Home Replacement Windows & Children

Home replacement windows can make home a more comfortable, inviting place.  This is true for all types of home replacement windows: vinyl home replacement windows, fiberglass home replacement windows and wood replacement windows.  It’s also true for all family members, particularly the smallest: infants, toddlers, and children.

How Home Replacement Windows Benefit Children

Reduce Air Penetration Because home replacement windows feature double or triple pane glass, insulating gas pockets, insulated frames and high quality construction, they dramatically reduce air penetration. This keeps cold breezes outside, where they belong.

This is important, because when cold air enters your home, it sinks. The coldest location in any home is near the floor — which is also where children are. Children crawl, play and hang out in the lowest levels of the home. You want to this area to be warm and comfortable.

Minimize allergen exposure Environmental allergies and asthma are common childhood problems. Additionally, increasing numbers of children are being diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS), a condition in which exposure to common, everyday materials can trigger extreme, severe reactions.

Installing vinyl home replacement windows, as well as fiberglass home replacement winodws or wood home replacement windows, can help minimize children’s exposure to triggering substances. Strengthening the integrity of the building envelope allows parents to better regulate interior air quality That means everyone can breathe easy. Additionally, because home replacement windows reduce moisture penetration as well as air intrusion, the growth of mold –one of the most common allergens — can be inhibited.

Increase Natural Sunlight Studies have shown that children thrive when exposed to natural sunlight. Home replacement windows — vinyl replacement windows, fiberglass replacement windows, or wood replacement windows — offer superior energy efficiency, allowing homeowners to throw open the drapes and let the sunshine in. This exposes children to natural light’s healing qualities, as well as allowing them to observe the great outdoors — or at least as much of the great outdoors that can be found within the confines of our backyards!

Safety and Security As much as we like to avoid thinking about it, the truth is that we live in a violent society. Home invasions, robberies, and perhaps worst of all, child abductions, are all real threats.

Prudent parents know that they have to act proactively to protect their children. Home replacement windows can play a pivotal role in enhancing home security.

Too often, flimsy and poorly installed windows serve as a vulnerable point to be exploited by nefarious types up to no good. The rigid frames, secure locking mechanisms, multiple panes of glass, and quality construction of home replacement windows makes forcing entry more difficult Criminals are often creatures of opportunity: when presented with a slow, challenging route, they’ll often abandon the home in search of easier pickings.

Small children aren’t the most careful creatures in teh world. The rigid frames and secure locking systems that do such an effective job keeping intruders out can also play a pivotal role keeping children in This is particularly crucial in multi-story buildings and high traffic areas.

By reducing air penetration, minimize allergen exposure, and increasing the amount of sunlight children are exposed to, home replacement windows can positively impact children’s health. Additionally, security concerns can be addressed with home replacement windows, which makes parents happy and children secure.

Replacement Windows: The Benefits for Small Business

Here at US Home Improvement, we spend a lot of time concentrating on replacement windows in the residential setting: our homes. However, we spend just as much time — if not more! — in our workplaces as our residences. Do home replacement windows have a place in the business world?

The answer is absolutely yes! There are a number of things to consider when pondering the role of replacement windows and doors in the business world. These factors include:

The increasing number of small, home-based businesses

Working from home, either under the auspices of a traditional employer, or as an entrepreneur, is becoming increasingly popular. Over 4.2 million individuals reported having a home based business on the last US Census, and that number has been growing steadily.

All of the considerations that make home replacement windows attractive in a residential setting: energy efficiency, attractiveness, and more — become doubly so when a structure serves dual roles as a home and workplace. You’re spending more time in the building: you want it to be as comfortable, attractive and efficient as possible.

Increased profitability due to reduced heating and cooling expense

There are two ways for a business to enhance profitability: make more money or reduce expenses. You’re on your own when it comes to making more money — but replacement windows can definitely help the small business owner reduce expenses.

Replacment windows — vinyl home replacement windows, fiberglass home replacement windows, and wood replacement windows — all enhance a structure’s energy efficiency. By retaining warmed air in the winter and cooled air in the summer, replacement windows allow heating and cooling systems to run less often, saving on utility costs. This can be a considerable savings, considering the need many businesses have to keep a very comfortable environment in order to keep customers happy. You might be willing to slip on a sweater on if you’re feeling chilly — but if the public finds your store to be too cold, they won’t come back!

