Home Replacement Windows Save Energy Today and Tomorrow
“It’s amazing,” Jeff Riggle said. “We saw a savings of almost $700 on our fuel oil bill this winter — and the only thing we did differently is replacing the windows.”
Riggle and his wife replaced 15 windows in their home with Alside Sheffield windows, a high end vinyl replacement window. Most of the windows in their home were older aluminum replacement windows, from the seventies. “By and large they were in good shape,” Riggle said, “or at least they appeared to be.” One small kitchen window had a crack in the glass. “We thought that was the extent of the damage, but when we swapped the windows out, we discovered that there was major rot and sill damage. Lots of cold air was coming through what appeared to be solid wood.”
Riggle learned what many homeowners have discovered: windows that appear to be ‘fine’ can still serve as one of the biggest sources of home energy loss. Experts estimate that over 40% of a home’s energy can be lost through windows and doors. Convection, outside air infiltration, conduction and radiation work together to funnel the nice, warm air you enjoy — and pay for — through any vulnerable points into the great outdoors. “The squirrels and chipmunks already have fur coats,” Riggle quipped. “We don’t need to provide them with central heating!”
With energy efficiency being a prime concern for the Riggle family, Sheffield windows became an attractive option. “They feature a multi-chamber design,” Riggle said. “That means more glass. Those chambers trap the dead air, and it acts like insulation in there — you can’t see it, but it keeps you warmer.”
Sheffield windows have other components that add to their energy efficiency. Extra-thick fusion welded frames and sashes provide superior structural strength. They also help eliminate the vulnerable points that allow outside air infiltration. “Not only that,” Riggle said, “but it keeps the moisture out. Moisture leads to rot, and rot will destroy the sills. Happened once,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest and nodding his head, “and it’ll happen again unless we prevent it from the get-go.”
Also important are the sloped sills Sheffield windows feature. By sloping away from the house at a subtle angle, these sills help further prevent air and moisture infiltration. Older windows had straight sills — or worse, if there’d been damage to the home or uneven settling over the years, sills that subtly sloped upward, allowing rainwater to pool and collect in the worst possible spot — in direct contact with your home.
“I think that’s what happened in at least one instance,” Riggle said. “With that water just laying there, problems are bound to happen.” Preventing further damage can help extend the benefit one realizes from their home replacement windows: the longer a homeowner can delay air and moisture from entering their home, the longer they can enjoy substantial savings on their energy bill. “I think it’s a great thing,” Riggle concluded. “I’m glad we got the Sheffield windows.”
Home Replacement Windows: Act Now to Save Money At Tax Time
I don’t know about you, but tax planning is not my favorite activity in the world. Not when I could be doing something really fun, like planning a renovation of my kitchen, or figuring out where to add a sunroom, or figuring out how to brighten up the family room.
Luckily, sometimes you can combine fun activities with those not so enjoyable tasks we all have to consider. For example, you can marry your passion for home renovation with tax planning by installing replacement windows and doors.
Home replacement windows — whether you opt for vinyl home replacement windows, fiberglass home replacement windows, or even wood home replacement windows — offer the homeowner many benefits. You can save energy with home replacement windows. You can improve the appearance of your home with home replacement windows. You can save a substantial amount of money on your home energy bill with home replacement windows. You can help save the environment with home replacement windows.
And if you act now, you can earn a tax credit by installing home replacement windows.
Certain home improvements qualify for special tax credits. Qualified home replacement windows and doors — specifically those bearing the Energy Star label — mean that you’ll get a credit on your tax return. However, you do have to have this home replacement windows and doors in place before the end of December.
Looking at the calendar, we’re just about to enter August. We’re two-thirds of the way through the year. Roughly four months remain before you’ll miss the window (pun fully intended) to capitalize on your windows.
What should you do? If you hope to claim this credit this tax year, you need to act fast. Realistically, if you’re in the Northeast, the last few months of the year are not ideal window-replacement time. Do you really want to have wide-open holes in the side of your house for any length of time in November while a Nor’Easter is blowing up? Chances are the answer is no — and most window installers have no problem admitting they’d rather do the job during nice weather as well.
