Replacement Window Prices
Home replacement windows are a wise investment, there’s no doubt about it. Home replacement windows help homeowners conserve energy, lowering heating costs. They improve a home’s appearance and can raise resale value.
However, before you can enjoy the benefits of home replacement windows, you have to purchase home replacement windows.
While price isn’t the only factor in selecting replacement home windows, it’s certainly a factor. This becomes particularly important in homes that have multiple windows that require replacing. Some houses have a minimal number of windows, but as a rule of thumb, the newer a home is, the more windows it has. This can result in a situation where you find yourself considering purchasing 15, 20, or even 25 home replacement windows.
How can you upgrade your home’s windows while breaking your budget? Luckily, you have a number of options.
The first option is to rehabilitate your existing windows. This option is generally reserved for attractive, original windows in older or historic homes. A window is basically taken apart, and then repaired and rebuilt. Because this option does not alter the basic energy efficiency of the home, no subsequent savings occur. The cost for window rehabilitation varies by region, but generally comes in for less than $200 per window. Additionally, window rehabilitation services tend to be easy to find in areas where there are lots of historic homes, and practically non-existent in other areas. This may play a role in the cost of your window rehabilitation project.
The next option is window replacement inserts. If your window frames are in good condition — free from rot, cracks, or damage — you may be able to upgrade your home windows with replacement window inserts. Homeowners who wish to preserve a unique interior or exterior finish may like the minimal disruption of the home’s aesthetic that occur with home replacement window inserts. Prices for home replacement window inserts start at $200 and go up from there, largely based on window quality. If you choose to install the home replacement window insert yourself, there is a substantial cost savings.
Full window replacement is the next option. This is what most people think of when they say home replacement windows. Everything — sash, balances, frames, and sometimes exterior trim — is replaced. Home replacement windows feature energy saving technology, including specially coated glass and gas filled insulating chambers. Prices vary by size, manufacturer, and product quality.For a ‘standard’ sized home replacement window, you can expect to spend at least $200. Additionally, because home replacement window installation is not a do it yourself job for most homeowners, you’ll have to factor in labor costs.
It’s important to remember that, to save money, you can address each window in your home individually. Consider the condition of your windows. Those windows that have received the most wear and tear might require full window replacement, while units that are in better condition could be upgraded with a window replacement inserts. Focus on quality and you’re sure to be pleased with the results!
Double Hung Replacement Window Inserts: Improve Efficiency While Retaining Good Looks
We talk a lot on this blog about how home replacement windows can improve the look of your home — and it’s true! If your current home windows are older, single pane, leaky windows, or perhaps flimsy aluminum replacement windows, the appearance of your home may very well be improved by installing home replacement windows.
However, that’s not always the case, as one reader made clear to me. “I’m very comfortable with how my home looks,” this reader wrote. “I’ve worked hard to create a warm, inviting exterior and a dynamic, unique interior. I don’t want to undo what I’ve done in order to enjoy the energy home replacement windows can offer. Am I out of luck?”
The answer to that question is absolutely not! Replacement home window manufacturers are very aware of how much work and energy some homeowners have put into existing facades and interiors. They offer solutions like double hung replacement window inserts to allow homeowners the chance to take advantage of the energy efficiency home replacement window provide.
Double hung replacement window inserts are created to be installed in the pocket of an existing window opening. This pocket consists of the space created after all the ‘works’ of the window — the old sash, counterweight balance system, and parting stops — have been removed. All of the decorative elements of the window — interior and exterior — remain undisturbed.
Using double hung replacement window inserts offers the best of both worlds. A homeowner can enjoy all the benefits of home replacement windows: the energy efficiency, low e coatings to eliminate solar gain, UV protection, and insulated glass, while retaining the treasured appearance of the home. Additionally, double hung replacement windows often feature tilt-in hinges that make for easy cleaning.
Double hung replacement windows are available in a range of sizes. In addition to standard window sizes, there are custom options available, often in 1/8″ increments. This is critical for homeowners who have unique or older homes, where window sizing is sometimes a little different than the ‘standard’ size.