Public perception of a ‘green’ business

Environmental awareness is on the rise. Individuals are changing how they make choices in order to minimize their impact on the earth — and part of those changes involve the types of businesses they patronize. If you position yourself as a green business — one with a focus on earth friendly practices — you’ll be able to attract a portion of that demographic that considers environmental responsibility an imperative.

Replacement windows offer a highly visible way to demonstrate your commitment to green business. Because replacement windows are energy efficient, helping conserve heating and cooling energy and reduce fossil fuel consumption, they are favored by some environmentalists. Additionally, savvy retailers and small business owners can plan a green themed promotional event around replacement window installation, generating some positive word of mouth about your business.

Enhance a business asset

Finally, replacement windows can enhance a business asset: your structure. This won’t be true, obviously, if you rent your business space, but for those small business owners who own their buildings or work from home, installing replacement windows can raise the value of an asset. This has obvious positive ramifications on your balance sheet, and can make you more attractive to bankers, investors, and other interested parties.

Being Thankful: Home Replacement Windows and More

Happy Thanksgiving from the US Home Improvement Team.  On this special day, we’d like to express our gratitude to our customers, the manufacturers we work with, and of course, the readers of this blog!

Good home replacement windows offer homeowners many benefits to be thankful for.  It’s amazing how opting for vinyl home replacement windows, fiberglass home replacement windows, or wood home replacement windows can enhance a homeowner’s enjoyment of their home.  Upgrading from single pane glass windows or original construction windows to windows that feature double or triple pane glass can make a home more comfortable and energy efficient.  Additionally, home replacement windows can make a home more attractive!

Comfort is perhaps the most important benefit home replacement windows offer.  Double or triple pane glass, rigid quality frame materials, and installation performed by manufacturer’s authorized teams combine to virtually eliminate air and moisture penetration.  This means no cold drafts.  Interior temperatures can be more easily regulated, ensuring all family members remain comfortable.

The energy efficiency afforded by vinyl home replacement windows, fiberglass home replacement windows, and wood home replacment windows is truly something homeowners can be thankful for.  By retaining warmed air, home replacement windows mean the heating system runs less often, requiring less fule.  This saves the homeowner money.

Energy efficient homes are good for everyone — not just the homeowner.  As global fuel prices continue to rise, any decrease in demand — no matter how small — is welcome economic news.  A pretty grand effect, for a simply vinyl home replacement window.

Additionally, conserving energy and especially fossil fuels is good for the environment.  It seems clear that weather patterns are changing — as these words are being written, snow’s forecast for Texas — and in response, many h omeowners have become extremely conscious of their impact on the planet.  Known as a carbon footprint, the environmental impact of one family upon the earth can be reduced by living in an efficient home.  Home replacement windows make a home far more energy efficient.

Aesthetic considerations — how attractive a home is, when viewed by neighbors, friends, family members and the homeowner — can be addressed by home replacement windows.  Our homes are one of the ways we express ourselves.  Much of our personalities and sense of self can be conveyed by the choices we make in our homes.  Home replacement windows are available in a staggering array of styles, from classic and traditional to cutting edge an dmodern.

Style is one question, and quality is another.  The quality of the windows in your home speaks volumes about your personal style and values.  Cheap, flimsy windows — or the throwaway original construction windows favored by builders in a hurry — simply do not send a good message.  Thankfully, home replacement windows offer an attractive, affordable alternative.

Enhanced security is another feature of home replacement windows that homeowners can be thankful for.  Time and time again, home invaders and individuals with bad intentions have forced flimsy windows to gain entry — with tragic results.  Vinyl home replacement windows, fiberglass home replacement windows, and wood home replacement windows feature rigid frames and strong hardware, making unwanted entry efforts harder — and the bad guys don’t like life to be difficult.  If it’s not easy, they move on!

Comfort, energy efficiency, attractiveness, and security — all benefits of home replacement windows that homeowners can be thankful for.

Home Replacement Windows & Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: What You Need To Know

Home Replacement Windows and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: What You Need To Know

We’ve got to admit it: this one took us by surprise. Is there a relationship between home replacement windows and carbon monoxide poisoning? The answer may be yes — but the relationship’s not necessarily a bad one.

