for enlarged openings, whole-building heat-load / HVAC sizing and code certification are set by code and a professional — not engineered here.
This companion table gives the LABELED typical whole-window U-factor and SHGC by frame material and glazing — from a bare aluminum single pane to a triple-pane low-E with argon/krypton — and derives the whole-window R-value from the reciprocal identity R = 1 ÷ U. Use the product’s NFRC label for the real numbers; these are planning typicals. It backs the single vs double vs triple pane compare and the low-E / gas-fill reference.
| Frame × glazing | Typical U-factor | Typical SHGC | R-value (1 ÷ U) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum, single pane (no thermal break) | 1.20 | 0.70 | 0.83 |
| Wood/vinyl, single pane | 0.90 | 0.65 | 1.11 |
| Aluminum, double pane | 0.65 | 0.55 | 1.54 |
| Vinyl/wood, double pane (air) | 0.48 | 0.55 | 2.08 |
| Vinyl/wood, double pane low-E + argon | 0.30 | 0.27 | 3.33 |
| Fiberglass/composite, double low-E + argon | 0.28 | 0.25 | 3.57 |
| Vinyl/fiberglass, triple low-E + argon/krypton | 0.18 | 0.20 | 5.56 |
LABELED typical planning values — use the product’s NFRC label for the real numbers. Whole-window R-value is derived from R = 1 ÷ U-factor and is far below a wall’s cavity R-value (the wall and the window are rated separately). Snapshot: 2026-07-11.