The ability to retain a home’s look, improve energy efficiency and achieve the ideal fit through customization is an incredible benefit for homeowners who have an older or historic home. It’s also appealing to artists who have created unique exteriors and wall finishes as an expression of their creativity and find themselves loathe to destroy their work.
Double hung replacement window inserts are available from a number of manufacturers, including Andersen, Pella, Marvin, and Champion. Each company offers a range of looks and features, allowing the homeowner to find the look that best meets their needs. Different sash options as well as a variety of grilles ensure that there’s something for everyone.
So, dear reader, I have to say it: you’re right. There are times when replacement windows might not improve a home’s appearance. However, it is possible to gild the lily by improving a home’s energy efficiency without altering the aesthetics at all. This can be accomplished by the use of double hung replacement window inserts.
Home Replacement Window Maintenance
One of the main benefits of home replacement windows, both vinyl home replacement windows and fiberglass home replacement windows, is the easy maintenance regimen both require. Old fashioned wooden framed windows needed lots of care: annual or semi-annual painting, regular checking of the window’s integrity to ensure that the weather hadn’t worked the panes of glass loose, and a laborious cleaning process.
Modern home replacement window manufacturers such as Pella, Andersen, Champion, Harvey and more have all made easy maintenance a priority. They know homeowners want clean, sparkling windows — and they know that most homeowners hate the labor intensive care that old fashioned windows require.
It’s important to remember that window maintenance isn’t just a concern today. It’s going to be an issue tomorrow — and the days and years that come after that. If you, like most people, plan to spend most of your life in your home, you’ll want home replacement windows that offer easy maintenance options.
After all, getting up on a ladder to wash second story windows isn’t a terrible lot of fun when you’re thirty, fit, and flexible. Imagine climbing that same ladder, with window cleaning supplies in tow, sixteen to twenty feet up into the air when you’re seventy. It’s not an attractive thought, is it?
Home replacement window maintenance can be divided into two categories: cleaning the home replacement windows and keeping the exterior frames looking sharp. Let’s address cleaning home replacement windows.
Home replacement windows are often fitted with special ‘tilt in’ hinges. This means that you can clean the exterior and interior of your home replacement windows without ever having to step outside of your home. The attraction of this is immediately obvious — gone forever are the ladders and perilous climbs. No longer do you have to navigate around shrubbery or flowerbeds while trying to clean your windows. You can clean your home replacement windows as often as you’d like to, as accessing the exterior of your windows just became much easier.
Now let’s address keeping the exterior window frames looking sharp. After all, windows are one of the first things people notice about your home. Do you want them to see faded paint, dirt and debris, broken or chipped sills, or other less-than-perfect conditions?
Of course not.
If you have old fashioned wooden framed windows, you’ve got a lot of work on your hands. Keeping those windows looking sharp means regular painting. Cleaning spider webs and wayward leaves from exterior window frames can be difficult when organic matter sticks to splintered, rough surfaces.
Vinyl replacement windows offer the ultimate in easy maintenance. Smooth surfaces never need painting. The color goes through and through — a stray scratch or ding won’t stand out like a sore thumb because the color remains consistent. Couple this with tilt in designs, and the majority of exterior frame cleaning can be achieved without ever setting foot outside your home.
Fiberglass replacement windows do require occasional painting, but not on an annual basis the way traditional wooden framed windows do. Additionally, fiberglass replacement windows also boast an easy clean smooth surface and often tilt in designs.
Remember: maintenance is a life long consideration. Pick the home replacement windows that make it easy for you today and tomorrow!
Impact Resistant Home Windows
The clouds hung thick and low over the Atlantic ocean, ominous black heralds of an approaching storm. A cold wind was blowing, stirring up sand and driving white capped waves.
“Normally, I’d be worried sick,” said Lettie Holmes. “You never know what the storm’s going to pick up and throw around.” She nodded toward her house. “Couple of times I’ve had to replace windows after a storm like this. Doesn’t take much to break the glass, not with those old windows I had.”
Holmes is feeling a little more secure this time. She’s recently installed Andersen Stormwatch Windows, one of the strongest impact-resistant windows currently available.
What are impact resistant windows?