Home replacement window manufacturers like Alside, Harvey, Champion, Pella, Marvin and more all create high-quality windows that meet the criteria for the tax credit. You have the time to research which windows will work best for you: which companies offer triple pane glass, low e coatings, UV protection, impact resistance, insulated frames and other critical energy saving features. You can search for the perfect style window to compliment the exterior of your home. There’s time to explore options: tilt-in hinges for easy cleaning, perhaps a sliding glass door or French doors to change the ambiance of a room.
Obviously, tax considerations are not the sole reason you should consider home replacement windows. Home replacement windows improve a home on many levels, from enhanced energy efficiency to quality construction and attractive presentation. However, if you’ve got to do your tax planning anyway, and a renovation project was being planned, why not combine the best of both worlds, and start shopping for home replacement windows now?
How do home replacement windows affect a home's resale value?
Getting a home ready for resale can be one of the most stressful things you’ve ever done. There’s so many things to do: closets to clean, floors to mop, your teenager’s collection of scantily-clad pop star posters forcibly removed from their walls. It’s all worth it, because this work makes it easier to clean your house.
Some of the tasks homeowners take on are a little more substantial than scaring cobwebs out of the guest bedroom. Often, home replacement windows are recommended as an upgrade to attract would-be buyers.
Yet is it really worth it? Can installing home replacement windows positively impact your home’s resale value?
The answer is generally yes. According to Remodeling’s Cost vs Value report – a respected publication that has been tracking this sort of data since 1988 — the cost of installing replacement windows can be substantially recouped, especially if you opt for high end windows. Home replacement windows are an improvement buyers value and are willing to pay for.
Things you’ll want to remember include:
Home buyers shop with their eyes. You’ll want to look at your home critically. How do your windows look now? Just because you’re used to those older, flimsy aluminum frame replacements from the Seventies doesn’t make them attractive. Someone considering buying a home is making one of the largest purchases of their life. They notice everything — even those home features you don’t ‘see’ anymore.
If nothing else, upgrading your windows with vinyl home replacement windows, aluminum home replacement windows, or high end wood home replacement windows is sure to improve the appearance of your home. New windows will make your home look more welcoming and inviting. Just as the eyes are the window of the soul, windows are the eyes of a home — a would-be buyer can see a lot by peering into those ‘eyes’.
Focus on quality. If you’re going to have your windows replaced, don’t just opt for any quick and easy off-the-shelf replacement windows. You want a quality product, installed by professionals. If you skimp on the windows and select an inferior product, poorly installed, you can actually hurt your home’s resale value. After all, buyers aren’t going to be satisfied with a slap-dash set of windows. They’ll have to figure on replacing your half-hearted effort, which can add thousands of dollars to the cost of their new home. Obviously, this will drive down how much they’ll be willing to pay for your home — if they’ll even consider it at all. The lesson here is clear. If you’re going to take the time to install home replacement windows, make sure you do a good job.
Make sure your realtor is aware of the upgrades, so they can mention the windows during home showings. While the benefits of home replacement windows are clear, it never hurts to have your agent spelling them out for prospective buyers. Energy efficiency, quality construction and the improved aesthetic that home replacement windows offer add a lot of value to your home. You’ll want to make the most of it.
Vinyl Replacement Windows Offer Effortless Maintenance
One of the primary reasons homeowners opt for home replacement windows is to eliminate some of the work and effort required to keep older windows looking good. For the ultimate in effortless maintenance, you’ll want vinyl replacement windows.
Why? Older windows are often made from wood or aluminum. Both of these require periodic cleaning to keep them looking sharp and to protect the frame materials from the elements. Wood is particularly vulnerable to the elements: moisture, wind, and sun damage can destroy window framing and allow cold air to infiltrate your home.
Vinyl home replacement windows never need painting. You can select vinyl home replacement windows in almost any color, so your new windows can complement your home’s décor. The color stays true, even when exposed to the sun’s intense light, whipping winds, and years upon years’ worth of rain.
