Replacement Windows | US Home Improvement

As our economy twists and turns, one thing is for certain: the number of small and home based businesses is on the rise.  Buildings that were once our residences — retreats after a long day in the office — have now become our workplace as well!

Considering the home workplace, vinyl replacement windows come to mind.  Home offices have some unique requirements: they must serve as professional space.  This means allowing in enough natural lighting for maximum health benefits: especially in the gray and cloudy Northeast, access to natural light is critical.  Vinyl replacement windows, particularly Alside Excalibur Viny replacement windows, do a great job permitting natural light to come in while keeping cold drafts and breezes out.

 Home offices need to be comfortable spaces: you can not do good work if you’re too hot or too cold — or if you’re worried about valuable heat energy escaping through leaky, drafty windows.  Experts tell us that up to forty percent of a home’s heat energy can be lost through leaky windows — not something that you want to think about when you’re working so hard to ensure there’s money to pay for the heat in the first place!

Because vinyl replacement windows are highly energy efficient, with double or triple pane glass, insulating pockets of inert gas, and high quality rigid construction, they are often an ideal choice for the home office.  Installing vinyl replacement windows in the home office helps lower costs associated with your business, enhancing your profitability.  Think of what you could do with the money you’re currently wasting on lost heat energy!  This could make a real difference in your business: how many more sales would you have in a month, for example, if you had the money you’re currently spending on lost heat on marketing or promotion?

At last the election is over — after the longest campaign in recent memory, we have a new president.  No matter what your political viewpoints are, we’re all in the same boat: it’s time to look forward!

Consider the future of your home, as you look into the future.  Do you have a great view of what lies ahead?  Enhance your view and your home’s aesthetics by installing vinyl replacement windows.  Available in a wide range of styles, including the Alside Excalibur vinyl replacement window,  vinyl replacement windows offer a number of features that make the future look bright.

First and foremost, vinyl replacement windows are energy efficient.  This is a huge consideration: with an uncertain economic climate and war continuing in the Middle East, every dollar counts and fuel prices are fluctuating wildly.  Old, leaky windows can let your valuable heated air out: installing vinyl replacement windows — or wood replacement windows, which offer energy efficiency at a much higher price tag, or fiberglass home replacement windows — helps keep that warm air in.  This means your furnace runs less, and you save money.

There is no doubt that environmental awareness is going to be a cornerstone of the new administration.  With that in mind, homeowners will be looking for ways to green their homes, either to qualify for tax incentives or to help the planet.  Vinyl home replacement windows are one of the best options out there.  It’s important to realize that the manufacturing of vinyl home replacement windows has minimal environmental impact: in fact, many vinyl home replacement window manufacturers have received LEED certification,  pinpointing them as a green option.  Vinyl home replacement windows incorporate recycled and scrap vinyl into new windows, a sensible, environmentally sensitive option.

A man’s home — or a woman’s home! — is supposed to be their castle, safe and secure from the harms and hazards of the world. A retreat from a sometimes overwhelming and hostile environment, where we can be comfortable and safe.

Yet our homes can make us sick. Often, especially in older homes, the same windows that let in the morning sunlight can also be the bearer of bad tidings, delivering environmental allergens, facilitating the arrival of mold and mildew, and worse.

Vinyl home replacement windows can eliminate some common health hazards, and significantly minimize others. Here’s how:

Vinyl home replacement windows, like fiberglass home replacement windows and wood replacement windows, are manufactured without any lead. Older windows, especially those which have been in place for more than forty years, may have at some point been painted with lead-based paint. Small children have an inexplicable fascination with windowsills and have been known to ingest this paint, with serious health consequences. While lead based paint can be ‘painted over’, the ideal solution is to remove it entirely from the household. Replacing older windows with vinyl home replacement windows completely eliminates the potential lead poisoning issues.

Asthma and other respiratory disorders are often triggered by exposure to environmental allergens, such as pollen, dust, and airborne particulates. Leaky windows let these triggers right into your home. Vinyl replacement windows, such as the Alside Excalibur line of windows, provide an effective barrier: keeping warm, comfortable air inside, and cold, drafty air laden with allergy triggers out! Double or triple pane glass windows help minimize the entry of anything but sunlight — exactly what the doctor ordered!

An ounce of preparation is worth a pound of cure. So the saying goes — and when we’re considering the state of our wallets, vinyl home replacement windows may very well serve as the ounce of preparation!

Winter’s coming early this year. Snow’s already fallen in some parts of the country, and chances are if you go outside right now, you’ll discover it’s chillier than you expected. In a home with leaky, old, inefficient single pane windows, that cold air sneaks into your living space, while expensive warm air escapes right out.
Vinyl home replacement windows offer one of the best solutions possible to the problem! Vinyl home replacement windows, like the Alside Excalibur line, combine energy efficiency, rigid, insulated frames, low e coatings, and insulating gas pockets to combat the all-too-common situation of wasted energy.

