Tips For Selecting Replacement Windows

Home & Garden Blog

Windows serve as the biggest connection between the outdoors and indoors. They affect the look of both your house's façade and of the rooms. Additionally, they can have an impact on your utility costs. In short, old windows can be a detriment to your home's value and your lifestyle. Yet replacement windows can be a big investment. Find out how to choose windows that let in the fresh air and sunlight but keep out undesirable elements.

Analyze the Need for Replacement

The first step in the replacement process is deciding if you even need new windows. If your windows are in poor condition – letting in leaks, maybe even posing a safety concern – then there's no question they need replacing. However, if you have an historic home with inefficient wooden windows, a better choice might be adding storm windows to maintain the integrity of the house's façade.

Another area to consider is your utility bill. As Better Homes and Gardens points out, inefficient windows can account for more than 25 percent of your energy bill, yet energy efficient windows can cut costs by 15 percent.

Create a Passive Solar Design

If you're going to upgrade to energy efficient windows, start by making a passive solar design model. This means you analyze the patterns of the sunlight entering your home. For example, south-facing windows naturally receive more sun. How does that impact the rooms with south-facing windows? Consider if there are any rooms that you'd want to keep cool or to protect from harmful UV rays. This helps you decide exactly which type of energy efficient windows are right as replacements.

Select the Frame

The frame of your window has a significant impact on both energy efficiency and style. Vinyl is the least expensive, and it's decent in terms of energy efficiency. However, vinyl only comes in light colors, and it can warp from too much sun.

Fiberglass is a better option. It's more durable than vinyl, and it can be painted any color. Likewise, you can choose faux woodgrains in vinyl framing.

Of course, natural wood is the classic. Wooden frames can be pricey, but they're a popular choice for aesthetics. While they do require some maintenance, they also provide excellent energy efficiency.

Choose for Style

Windows come in numerous styles, from half-circle transoms to picture windows. Your final consideration in selecting replacement windows will be what style they present in your home. You may be limited by the opening already in the walls. However, you can still opt for multiple panes or single panes of glass. These choices are strictly a matter of personal choice.

Upgrade your house's façade and energy efficiency with good replacement windows. Have a peek here for more ideas.

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18 January 2016

Lawn Care Maintenance: A Year Round Effort

Most of us take great pride in our homes and do everything we can to ensure its beauty and comfort. While attending to our home's interior, we sometimes tend to neglect the lawn, especially during winter. Since moving into my "dream home" I feel compelled to maintain the lawn and garden as impeccably as I do the interior. That's why I've hired a lawn care team to see that my landscape is in tip-top shape all year round. I've learned the importance of fertilization during the late fall and early winter. Keeping the lawn trimmed during those cold winter months will help, too. The experts even help prepare my lawn for the upcoming spring. During this time, family celebrations and parties are plentiful, and I plan to have the best looking lawn on the block. I can't wait for spring to come!