Every year, as winter approaches, the news is filled with stories about carbon monoxide poisoning. Fifteen hundred people die annually due to carbon monoxide poisoning, and several thousand more seek medical attention for the condition. Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when individuals are exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide — a colorless, odorless gas put off when heat sources are improperly vented.

In homes with older, leaky windows, some of this carbon monoxide could escape to the outdoors through the windows — along with much of the home’s heating energy. Newer homes and homes that feature replacement windows are more airtight. Warmed air remains indoors. This is of course a benefit. Home replacement windows help you save energy and enjoy greater comfort in the home.

However, if carbon monoxide levels are rising in a home, that gas will not leak through a double pane or triple pane glass replacement window the way it will through a faulty, single pane older window.

The primary way to protect yourself from carbon monoxide poisoning is to ensure that all of your heating systems are properly vented and that your home has adequate air exchange with the outdoors. Fresh air needs to circulate through your home regularly for optimum health for the homeowners.

Home replacement windows can play a critical role in providing adequate air exchange. Unlike older, faulty windows that were often painted shut, had broken weights or faulty mechanisms, modern home replacement windows open and close easily. Because you do not need storm windows, much less the ugly, thick plastic some homeowners had to staple over their windows as soon as the leaves started changing color, you can take advantage of warmer winter days by opening your home replacement windows easily and letting fresh air in.

Every home should have a CO monitor. This monitor will sound an alarm if elevated carbon monoxide levels are detected. If this occurs, the experts recommend opening all of the windows in your home — far easier if you have replacement windows that open easily and stay open — and exit the residence. Call in the appropriate emergency response teams to address the problem.

Modern home replacement windows do play a critical role in creating a more airtight home. Whether you opt for vinyl home replacement windows, fiberglass home replacement windows, or wood home replacement windows, advances in replacement window technology makes it possible to virtually eliminate unwanted air penetration. This improves the home’s energy efficiency. However, it does point to the need to have adequate ventilation for the home’s heating system and the need to have one’s heating system maintained and inspected regularly. Carbon monoxide poisoning never has to happen. Prepare now to protect yourself as winter weather approaches.

Seasonal Affective Disorder: What Can Replacement Windows Do To Help

It’s that time of year again: winter’s gray skies are here, coupled with the early arrival of nightfall. Plummeting temperatures don’t help matters much. Many people find themselves in a down or depressed mood at this time of the year, and for a select few the depression becomes so bad that it becomes something else entirely: seasonal affective disorder.

Seasonal affective disorder is a serious condition that may require hospitalization. It’s symptoms mirror those of clinical depression. Whether you’re experiencing season affective disorder or a milder, seasonal depression, light therapy may help.

One of the most popular and effective treatments for seasonal affective disorder and related milder seasonal depressions is exposure to what’s known as full spectrum lighting. Full spectrum lighting mimics natural sunlight. As a rule of thumb, the more exposure one has to natural sunlight, the more relief from seasonal affective disorder symptom one experiences.

This is where replacement windows come in. Many homeowners keep the draperies closed in winter, in an effort to keep heat from leaching out through leaky, single pane windows. Draperies do keep the heat in — but they keep the light out.

Installing home replacement windows, especially those featuring triple pane glass and insulating gas pockets, allows the homeowner to slide those drapes out of the way and let the light shine in. Let the beneficial, natural sunlight fill your home or office, bathing you in the best possible light. Replacement windows let the light in while keeping the cold air, drafts, and moisture outside. Vinyl replacement windows, fiberglass replacement windows, and wood replacement windows all allow you to enjoy the comfort of your warm living environment, and the healing, mood restoring natural light.

Particularly effective for many seasonal affective disorder sufferers has been what’s known as dawn stimulation. This is exposing yourself to the changing light of the sunrise, which subtly resets the body’s responses.

Leaving the bedroom drapes open to let the morning light in is a good idea — but only if you have a good replacement window to stop those cold winter breezes from sneaking into your living space and creating frigid drafts in your bedroom! Vinyl replacement windows play a pivotal role in maintaining the building envelope and preventing air penetration.

There’s more than the glass to consider when selecting replacement windows. Cold air penetration often occurs at points in or surrounding the frame. Rigid new vinyl replacement windows offer superior framing, virtually eliminating all air penetration points. This is critical to maintaining a warm bedroom. You can lie in comfort while enjoying dawn’s early light.