Impact resistant windows consist of special, impact-resistant glass in a tough, heavy duty frame. Glass is rendered impact-resistant in two ways. In the first, more durable way, two panes of glass are sandwiched together with a membrane between them. The second method is when the window manufacturer applies a film to the window glazing. Most manufacturers prefer the first method, as it creates a more integrated, stronger window.
The glass is contained in a very strong frame, designed to stand up to high winds and tremendous pressure. This frame is securely attached to both the window header and interior window frame.
Impact-resistant windows offer homeowners like Lettie peace of mind during small seasonal storms, but that’s not their main purpose. Impact resistant windows can play an integral difference in saving your house during a hurricane or other high wind event.
To understand this, it’s critical to understand some of the reasons houses collapse during major storms. Tremendous winds, such as those experienced during a hurricane, can do a great deal of damage outside of a home. However, when they get inside the house, things get much worse in a big hurry.
A broken window provides an entry point for hurricane force winds to enter a home. Once in the house, this wind increases the interior pressure of the home — and all that pressure has to come out somewhere.
In a worst case scenario, this pressure could blow a roof off or walls down — catastrophic damage that can render your family homeless or worse. An entire structure can be lost due to winds coming in through one broken window.
Hurricanes are largely coastal events, but they’re not the only high winds homeowners face. Tornadoes, cyclones, and even summer thunderstorms and winter blizzards can all serve up powerful gusting winds, often carrying debris. This debris can seriously damage traditional windows. Impact resistant windows will remain intact, up to a point.
However, impact resistant window’s most important feature may come into play after they get broken. Rather than hurling razor-sharp pointed daggers of glass in every direction after being hit by debris, impact resistant windows stick together. Trapped by or within a membrane, damaged window panes remain in place. This minimizes injury during and after the event.
The storm approaching Lettie’s house promises to deliver nothing more than stiff breezes and heavy rains. “Still,” she said, “I feel good knowing that I’m protected, no matter what happens.”
Home Replacement Window Styles
“The problem with ‘regular’ windows,” said Carl, a replacement window specialist, “is that every house has ‘regular’ windows. What’s a ‘regular’ window? Is it a double-hung or a casement? Does a ‘regular’ window open?” He shrugged. “I just don’t know!”
Carl is not alone in his frustration. Homeowners unfamiliar with window terminology can find themselves confused by all the window specific terms they encounter when shopping for home replacement windows. Here’s a list of some basic home replacement window styles:
Awning Style Windows: Awning style windows feature a hinge along the top. These windows open by being pushed out, often by means of a hand crank or other mechanism.
Casement Windows: Casement windows are similar to awning style windows. However, instead of being attached at the top of the frame, casement windows are hinged along one side. These windows also open outward via a hand crank or other mechanism.
Bay Windows: Bay windows — called bow windows in some regions — bend outward in a curve. These windows are often an important aesthetic feature, contributing greatly to the look of the home, but generally do not open.
Picture Windows: Picture windows are large panels of glass, used to frame an attractive view or let sunlight into the home. Picture windows generally do not open.
Decorative Windows: Odd shaped windows, such as hexagonal, cloverleaf, and triangles, used to let in ambient light and serve as a decorative element. These windows generally do not open and are usually quite small in nature.
How do you know what style is right for you? Often, the style of your home plays a major role in this decision. Homes are designed to incorporate a certain style of window: you may feel the most satisfaction by replacing existing windows with home replacement windows of the same style. For example, if your home features double hung windows, you’ll want to install replacement double hung windows.
Generally a home will only have one style of window, with a few accenting elements such as picture or bay windows. It is unusual to see a home that features casement and double hung windows, but not unheard of. You’ll want to take into account how you use the room, safety considerations, and the look of your home when selecting home replacement window styles.
Another consideration to think about is the maintenance of your home replacement windows. No matter what style you select, you’ll want to be able to clean and care for your windows. This is especially important for decorative windows, which are often installed high in the house or in awkward corners. Do you want to stand on a rickety ladder to paint these windows on an annual or semi-annual basis? Maintenance considerations play a large role in why many homeowners select vinyl home replacement windows.
Replacement Doors: Upgrade Options
“I don’t know,” said Trey McAllister, standing in his front yard. “The new vinyl home replacement windows look fantastic — but something was missing.”