Because the color goes right through, you won’t need to repaint should your vinyl home replacement window frame be damaged. Being exposed to the elements does make window frames particularly vulnerable: hail, tree branches, and birds with a poor sense of direction can do a number on your window frames. All of those scratches and dings will stick out like a sore thumb on an older wood framed window, due to the glaring contrast between the surface paint and the different colored wood below. This is not a problem you’ll experience with vinyl home replacement windows.
Window frames and sills have long been a favorite haunt for spiders and other insects to build their nests. Wind-tossed leaves and other debris nestles in corners. Birds lay eggs in cozy corners. Removing this material can be troublesome with older windows: rough surfaced wood sills are the ideal location for spiders to snarl their webs around, leaves to jam under and more, making your job an awkward up-close one, to be completed with elbow grease and heavy gloves.
Vinyl home replacement windows feature smooth sills, which can simply be hosed off. Without a textured surface to cling to, the windowsills’ attractiveness as a nesting site is diminished — you may still have the occasional wildlife friend to deal with, but not nearly as many as you do with wooden windows. As an added plus, termites, carpenter ants, and other ravenous home-chewing critters have not shown any interest to date in snacking on vinyl.
Painting is not the only maintenance task associated with windows. You want to have sparkling clean panes of glass to enjoy the view. Cleaning older windows can be quite a cumbersome task, especially if you have a multi-storied home.
Some vinyl home replacement windows offer tilt-in styling for easy cleaning. Rather than balancing precariously on a ladder, bucket of soapy water in one hand and squeegee in the other, to clean your windows, you can stand inside your house, securely on the floor, and clean in comfort. That may not seem like a big deal now, but think about where you’ll be ten, twelve, or twenty years from now. Do you want to be climbing a two-story ladder when you’re sixty? Seventy? Eighty? Vinyl home replacement windows means that you won’t have to!
Improving Energy Efficiency With Home Replacement Windows
“I want to improve my home’s energy efficiency,” said Michael French, “but I’m not sure where to start. What changes can I make that offer me the most immediate results? What will save me the most energy?”
If you’re like Michael, concerned with saving energy and money, you may be puzzled about home replacement windows. What type of energy savings do home improvement windows offer? What kind of results can you expect?
The first step in assessing how much energy you can save with home replacement windows is to determine how much energy you’re using now. This information is available on your utility bill. Consider how much energy you’re using during an individual billing period, and how much your household consumes on an annual basis. You may notice that there are peak times when you use more power, like frigid winter months when the heat’s on full blast or sweltering summer days that put your air conditioner to the test.
Utility companies can help you determine how your costs compare to similar homes in your region. You’ll want to find out if your costs are higher, lower, or in keeping with what your neighbors pay. Michael was astonished by what he discovered.
“I was paying way more every month than almost everyone else in my neighborhood. The difference was even greater in the winter.”
Determined to discover why this might be, Michael compared his home to those around him. One difference was immediately apparent. “All the neighbors have new windows,” Michael explained. “One has Alside Sheffield windows, and the other has Andersen. Across the way, they have Harvey windows.” Meanwhile, Michael’s home featured the flimsy original construction windows the contractor had installed when the house was built.
Homes that have vinyl replacement windows or fiberglass replacement windows allow their homeowners to use less energy than home with older, single pane windows or the flimsy original construction windows Michael was saddled with. In fact, experts estimate that a home can lose 40% — nearly half! — of their energy through inefficient, leaky windows.
“That’s a lot of money to throw away,” Michael said. “So I decided that the smartest thing I could do was spend some money now to save money later.” Replacing all of the windows in Michael’s home was beyond his budget, so he had to pick and choose which windows to swap for the Alside Sheffield vinyl home replacement windows he’d picked out.
“The window contractor came and inspected all of the windows in the house. He pointed out that two had sill damage, so they were the first to be replaced. Then it was a matter of size: the larger the window was, the more energy that was escaping through it.” That put Michael’s large picture window on the list for replacement.
Saving energy requires a multi-pronged approach. For the ultimate in energy efficiency, there are other factors to consider beyond home replacement windows. However, installing vinyl or fiberglass home replacement windows can help reduce the amount of energy you use to heat and cool your home. That’s good for the environment and your budget.