Obviously, seasonal affective disorder is a serious condition and should be treated with the advice and supervision of your health care provider. However, most health care providers and experts on this condition agree that maximum exposure to natural lighting is one of the best things you can do to alleviate the worst symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. Replacement windows allow you to enjoy natural lighting and a warm comfortable environment at the same time.

New Wood Windows: Questions You Have To Ask

One of the first things home owners do when considering home replacement windows is to walk the aisles at the local home improvement shop. There, they run into sharp looking displays featuring the finest wood replacement windows. Vinyl replacement windows and fiberglass replacement windows may also be on display — but, as the salesman will be sure to say, “If you want the best, you want wood.”

That brings us to the first question you have to ask: Best for who?

Certainly for the salesperson, who works on commission. Wood replacement window prices are consistently far higher than fiberglass replacement window prices or vinyl home replacement window prices. Pushing the higher priced product results in a larger paycheck for the sales staff — the best for them, but not necessarily for you.

Considering the price tag on wood replacement windows, the next question is: What do I get for that money?

Wood replacement windows do offer many benefits. First and foremost, they’re often very, very beautiful windows. They enhance the look of your home, and can add an air of elegance and warmth to any façade. Wood replacement windows often feature double or triple pane glass, insulating gas pockets, low e coatings, and other energy efficient features. This can help you save money on your heating and cooling bill. Wood replacement windows do all of these things and do them well.

This brings us to the next question: Could I get these same benefits anywhere else?

The answer is absolutely YES! Vinyl home replacement windows and fiberglass home replacement windows also feature double or triple pane glass. Insulating gas pockets, low e coatings and other energy saving features are present in both vinyl replacement windows and fiberglass replacement windows. Sturdy, quality construction means that the insulating value of the frames — especially on vinyl replacement windows — rivals that offered by wood replacement windows. Vinyl and fiberglass replacement windows are available in a wide variety of styles and finishes, offering an aesthetic assortment that far surpasses wood’s offerings.

So now we’re at the next question: How do the prices for vinyl home replacement windows compare to wood replacement window prices? How do the prices for fiberglass home replacement windows compare to wood replacement window prices?

This is an easy question to answer. There really is no comparison. Prices for wood replacement windows are consistently far, far higher than the prices for vinyl home replacement windows and fiberglass home replacement windows. Depending on region, vinyl replacement window prices and fiberglass replacement window prices are within a stone’s throw of each other, but both options are far more affordable than wood replacement windows. The difference, per window, is generally at least a hundred dollars, if not more. Multiply that by the number of windows needing replacement, and suddenly you’re looking at a very large total.

That brings us to our last question: If vinyl home replacement windows and fiberglass home replacement windows offer the same benefits as wood replacement windows, yet cost thousands of dollars less, why would anyone opt for anything else?

For that question, I’m afraid we have no answers!

Comfort Counts: Seniors and Replacement Windows

Medicare reform, vacation homes, and pictures of the grandchildren: these seem to be the topics of most interest to seniors. However, there are certain topics that are a little closer to home — namely, how comfortable are seniors in their own homes? Replacement windows can play a role in that comfort level.

Here are the top five reasons home replacement windows could be important to senior citizens:

Savings on Home Heating & Cooling Bills

If you’re a fixed income, you know that every dollar counts. One more dollar spent on heating your home means one less dollar to spend on food, medicine — or on a lighter note, toys for the grandkids.

Installing home replacement windows helps retain energy: warmed air stays inside in the winter, while frigid winds remain outside. The situation reverses in the summer: air conditioned, chilled air — critical during blazing hot summer days where overheating poses a very real health risk to seniors — stays indoors where it’s needed.

Reduce Cold Drafts

Double and triple pane glass home replacement windows help reduce air infiltration. Couple this with vastly improved frame technology, insulating gas pockets, and other advances in window technology, and cold drafts are minimized or eliminated.

This increases the comfort of the home. Seniors have a particularly difficult time maintaining their body temperature. Continually exposure to chilly drafts and cold outdoor air can make the situation worse. Home replacement windows, by reducing air penetration, can play a pivotal role in keeping seniors warm.

Easy to Open

Some windows are flat out difficult to open, no matter how old you are! Poor construction, warped or damaged frames, and the weight of the windows themselves mean that some windows stay closed far more than they get opened.