If your home heating bill is too high and you’re still uncomfortable in your own living space, you may want to look at your windows and doors. Experts tell us that as much as 40% of a homes’ energy can be lost through these leaky portals. Upgrading with high quality vinyl replacement windows and replacement doors can help you save energy and money — and enjoy a more comfortable home!

Vinyl home replacement windows are often the best option because they offer the style and quality construction of wood replacement windows at a fraction of the price. When every dollar counts, you want to make sure that every improvement you make to your home will pay for itself! Vinyl home replacement windows do exactly that — and should you be in the market to sell your home, having high quality vinyl replacement windows in place makes your property more attractive to buyers!

Every Dollar Counts: How Vinyl Replacement Windows Can Save You Money

As this entry was being prepared, the US Senate leadership was frantically working on last minute additions to make the bailout more palatable to legislators. Economic unease is the order of the day. As major Wall Street firms collapse like pine trees in a mudslide, those of us who don’t have golden parachutes to cling to have to watch every dollar.

This is especially pertinent as cold weather approaches. The cost of heating our homes this winter is likely to be higher than ever before. Saving money is the order of the day.

Vinyl replacement windows can help you save money. There’s the immediate obvious benefit inherent in vinyl replacement window’s energy efficiency. Experts tell us that as much as 40% of a home’s energy can be lost through leaky windows — stopping that loss by installing a high quality vinyl replacement window, such as an Alside Excalibur Window is one way to eliminate that waste.

Vinyl replacement windows keep the cold drafts and frigid breezes outdoors. Maintaining a warm, comfortable interior temperature is one way to help your family’s immune system stay strong, keeping everyone healthy and minimizing expensive trips to the doctor.

Additionally, because vinyl replacement windows make it easier to maintain a consistent interior temperature, your heating system runs less often. This saves money two ways: you use less fuel, and you experience less wear and tear on your heating system.

 There are a number of ways vinyl replacement windows can help you save money, from the immediately apparent to the more subtle.

“I don’t know,” Maria said. “I was pretty well convinced to go with vinyl replacement windows, but then my coworker told me they were pretty harsh on the environment. And the vinyl gives off gasses that wrecks the interior air quality.”

Maria’s been misinformed. The production of vinyl replacement windows is actually relatively environmentally friendly. In fact, vinyl is cited by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) as very energy efficient for use in buildings. At the most basic level, vinyl is a combination of salt and petroleum. Vast technological advances have been made to reduce the amount of energy required to transform the salt and petroleum into attractive vinyl replacement windows.

After the window frames are constructed, affixing the glass and hardware requires less energy and labor than either wood or fiberglass replacement windows, yet the quality of vinyl replacement windows is equal or superior to both alternatives.

Finally, vinyl replacement window frames and the scrap vinyl produced during the manufacturing process is recyclable. This is obviously an environmental benefit, reducing the amount of raw materials required for manufacturing.
Vinyl replacement windows are the green option for homeowners looking to upgrade or replace their existing windows.

Finally, about those gasses Maria was worried about. The phenomenon of ‘off gassing’, the natural evaporation of volatile chemicals from a non-metallic source, is most often encountered in paint fumes, or by the experience of opening a new vinyl shower curtain. The scents you encounter potentially carry health hazards.

However, off gassing in vinyl is associated with what are known as plasticizers, a component used to make vinyl more flexible and elastic. Vinyl window frames contain a far lower percentage of plasticizers, and are consistently rated as neutral or as non-sources of off gasses when tested. That’s one thing Maria doesn’t have to worry about — and neither do you.

Replacement windows are a substantial investment. You’re upgrading your home in an effort to save energy, enhance your home’s appearance, and create a more comfortable living space for your family.

If you’re like most homeowners, it’s not that you mind spending the money. It’s that you want to make sure you’re spending your money wisely! You want to ensure that the vinyl replacement windows, fiberglass replacement windows, or wood replacement windows are a good investment.
That’s why warranties are so important.
Recently, with so many smaller replacement window companies folding, we’ve been hearing a lot of anxiety about replacement window warranties. Here’s what you need to know to put your mind at ease:

Get a Copy of the Actual Warranty

When your windows are installed, insist on being provided with a copy of the actual warranty. You need more than a document that says “These windows carry the Brand X guarantee!” You want the paper that spells out what the Brand X guarantee says: all of the terms and conditions.

Keep this paper in a safe place!

Understand What Is Covered by the Warranty

Read through the fine print. Every replacement window warranty is different. Discover what is covered: the glass, the seals, the frame construction, the hardware. Look for language surrounding conditions of use: are your windows warrantied for residential use? Commercial use? Make sure you read any clauses covering what will void your warranty: painting windows can do this, or having the windows installed by someone other than an authorized replacement window specialist.

Understand Who Is Issuing the Warranty

Generally, the manufacturer’s warranty will cover the windows. Your local replacement window specialist will warranty the installation of the windows.