For Trey — and legions of other home owners — that ’something missing’ is the front door. After upgrading to new energy efficient fiberglass replacement windows, or, in Trey’s case, vinyl replacement windows, a battered old front door seems sorely out of place.
Replacement door options hve been limited for a number of years. Homeowners were faced with few choices and high prices, forcing many to settle for replacement doors they found at their local home improvement center. That was Trey’s first stop on his quest for a new door.
“I hate to say it, but the choices for replacement doors were not inspiring,” Trey said. “There simply wasn’t the breadth of choices I’d encountered when I’d selected my vinyl replacement windows.”
Trey decided to look further. He was thrilled to discover a wide range of options offered by some leading home replacement window manufacturers.
Andersen, Pella, Marvin and other leading home replacement window manufacturers have been steadily adding more sophisticated and attractive offerings to tehir line of home replacement doors. Each manufacturer now boasts a wide, varied line of home replacement doors.
“These doors are works of art,” Trey said. “You see fine craftsmanship, far better than you see on discounted replacement doors.” A wide range of styles, finishes, and hardware ensures that there’s a replacement door to complement every home. Traditional models with classic inset windows also incorporate the newest energy saving technology. More modern styles with large contemporary artistic glass panels feature impact resistance — a critical safety feature.
The look of home replacement doors is important, but it’s not the only criteria. Durability and security are vital considerations. Energy efficiency is also a prime concern.
“I just made a major investment in vinyl replacement windows in order to save energy,” Trey explained. “It just burned me up knowing how much heat was leaking out the door.” Insulated home replacement doors with specially-treated glass can play a critical role in conserving energy.
It’s not only entrance doors that can be replaced in order to save energy. Both French doors and sliding patio doors can now be upgraded to incorporate modern home replacement window technology.
Durability and quality craftsmanship is virtually assured by the reputation of manufacturers like Champion, Andersen and Pella. Years and years of delivering top notch high quality products let customers know they can select a door with confidence.
“I’ve been thrilled with my new home replacement door,” Trey said. “Stylistically, I think it brings the entire house together.” He smiled. “It just fits.”
“Working iwth my local home replacement window specialist was surprisingly helpful,” Trey continued. “They know better than anyone what the manufacturers are offering. If Pella has a new replacement door, they know it. If Andersen has a new replacement door, they know it.”
“My home replacement window specialist also played a critical role in ensuring tha tthe installation process went smoothly.” Installing a home replacement door is not a do-it-yourself job for most people. “I appreciated their reputation for quality work.”
“Your front door is the first thing visitors see. It can make a huge impression,” Trey concluded. “Don’t you want to make the best impression possible?”
Do Home Replacement Windows Cause Condensation?
“I don’t know,” Marguerite sighed. She looked at her new home replacement windows. “The windows are beautiful, and we’re certainly warmer than ever before. Our energy bills are much lower. But there’s this fog on the windows almost every morning, and I hate it! Isn’t there anything that can be done?”
Condensation — the thin, silvery-gray watery film that clings to Marguerite’s home replacement windows — is nothing more than water vapor that accumulates on glass when it hits a cool surface. This water vapor comes from two sources: moisture in the interior air and the outdoor, exterior air.
Windows are not to blame for the appearance of condensation — but that’s hard to believe when one never had condensation before installing home replacement windows and has it often after installing the home replacement windows. Why does this happen? Did anything change besides your new windows?
Often, the answer is no — and there’s the problem. Condensation is formed, in part, due to the humidity inside your home. When you had older, leaky, less efficient windows, the humidity posed no problem. All that excess moisture just leaked out the window — along with up to 40% of your home’s heating and cooling energy. The moisture was gone, so you had no condensation.
But then, in an effort to save energy, reduce heating costs, improve your home’s aesthetic and any of a number of other reasons, you install home replacement windows. All of your heat is now staying indoors — but so is that moisture. The energy efficient windows, with double or triple panes of glass, specially coated glass and insulated gasses between the panels, help keep the damper air inside. Condensation accumulates as a result.
Occasional condensation happens. Physics can’t be denied, no matter what kind of windows you have. Throughout the year, when the seasons change or at times that there has been rapid, dramatic shifts in temperature, you will see condensation. This is to be expected.
