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- Energy Efficiency
- Maintenance-Free
- Increased Resale Value
- Safety
Energy Efficiency
Did you know that the single largest source of energy loss in a home is its windows? Energy exits the windows in three different scenarios; infiltration, conduction, and radiation.
Infiltration occurs when cold air leaks into your house through your windows, making your home feel drafty and uncomfortable. As cold air is coming in through the leaks, and warm air is escaping through other leaks, the biggest leaks for escaping air are often found in the windows, entry doors, the attic, and recessed lights.
Conduction occurs when Mother Nature is heating and cooling the glass from the outside, while your home is trying to do it from the inside. It’s no accident that heating and cooling vents are placed in front of windows.
Radiation is just what it means. Like a car’s radiator, your windows, will radiate your heating or cooling dollars right out the window.
You can expect to save from 30% to 50% on your energy bills when replacing your windows. New advanced technologies and designs have dramatically improved the performance of most energy efficient windows. Be sure to purchase energy efficient windows that will pay for themselves over time.
Maintenance-Free
Are “maintenance-free” windows really maintenance-free? Most thermal replacement windows are made of wood, vinyl, or a combination of the two. Vinyl windows require no painting inside or out, therefore eliminating the need to paint windows. By switching to maintenance free vinyl windows, you could save on your painting bills up to 50%. The truth is that vinyl windows still have to be cleaned, so they are not completely maintenance free. This exposes another issue that most replacement window dealers don’t tell you or want you to know.
Replacing your windows with new vinyl windows delivers large savings in maintenance costs and convenience, because newer windows don’t require the maintenance and upkeep of older wood or aluminum windows.
Increased Resale Value
A 2005 research study conducted by Remodeling Magazine (a Hanley-Wood, LLC trade publication) utilized professional opinions of over 200 real estate agents and determined that new windows will add 125% of their cost to the value of their home.
The benefits start immediately when you replace your windows. From enhancing your home’s interior to adding to its curb appeal, new windows transform a home from ordinary to outstanding. What’s more, they provide one of the best returns on investment of any home improvement project. You should never buy windows that are not backed by a full Lifetime Guarantee on the frame, sash,moving parts and performance of the window.
Safety
Windows play a critical role in home safety- they provide one of the fastest, easiest ways out of a burning home. Every family member should know how to operate the windows used for fire emergencies. Delays in escaping from a fire, cost lives and increase injuries. Often paint, dirt, or weathering can seal a window shut. Make sure your windows open easily from the inside. Remember that security bars, grilles, grates and window guards not only keep intruders out; they can also lock you in. Everyone should always be able to get out through a window without using tools, keys, special knowledge or effort. Another important point to research is the amount of egress, or space that you would have to escape through a window. Windows with a block and tackle balance system will give you maximum egress versus constant force and spiral balance systems. You also get more space to escape through a window if the sash (the framed glass panel) can be tilted, removed, or opened quickly.
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