Modern home replacement windows are easy to open. Specially designed hardware means that casement windows, awning windows, and even double hung windows stay open exactly to the degree you’d like them open. No worries about windows slamming shut or being impossible to open.

Windows that open and close are a basic safety issue. You never know when a fire or other emergency will require you to leave your home by alternate means. Should the windows be difficult or impossible to open, you may be trapped with no route out — terrifying at any age.

Easy Maintenance

Home replacement windows, whether they’re vinyl home replacement windows, fiberglass home replacement windows, or wood replacement windows, are all easier to maintain than the single pane windows of yesteryear. Vinyl home replacement windows are particularly easy to maintain: vinyl replacement window frames never need painting.

Tilt in designs make window washing a snap. Cleaning windows can be accomplished from inside the home: far safer and easier than teetering on a rickety ladder, especially if the windows are on the second or third floor.

Additionally, some replacement windows feature blinds encased between dual panes of glass — another cumbersome housekeeping task eliminated. Imagine never having to dust the blinds again! This is great for the senior who takes pride in their home’s appearance yet doesn’t have the energy to keep up all of the housekeeping they used to do.

Environmentally Friendly

Many, many seniors are concerned about the future of the planet we call home. Home replacement windows help conserve energy, reducing the use of fossil fuels. This has an obvious positive benefit for the environment, a big plus for those seniors concerned with reducing their carbon footprint.

Clear as Crystal: The Role of Glass in Replacement Windows

Once upon a time, glass was a rare and magical thing. Only the very wealthiest could afford real glass windows in their homes: having even small windows was a status symbol.

Of course, that changed as technology evolved. Glass manufacturing technology made windows cheap and affordable — perhaps too cheap! There are lots and lots of flimsy, low quality windows out there: windows that allow your home’s heat to leak directly from your home into the wide open world.

However, just as glass can let your heat escape, it can play a pivotal role in keeping your heat in. Let’s take a look at the different types of glass and how they effect your home’s energy efficiency.

Single Pane Glass Windows

Once the envy of all, single pane windows are now viewed as the least desirable of all window options. A thin pane of glass can’t do much to retain warm air. Single pane glass windows offer little, if any, insulation.

Double Pane Glass Windows

Double pane glass windows consist of two panes of glass. These panels are positioned so they create a trapped pocket of air between them. This air pocket is of course invisible, and so doesn’t affect your enjoyment of the window. Your view will be unimpeded. However, that invisible pocket of air can act as insulation, stopping or minimizing heat loss through the glass. In some windows, the air is replaced with argon or krypton, further enhancing the window’s energy efficiency.

Triple Pane Glass windows

Triple pane glass windows consist of three panes of glass, positioned in such a fashion as to create dual pockets of insulating air or inert gas. As of this writing, triple pane glass offer the ultimate in energy efficiency. The mass of three panes of glass, coupled with two insulating pockets, do a great job keeping warm air in and cold air out.

Gilding the Lily

There are a number of methods top replacement window manufacturers like Alside, Harvey, Champion and Pella use to make their home replacement windows even more efficient. As we’re considering the glass in this entry, let’s take a look at one of the most popular options: low E coatings.

The E in low E coatings stands for emissivity. When you opt for low E coatings on your home replacement windows, you’re getting home replacement windows coated with a low emissivity film. This film, which is invisible, prevents thermal energy — in other words, heat and cold — from traveling through the glass.

Aesthetic Choices

The glass you select for your home replacement windows can play a huge role in the look of your home. Most glass is clear, but tinted options are available. Frosting or other window coatings can give you a replacement window that lets the light in but keeps prying eyes out. Leaded glass gives a home the look of the stained glass windows of old, and bevelled edges add an air of elegance.

Energy Star Rated Replacement Windows

What Does The Energy Star Signify?

You’ll see the Energy Star all over the place: on appliances and hot water heaters, doors and replacement windows. The symbol is used to identify those products which offer the homeowner maximum energy efficiency.

When it comes to home replacement windows, strict rating criteria are in place to help homeowners identify the very best replacement windows. To be eligible for ENERGY STAR, windows must be rated, certified, and labeled for both U-Factor and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) in accordance with the procedures of the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) at levels that meet the following ENERGY STAR qualification criteria in one or more Climate Zone.