However, if you have condensation occurring on a regular on-going basis, it may lead to problems. Few surfaces stand up well to repeated, prolonged exposure to moisture, although vinyl replacement windows fare best.
To reduce condensation in your home, you’ll need to remove some of the humidity from your interior air. This can be accomplished by using a dehumidifier, or by making sure that your home is adequately vented. Often, kitchens and bathrooms need the most aggressive venting, although attics and crawl spaces also require adequate air flow.
This news came as a great relief to Marguerite. She made a point of regularly using both her bathroom exhaust fan and the fan installed in the hood over her kitchen range. Additionally, she discovered that her dryer was not venting properly — a huge contributor to the humidity level in her home. She purchased a dehumidifier at her local home store for less than $100 and presto — the condensation was gone.
“Thirty years I’ve lived in this house,” she marveled, “and I never knew how moist it was.” Looking at her home replacement windows, she smiled. “But I guess it was easy to see with my new windows!”
Is It Time to Replace My Windows?
When is the best time to install home replacement windows? That’s a question that plagues many homeowners. They look at their existing windows and know that they’re not the most energy efficient. They realize that they might be losing up to 40% of their home’s energy to the great outdoors. Yet, because the windows are not broken and still appear to be fine, many hesitate to replace their home windows. After all, the saying goes, if it aint broke, don’t fix it.
That’s an old saying — and it represents an old way of thinking. For generations, homeowners only replaced major home components such as roofs, doors, and windows when those elements failed. If a stray baseball found its way through the living room window, that window would be replaced.
That was fine, back in the day. That was before modern window technology evolved to the point where it is today. Modern home replacement windows offer optimal energy efficiency. Low E coatings help retain heat loss and minimize solar gain. UV coatings can stop valuable furniture, carpeting, and antiques from suffering sun damage. Impact resistant windows can stand up to extreme weather conditions, helping keep your family safe. Sound-buffering windows can help minimize the affect of ambient outdoor noise, creating a more pleasant living environment for you and your family. The benefits of home replacement windows go on and on. These benefits weren’t available previously, so there was no point in replacing windows until they no longer performed as needed.
The problem homeowners face today is not that their windows aren’t performing. It’s that their windows aren’t performing well.
The benefits of home replacement windows are so strong, in fact, that it’s well worth considering tossing out your old-fashioned thinking. Why wait for your windows to deteriorate? Why wait for an accidental breakage? Why wait, while your money goes to pay ever-increasing energy bills? Acting now to replace your windows with vinyl replacement windows, fiberglass replacement windows, or wood replacement windows can offer you all of these benefits while enhancing the beauty of your home.
Still, people postpone their purchasing decisions. It’s a sad but true part of human nature that we can know that we should do something, and yet still manage not to do it until we absolutely have to. The same is true when it comes to home replacement windows.
So when you’re looking at that display of Pella Windows, or Andersen Windows, or Marvin Windows, and asking yourself, “Is it time?” what you’re really asking is this: “Do I want to start saving money now, or wait until later? Am I ready to protect my home from UV damage? Is it time to reduce the risk my children would face from a suddenly shattered window?” Everyone’s answer to these questions will be different. Some people will prefer to postpone the savings, safety, and home preservation that home replacement windows can offer. Others, however, will realize that the time to act is now.
Thermal Windows: Up Close and Personal
In this entry, we’re going to take an up close and personal look at thermal windows. What exactly are thermal windows? Why are thermal windows considered an absolute necessity by so many homeowners? Do you need thermal windows in your home?
What are thermal windows? The first question is the simplest. Thermal windows are different from traditional windows in one important fashion. While traditional windows feature a single pane of glass, thermal windows feature two or three panes of glass.
The multiple panes of glass in thermal windows trap air. This provides a layer of added insulation to the home. In some thermal windows, the space between the panes of glass is filled with non-reactive gasses to provide better insulation.
Why do so many homeowners demand thermal windows for their home? There are a number of reasons why thermal windows are considered so important, the most important of which is energy efficiency.