Replacing Sliding Glass Doors
Sliding glass doors are many a homeowner’s favorite feature: combining the look of a window with the functionality of a door, sliding glass doors offer the best of both worlds.
That is, of course, if the sliding glass door is in good shape. That’s not always the case. Not all sliding glass doors are created equal. While the concept of sliding glass doors has been around for a very long time, only recently has the technology developed to create sliding glass doors that are energy efficient, easy to operate and maintain, and affordable.
Older sliding glass doors, especially those with more than a decade’s use on them, have a few things in common. They tend to be heavy, especially if they feature dual pane glass. Sliding glass doors move on rollers, and in older windows, these rollers were not made of stainless steel. That means that the rollers trapped in the aluminum frames were prone to rust — and once those rollers were rusted, they were difficult to move. Operating a sliding glass door with a rusted roller mechanism is a great test of brute strength but not much fun for younger or older family members who simply want to go outside.
At the same time, older sliding glass doors are notorious for leaking. Cold drafts and foggy glass are common issues — problems that can be eliminated by replacing your sliding glass doors.
What are the options for replacing sliding glass doors?
If you want to keep the benefits of a sliding glass door — the view and sunlight from a window, combined with easy access to the outdoors — you’ll want to replace the unit with another unit that offers those same benefits. You have a number of choices, including:
A newer sliding glass door: Modern sliding glass doors feature enhanced energy efficiency and improved mechanisms. You’ll have worry-free enjoyment of your window for years upon years.
French doors: Double doors that open from side hinges, French doors are a beautiful, elegant alternative to sliding glass doors. They are also an energy efficient option, and can change the appearance of your home.
Patio doors: Similar in nature to French doors, patio doors feature one door that opens while the other stays closed. This enhances the energy efficiency further, while still creating an elegant and inviting appearance.
Sliding patio doors: An increasing popular hybrid, sliding patio doors offer the traditional appearance of a patio door with the functionality of a sliding glass door.
No matter what style you select, you’ll want to have your contractor carefully inspect the sill and framing before installing your new door. Sliding glass door frame are famous for their tendency to rot or harbor all sorts of creepy crawly critters. There’s no sense installing a new door on a crumbling sill, so you’ll want to have that repaired.
With your new sliding glass door in place, you’ll be able to realize the full enjoyment of your home: breathtaking views, framed through energy efficient glass. No more cold drafts or the uncomfortable feeling one gets upon realizing nearly half of the home’s heatis leaching through the window. Best of all, easy and elegant access to your yard — ensuring that you can enjoy your home inside and out!
Why are home replacement windows so expensive?
You don’t have to research home replacement windows long before you discover one over-riding fact: home replacement windows are expensive. It doesn’t matter whether you opt for vinyl home replacement windows, fiberglass home replacement windows, aluminum home replacement windows or wood home replacement windows: if you’re upgrading your windows, you’re going to spend a pretty penny.
Not surprisingly, some homeowners balk at this. They compare the prices they see on the replacement windows for sale at the local home improvement center to the prices quoted to them by a replacement window specialist. Often, there’s a large difference: a difference that is sometimes written off by a disgruntled homeowner as ‘excess profits’.
After all, what other explanation could there be for the price disparity between windows available directly to the homeowner at a home improvement center and those purchased from a manufacturer’s authorized dealer?
Actually, there are a number of reasons for the price difference.
The first is the quality of the windows under consideration. The windows stocked in home improvement centers are, without fail, not the same windows manufacturers supply to their dealerships and qualified contractors. There is often a marked difference in quality — while the windows in the home improvement center are good, the ones available to the trade are better. This plays a large part in the price difference.
Secondly, installation costs vary. If a homeowner opts to install a home replacement window themselves, they can eliminate all of the installation costs. However, they do absorb all of the risks that come with doing the job themselves, including the chance that they’ll damage their home or the window units during the installation. Additionally, if the homeowner isn’t well versed at window installation, the likelihood of an improper installation goes up — increasing the chances that a window will leak, fog, or not be as energy efficient as it would be if it were properly installed. Home improvement centers often offer installation services, which they subcontract to local contractors. It doesn’t take much research to discover the horror stories from homeowners who discover that the subcontractors aren’t all they’re cracked up to be — and that the big box store that recommended them has no issue walking away from a problematic situation.