In the Northeast, this means a U factor less than or equal to .35. Because the Northeast is what is known as a heating dominated environment — we run our furnaces more than our air conditioners, any level of SHGC is considered acceptable in replacement windows and doors.

What Types of Windows Can Carry the Energy Star Label?

The Energy Star designation is not dependent on a certain type of material or building style. Instead, the Energy Star label is only applied after a product meets rigorous requirements. This means that Energy Star rated windows can be vinyl replacement windows, fiberglass replacement windows, or wood replacement windows. Window efficiency is not solely related to frame material choices. Other components are important as well, such as the number of window panes, type of glass, spacer material, gas fills, etc.

How Much Money Can I Save With Energy Star Windows?

According to governmental research, upgrading to replacement windows that carry the Energy Star rating can save a homeowner $90 annually if they’re replacing double-pane, clear glass windows. The savings increase fivefold — to $450 per year! — if the windows being replaced are single pane clear glass. That’s enough money, if you live in the greater Boston area, to cover your T fare for 8 months!

Is There Any Other Financial Benefit to Energy Star Windows?

Absolutely! The government is committed to encouraging energy efficient homes. As a result, substantial tax breaks are available to property owners who upgrade their windows and doors with replacement windows and doors carrying the Energy Star label. You have to have your windows in place by a certain deadline in order to receive the credit in any given tax year — consult with your financial advisor for the most up to date information.

What Replacement Window Manufacturers Offer Energy Star Windows?

All of the leading replacement window manufacturers go to tremendous lengths to create windows that meet or exceed the Energy Star standards. Included in this list are the heavy hitters of the replacement window world: Alside Windows, Harvey Windows, Pella Windows, Marvin Windows, Champion Windows, and more.

Some companies, such as Alside, go so far as to become recognized as Energy Star National Window Partners. Such designations are important testament to the commitment to energy efficiency and product design top window manufacturers have.

The Health Benefits of Replacement Windows: Colds & Coughs

Cold season is here, and we’re not talking about the dropping temperatures. Judging from the number of flyers in these parts for flu shots and public service announcements about hand washing we’re seeing, cold and cough season is here in earnest. People are worried about getting sick.

What can replacement windows do to keep you healthy?

Eliminating Drafts

While it’s an old wife’s tale that cold drafts can make you sick — modern medicine has completely dispelled the notion of night air — it is true that for optimum health, you want to stay warm and do everything possible to maintain a steady body temperature.

Your normal body temperature can drop after prolonged exposure to cold drafts. This is particularly problematic if you’re elderly, a child, or have a compromised immune system.

Replacement windows, especially those installed in place of older, leaky single pane windows, are well built and designed to eliminate drafts. By cutting out air penetration, modern replacement windows, particularly those featuring triple pane glass and insulating gas pockets, can make those chilly interior breezes no more than a memory.

Conserve Heat

Replacement windows help homeowners save considerable amounts of money on home heating bills. This is particularly critical now, as fuel prices are starting to skyrocket just as the heating season begins in earnest. Some homeowners are running their heat less often, while others are keeping their thermostats set to a cooler setting.

Either way, when heat is scare, you want to make the most of the heat you have. Replacement windows are designed to keep warm air in with you, meaning you have to run your furnace less often. You’ll feel warmer, longer, which not only contributes to an overall feeling of wellness but encourages greater activity levels.

Cold individuals tend to ‘cocoon’, huddling on the couch or in bed. When you’re warm, it’s easier to get up and moving — and physicians all agree that physical activity is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle.

Improve Your Diet

If you’re not spending all your money on heating your home because your replacement windows help you conserve valuable heating energy, you’ll have more financial resources available that you otherwise would have spent on fuel.

One of the ways you can use this money is to buy food right in nutrients. Fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly those rich in Vitamin C, can do a great deal to boost your immune system and help you fend off whatever bug is floating around your neighborhood.

Staying Healthy

Cold and flu season is rough, no matter where you are. However, there are certain precautions everyone can take: regular handwashing and avoiding crowds of sick people are obviously good ideas.

However, some of the ways you can stay healthy aren’t as obvious. Creating a healthy home is an ongoing process, in which replacement windows can play a critical role. By acting as a protective barrier against pollen, dander, and chemical irritants during spring and summer’s allergy season and blocking drafts and retaining critical warmth during winter’s coldest days, replacement windows can help keep your family healthy!