Windows are a primary source of heat loss in most homes. Industry estimates tell us that as much as 40% of a home’s energy can be lost through windows and doors. Energy is expensive. Installing thermal windows minimizes energy loss. Conserving energy this way means that you use less — and pay for less. Thermal windows can save a homeowner big bucks.
Additionally, thermal windows can make a home more comfortable. Losing heat not only costs the homeowner money, it saps warmth from your living areas. Drafts and chilly areas can be most uncomfortable, particularly for children — they’re closer to the floor. Cold air is heavier and tends to sink right to their level. Elderly people also tend to feel the cold more. Thermal windows can help ensure the comfort of your youngest and oldest loved ones.
Thermal windows add real value to your home. If you’re considering selling a home, you should know that one thing that savvy buyers look for is thermal windows. They know the benefits thermal windows offer, and prefer to buy homes that already have thermal windows in place.
Thermal windows, especially modern home replacement windows, are often quite attractive. Vinyl and fiberglass home replacement windows can improve the appearance of your home, which also increases your home’s value.
Do you need thermal windows in your home? This is a question that only you can answer, but we’ll try to help you figure it out. First, look at your existing windows. Are they leaky, inefficient, single-pane windows? If so, you have to consider how much it costs you to keep these windows in place. What would your energy bill look like if 40% of your energy wasn’t being wasted?
The idea of savings due to the energy efficiency thermal windows offer is attractive to many homeowners. Others like the environmental benefits thermal windows provide: by saving energy, you’re using less of the planet’s limited resources to heat and cool your home.
Another factor to consider is if you’re planning to sell your home, either now or at any point in the future. If the answer’s yes, it’s good to remember that potential buyers will want thermal windows.
Vinyl Window Performance
Homeowners opt for vinyl home replacement windows for many reasons: to save energy, to improve their home’s appearance, and to add value to their home. How can a home owner know that a vinyl home replacement window will perform as promised?
One way to tell a quality vinyl home replacement window is to look for the AAMA label. You’ll find these labels on the inside edge of the window frame — they’re gold, and state that the window has been rated in accordance with ANSI/AAMA/NWDA 101/ls. 2-97 and NFRC 100.
That’s an awful lot of alphabet soup — let’s take a minute to look at what it means.
The AAMA is the American Architectural Manufacturer’s Association. They’re a standard-setting organization that most window and door manufacturers belong to. The organization includes the largest companies in the nation, and the smallest.
When a window carries the AAMA sticker, it means that that window has met the voluntary performance standards for aluminum, vinyl and wood-framed windows and glass doors.
These standards are tough! Vinyl home replacement windows that carry the AAMA sticker must meet standards for air leakage and water penetration — critical to saving energy. Structural strength is tested, including the strength of the materials used in the constructing the frame, sash, and structural members of the window. There’s even a test to see how your home replacement windows will stand up to a bad guy determined to break into your home.
That’s not all.
Window components such as weatherstripping, sealants, glazing types and hardware also come under close scrutiny. They too have to meet the standard, or the vinyl home replacement window doesn’t get the AAMA sticker.
These tests are performed by independent laboratories, to ensure that homeowners can trust the objectivity of the ratings.
Life in the lab is one thing, but what about life in the real world? Do vinyl home replacement windows perform well in everyday situations? How do vinyl windows perform when installed on a house on Main Street USA?
Experience and research tells us that vinyl windows can stand up to some incredibly tough conditions. Whether it’s the bone-chilling winters throughout Canada and Alaska or the sweltering sun in Arizona and Nevada, vinyl window performance can’t be beat. Consistently, vinyl windows have delivered as promised — keeping homes comfortable and energy efficent — and looking good while doing it!
Vinyl window performance is critical. Deciding to replace some or all of your home’s windows with vinyl replacement windows is a big decision and a major investment. You want to be satisfied with the home replacement windows that you purchase. That’s why it’s imperative to do your research.
Some of the research, especially the scientific, objective research, has been done for you. Looking for the AAMA sticker lets you know that the windows you’re considering meet stringent performance standards. Reputable window manufacturers such as Harvey, Pella, and Andersen pride themselves on meeting (and sometimes surpassing!) the AAMA standards. They want the very best for their products — just like you want the very best for your home.