This doesn’t explain all of the price difference away. There are some other costs: overhead costs, including transportation, storage, and so on — that all home replacement windows carry, regardless of where they’re sold. In a home improvement center, the fixed portion of these overhead costs: building rental and utilities, for example, are spread over the entire inventory, which contains many disparate items — window blinds and faucets, as well as window. At a manufacturer’s dealership, all of that overhead is also spread over the inventory, generally confined to replacement windows and doors. Add to that all the other materials used to install windows: caulk, coil, trim and so on, and that supposed ‘excess profit’ dwindles down to more manageable proportions.
Buying home replacement windows from an authorized dealer and using their installation services is expensive. However the old adage is true: you get what you pay for. The top notch quality and professional installation your home deserves comes from one place: your authorized home replacement window specialist.
Energy Star Windows
If you’re a homeowner researching vinyl home replacement windows or fiberglass home replacement windows, chances are you’ve seen the advice time and time again, “Just look for the Energy Star label.”
That sounds simple — but if you’re not sure exactly what the Energy Star label signifies, you may not be sure what value the designation means. Let’s take some time to discuss what Energy Star labels mean, as applied to home replacement windows.
For a window to qualify for the Energy Star label, they must meet — or surpass — certain guidelines. These guidelines have been established by the National Fenestration Rating Council spelling out the criteria a window must meet to be considered energy efficiency.
Energy Star ratings vary by region. There are four regions, dictated by climate and environmental conditions. Here, in the Northern region, homes require far more heating than cooling. To qualify as Energy Star products, windows must have a U-factor of less than or equal to .35. There is no requirement for SHGC, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, in the Northern region — this is very different than requirements for Energy Star ratings in the Southern or other regions. Skylights are also eligible for Energy Star labels, and must meet equally stringent requirements.
To qualify for the tax savings associated with home replacement window installations, most states require that you select windows with the Energy Star label. You’ll want to check with your tax advisor and local home replacement window specialist to ensure that you choose the appropriate windows to realize the maximum tax benefit.
Participation in the Energy Star program is voluntary. However, most window manufacturers, realizing the value that energy efficient home replacement windows offer to their customers, as well as the environment, participate. They know that the Energy Star label is important to home owners.
For example, Alside Window Systems, manufacturer of Sheffield Windows, has been a proud participant in the Energy Star program for years. Alside Window Systems has even been recognized as the Energy Star Partner of the Year three years running: an honor that speaks volumes about their commitment to energy efficiency.
As fuel prices continue rising and limited reserves of natural resources become ever scarcer, conservation plays an increasingly important role in all of our lives. Home upgrades and improvements can help us reduce our carbon footprint — using less energy to maintain our lifestyle is good for everyone. As an added bonus, using less energy reduces the homeowner’s heating and cooling costs. That means more money in your wallet — always a nice thing.
The Energy Star designation is a powerful program that allows consumers to quickly and easily identify the most efficient products for their home. In a field littered with confusing designations and difficult to understand rating systems, simply looking for the Energy Star can help a consumer find the best — without breaking a sweat! That’s conserving yet another type of energy — your time and effort.
Foggy No More: Dual Pane Windows Then & Now
Captive clouds, home grown mist, the family fog — no matter what you call it, the condensation that would accumulate in double pane windows was the bane of many homeowner’s existence. Fogging problems with double pane windows were chronic for a long time, discouraging many homeowners from exploring home replacement windows.
However, the situation has changed.
The truth is this: home replacement window technology and construction in the early eighties — nearly three decades ago, at this point — was not nearly as advanced as it is now. There were certain problems that needed addressing, namely faulty glass seals. Faulty seals allowed moisture to penetrate into the space between the pair of window panes. With changes in temperature, condensation resulted, referred to by many homeowners as ‘fogging’.
