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Replacement Windows And Doors

In order to select the replacement windows that make the most sense, you have to consider appearance, ease of use, energy saving ability, and initial cost. It's impossible to accurately calculate cost savings until after the windows are installed for a year, so initial cost is the only cost you can determine before buying.

There are 34 types of windows, so you should be able to find something that satisfies your criteria. Before making your selection, I would consider ease of cleaning, and location of the windows. It's probably not best to put the same window in all locations.

Ease of use has to do with the technology of the window as well as where they are located (accessability) and how they are installed. Installation is very important - if the window is not level and plumb, it won't work properly, or seal properly. Unless you're VERY handy, let a pro do it.

Try the windows in the store to make sure they operate smoothly and without a lot of effort. If a window will be placed over a counter or other obstruction (like a sink), you should probably not have double hung windows there. Casement windows will be much easier to open.

There are 2 ways you can approach the installation of home replacement windows. You can buy the entire assembly - sash, frame, and trim - or you could just replace the sash.

This allows the frame and trim to remain and eliminates the need to patch the walls around the windows. Anderson and Pella both make extensive lines of wood and vinyl home replacement windows (mostly double hung).

Obviously, this extra patching is a major portion of the installation costs. The decision will depend on your pocketbook, and on the condition and type of windows you're replacing.

Energy Efficient Windows

Windows and insulation are the 2 biggest items to think about when you're trying to make your home more energy efficient. While researching this topic, I was overwhelmed by all the technical information put out by various government agencies.

I try to summarize the results of their charts and studies, but in the event that you want more than what I am giving, you can contact the U.S. Department of Energy at www.eren.doe.gov, or the Efficient Windows Collaborative (EWC).

The first issue is CONDENSATION RESISTANCE. Too much condensation can allow mold or mildew to grow, and eventually cause wood to rot. Since metal conducts heat or cold quickly, aluminum framed windows performed the worst for this performance catagory.

Aluminum windows with a thermal break performed better, but were still out-performed by wood & vinyl. The best results were obtained by wood/vinyl windows with a low-E coating on the glass.

THERMAL COMFORT of replacement windows was another criteria that was tested. Interior window treatments (such as blinds or shades) can substantially offset the thermal radiation that windows allow into the house.

The importance of this measure will be determined by the climate, the size of the windows, and how close to the windows will people be sitting.

Surprisingly, triple glazing does not perform noticably better than double glazing in this catagory. The most consistent performer in both winter and summer conditions was the window with double glazed low-solar-gain, low-E glass. As already mentioned, this glass should be in a wood or vinyl wrapped frame.

High performance home replacement windows not only provide reduced energy bills, they also reduce the peak energy loads. This might enable the homeowner to downsize the heating and cooling equipment in the home which will substantially lower energy costs over the long term.

ENERGY COSTS (aka the bottom line) seems to be determined more by the glass than by the window frame. The annual savings achieved by having wood/vinyl frames instead of aluminum frames with thermal breaks, is only about $40 when the same glass is in both. But when you compare clear or tinted glass to the low-solar-gain low-E glass, the savings jumps to about $150 a year.

In the coldest areas, triple glazing saves about $200 a year over double glazing. But in the warm-to-hot zones, it isn't needed, and it costs more money. So people in Phoenix get the best money-saving results by using double glazed windows with low-solar-gain low-E glass.

For more about this, go to Best Energy Efficient Windows.

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