Window Replacement Tips for Your Home

Windows can be one of your home’s most attractive features. They provide views, day lighting, ventilation, and heat from the sun in the winter. But with the passage of time, everything needs to be repair or replaced. This same goes with the case of windows. They degrade with time and so their efficiency and ability to save energy. If your windows no longer enhance the façade of your home, then it’s the time to update them now. The home owners must repair or replace the windows with new ones. But the dilemma is what the homeowners should do? Whether they should repair their window or should replace them? Replacement — or repaired — windows could save you in energy costs and increase your home’s value. But remember that replacing windows is an expensive proposition that includes not only the price of the windows but also the cost of expert installation to ensure that the windows perform as promised remains the same up to a certain period of time. Here some tips are given on window replacement for your home.

Fix or Repair?

An old window requires a lot of maintenance and repair. They have some annoying symptoms like damping, smell, stains etc. which makes the homeowners uncomfortable and thus they have to replace their windows. Replacing your window with new ones also gives you relief in your electricity bill because old windows are not able to save energy anymore.

There are two types of replacements. If you have old windows you love and the frames are sound, you could repair them, strip off the old paint and repaint or stain them, and add new storm windows with low emittance coatings, which reduce the sun’s heating and fading effects. If the original frame is rotted or misshapen, then you must install a new window, which can cost 50% to 100% more than a replacement window. Replacing multiple windows will cost you less per window than installing just one or two. It remains in your budget too. Until the early 1970s, windows were generally well-made with old-growth wood, whose tight grain resists moisture and decay. Newer homes may have poorly constructed builder-grade windows that are already failing because their wood frames are susceptible to moisture. In this case, homeowners are supposed to use quality materials to avoid such future problematic situations.

The benefits of New Windows

New windows have their own benefits. They give your home a new and a better look. Save energy and hence give you relief in your electricity bill. You’ll recoup much of your investment in replacing or repairing windows when you sell your homeJ

Considerations for New Windows

Be sure to match the style and quality of the new windows to your house. The homeowners must look at this as windows are also an important part of your home. High-end frames should be adopted for a luxury home whereas midrange for an average home. The value of high-end windows in a tract house won’t necessarily be reflected in the home’s appraised market value. Prospective buyers may love those gorgeous, high-performance windows, but they may not want to pay more for the house to get them.

A good quality window will eliminate the need for storm windows, but you’ll probably still want screens. Many windows tilt in for easy cleaning making maintenance a breeze. Before installing a new window, look at the label that states the window’s energy efficient. A salesperson can explain the different numbers. You may ask them for help.

If you are living in a home with some troublemaking children; safety matters. For their protection, use tempered glass in a window adjacent to a door or inside a shower or bath. Tempered glass shatters into small, blunt pieces when broken instead of dangerous glass chards. One of the most common places a window will leak is on the top. If it is not properly flashed with a drip cap, your new windows could be ruined. Take the time to install the drip cap and then fit the siding over it. Also check the shims of your window. Spend the extra money to get new trim. The money spent in materials will go a long way. Your old window trim has a good chance of getting damaged as well as not matching your newly purchased windows.

Also you should see a change in your monthly electricity bill. Before you install new windows, however, you may want to seal a leaky house and insulate it. Even if you replaced all the windows in your house with energy efficient windows, you’d only see an average of 7-15% savings on your energy bill. But if you seal the leaks in your windows, plus other leaks in your home, you can save 10-20% on your energy bills.

Choose the right window for your home. Before you begin your marketing, get some ideas on windows so that you would get the right piece for your home.