The Situation Now
Innovations and the development of new window materials helped manufacturers improve the situation. Particular attention has been paid to the problematic seal area. As a result, window seals are far stronger and durable than ever before. The points where air and moisture could leak between the panes of glass have been eliminated.
This means no more fogging. Manufacturers now commonly offer a lifetime warranty on their double pane windows now, testament to their confidence that they’ve solved the condensation problem.
In addition to the enhanced window seals, modern vinyl home replacement windows, as well as their fiberglass and better built wood counterparts, feature sealed insulated pockets between the panes of glass filled with inert gas. This cuts down on the fogging issue as well as improving the energy efficiency of the home.
Some homeowners have been leery of triple pane glass windows for fear of fogging — after all, with two insulating pockets, the potential for fogging is doubled! However, triple pane windows feature some of the best seals in the marketplace today. At the same time, adding another pane of glass to the equation helps improve the energy efficiency of the window and as a result the home as a whole.
Your options
If you bought a home that has existing older double pane windows, you may be familiar with the fogging problems described here. What are your options?
There are services that claim to be able to defog older double pane windows. They drill holes into your windows and introduce a valve to control the moisture contained between the panes of glass. At this point, your window, which was already experiencing problems due to a faulty seal, is now further compromised. Remember: any point that moisture can escape from your window is also a penetration point where moisture can enter. Energy efficiency is diminished.
Repair of older double hung windows is possible, but expensive. The more cost-effective option is often full window replacement. This offers two clear advantages: you’re eliminating the fogging issue affiliated with the older, double pane windows. Secondly, upgrading to a newer double pane or even triple pane window offers you the best of modern innovation and technology. Enhanced energy efficiency, impact resistance, and even sound buffering can add real value to your home, while eliminating the fog!
Sheffield Vinyl Windows: Framing the Holiday View
In just a few days, our nation will be celebrating Independence Day. Hometown parades and nighttime fireworks extravaganzas are all part and parcel of the Fourth of July — and how much more wonderful these events will be when viewed through Sheffield Vinyl Windows.
Make no mistake: the choices you make when you select home replacement windows can contribute a great deal to how much you enjoy your home. Home replacement windows from manufacturers like Alside, Harvey, Champion and more are available in a wide variety of styles.
You’ll want to select a style that not only works well with your home’s aesthetic but allows you maximum enjoyment of your yard and surroundings. If you’ve got a great view, why not frame it in with a bay or picture window? Strategically placed double hung or casement windows can allow you to pick and choose the scenery — pinpointing those things you want to look at while discretely passing over those things — like a neighbor’s less-than-tidy yard — you don’t want to look at.
Taking the concept a bit further, consider your window’s functionality. Double hung windows and casement windows can be opened to let in a cool breeze and the scents from a blooming flower garden. French doors and sliding glass doors offer even more functionality: by combining the appearance of a window with the functionality of a door, these popular replacement window options allow you to not only look at the great outdoors but access it easily.
Sheffield Vinyl Windows are available in double hung, casement and sliding styles, allowing the discerning homeowner to select the option that works best for them. At the same time one is enjoying a perfectly framed view, the homeowner who opts for Sheffield Vinyl Windows also gets these bonuses: the peace of mind that comes with knowing they’ve purchased a durable, quality product. Sheffield’s Constant Force Balance System and E-Gard operating hardware are designed to give years, even decades, of perfect operation, eliminating any worries about windows that are difficult to open — or worse, close! If you open the window to let in a summer breeze, you want to be sure you can easily shut it again if a sudden thunderstorm blows through town.
Sloped sills, featured on every Sheffield Vinyl Window, help prevent air and water intrusion. This is just one way how Sheffield Vinyl Windows contribute to energy efficiency. Throw in multiple insulating chambers and specially treated glass, and you’re looking at a sure fire recipe for homeowner satisfaction.
Independence Day is part and parcel of American tradition, right up there with Mom’s apple pie. This year, why not plan to commemorate this national celebration with windows that allow you to take in the glory of the landscape all around you? At the same time, you’ll be doing the nation — and your budget! — a big favor by conserving energy and making the most efficient use of our limited natural resources.