Hurricane Ike has just finished moving through the region, and in that mighty storm’s wake, we find the first hints of winter’s impending arrival. Nothing’s going to stop the cold weather from coming. With the cost of home heating rising every single day, it’s time to consider how vinyl replacement windows can help you save money and stay warm while winter winds blow.

In this piece, we’re going to talk specifically about Alside Excalibur windows, as Alside Excalibur windows offer the ultimate in energy efficiency, durable and attractive construction, and functionality, all at an affordable price.

Alside Excalibur windows feature fusion-welded mainframes and sashes. This means that your windows are designed to stand up to tough New England winters. They’re not going to buckle and bend when the wind delivers freezing rain. Sloped sills help deflect rain and melting snow away from your window, reducing moisture penetration — a major source of energy loss, mold, mildew, and cold drafts.

Alside Excalibur windows also have insulated glass units, with PPG Intercept Warm Edge Spacer Systems. What this means for you is an energy efficient unit, designed to keep warm interior air inside and frigid winter wind out. The more warm air that stays in, the less you have to run your furnace — saving energy and money!

Finally, we all want to have an attractive home. Our homes are sources of pride to us: we want to be able to show our colleagues and peers an impressive facade. We want our neighbors to be happy we live close by! Our homes are a tangible demonstration of the love and respect we have for our families. Alside Excalibur windows feature a slimline, crisp style that works with almost every decor, highlighting your dedication to quality and comfort!

One of the most common questions we hear about at US Home Improvement is replacement window sizes. Customers want to know what sizes windows ‘come in’. They’re curious about ‘stock sizes’.

Guess what?

There’s no such thing. At least not in high quality replacement windows!

Homes are like people: they come in a variety of sizes and styles. Some are tall and narrow, others are short and wide. Some feature long, sloping roofs, while others have flat tops. Some people enter their homes through a double door that opens into a grand foyer, while others have a simple entryway that leads into a cheery kitchen.

Our homes are as individual as we are.

The same holds true for the windows we’re talking about replacing. Picture windows can be huge, framing a beautiful view, and absolutely making a living or family room a special place. Powder room windows tend to be petite: far smaller than the ‘stock size’ replacement window models you’ll find in a discount home center.

A reputable replacement window specialist will measure each of your windows. Then they’ll order customer sized windows, made for that particular window, to ensure that the vinyl replacement windows, fiberglass replacement windows, or wood replacement windows that you’ve selected will fit perfectly.

This is the best way to minimize air and moisture penetration: the two primary causes of cold drafts, heat loss, and an uncomfortable environment.

Custom sized replacement windows fit better. This means they look better, enhancing the appearance of your home — inside and out!

What about those stock-size windows? The truth is that it’s like fitting a square peg into a round hole: with enough will power and make-do methodology, you can sometimes ‘get by’ with something that doesn’t look too bad. You’re compromising the energy efficiency benefits of installing replacement windows, and often, you don’t have the warranty protection that comes with quality vinyl replacement windows, fiberglass replacement windows, or wood replacement windows.

That might be okay with you — but most people want something better for their homes!

If you’re a parent, you know that nothing is more precious than your child’s good health. Our first priority is to help our children achieve and maintain ultimate wellness. That’s why we buy fruits and vegetables. That’s why we visit the pediatrician so often the nurses know us by name. And increasingly, we look to our homes and the impact they have upon our physical well being.

There are three top benefits where replacement windows – whether they’re vinyl replacement windows, fiberglass replacement windows, or wood replacement windows — can help you create a healthy environment for your kids.

Benefit #1: Eliminate a Common Source of Lead Exposure

Lead — a naturally occurring element that was once commonly used in house paint — can severe negative impact on children’s health. Behavioral problems, hearing and learning imparment, and delayed growth can all result from lead poisoning. By replacing older windows, which may have been painted with lead paint, with vinyl replacement windows, fiberglass replacement windows, or wood replacement windows, you can eliminate one of the most common sources of lead exposure — interior windowsills painted with lead-based paint.

Benefit #2: Minimize Exposure to Environmental Allergens

Modern replacement windows minimize both air and moisture penetration, which means that exterior air stays outside. That’s great news, especially for children who have allergies. Many allergens are air-borne — which means that when a chilly draft sneaks through your leaky windows, pollen, dander, dust, or man made irritants come along for the ride. Replacement windows allow you to take greater control of your interior air quality, which means everyone can breathe a little easier!

Benefit #3: Reduce Ambient Noise

Honking horns, screeching brakes, the melodious early morning journey of the street sweeper. Lawn mowers and noisy neighbors. We live surrounded by noise that makes it into our homes — distracting kids who are trying to do homework, hang out with their friends, or simply sleep through the night. Healthy kids need eight to ten hours of uninterrupted sleep — and grades go up when there’s a quiet place to study! Modern replacement windows help buffer exterior noise so your home can be a restful oasis in the midst of the world’s chaos.