Replacing your existing windows can make your home more secure, save on utilities, add value to your home, and make it look better. If your old wooden windows are suffering from weather damage or if drafts are an issue, new windows will keep your home more comfortable. The choice of window, the number of panes you choose, and the coating will have a large bearing on how well your new windows function.
Materials Matter
Your old windows are likely either made of wood or aluminum. Wooden windows lose thermal capacity over time because they expand and contract, depending on the temperature and moisture level in the air. This expansion and contraction can lead to sticking windows and to gaps where hot air and cold air can get through. They can also lead to water leaks. Many older wooden windows are single pane and are not capable of keeping the heat of the sun out of your home on the hottest days.
Aluminum window frames are not effective at barring hot and cold air from moving through the frame into your home. In addition, many aluminum frames were constructed with a foam barrier around the frame that was to provide sound and temperature protection, but over time this insulation becomes brittle and crumbles. Finally, while many aluminum window frames were double pane, the seal between the panes will break down when the insulation fails. Moisture will build up between the panes and your home will have only single pane protection.
Both of these forms of older window construction will cost you in higher utility bills. You may have to put plastic on the inside of your windows and take it down in the spring to keep your home comfortable in the winter and struggle with high electric bills in the summer.
Coated Glass Can Help
If your windows aren’t properly coated, your home will build up heat. Energy from the sun will enter the home, causing heat build-up and damaging your furniture and carpets. Newer windows will offer Low-E or emissivity coating. A Low-E coating is an extremely thin layer of metals on the outside of your windows that reflects UV rays. This glass can result in a mirrored finish for security, or will simply appear slightly darker from the outside. From inside your home, this coating will have little impact on how you see the world.
What’s In The Gap?
New windows are constructed with an inert gas in the gap between multiple panes that serves as insulation. The gas in the gap, commonly argon, is heavier than air and reduces the amount of air transferred in and out of the house.
It should be noted that your replacement windows will probably be made of vinyl. Of the many benefits of vinyl, it is stable in temperature extremes. A double-paned window made of wood will continue to expand and contract, and the risk of breaching that insulated gap is much higher. Aluminum windows are much more likely to transfer heat and cold from the outside into your home. Vinyl window replacement is the best choice for worry-free comfort now and in the future.
Security
New vinyl windows can reduce the risk of someone getting into your home through an open or unlocked window. Modern vinyl window design generally features a catch that will allow the window to open only a short way before hooking on the catch. You can enjoy the quiet comfort of an insulated vinyl window and extra security.
Beauty and Flexibility
Your new windows will add a great deal of beauty to your home. These windows will be available in a wide variety of formats and configurations. A large picture window with no obstructions, framed in vinyl, and offering a Low-E coating and argon insert, will be cool to the touch on the hottest days and prevent air gaps when the cold wind blows.
Ease of Cleaning
Many vinyl windows tilt in so you can easily clean the inside and the outside from the safety of the house. Depending on your home configuration, this can reduce the amount of time you have at spend on a ladder to enjoy sparkling clean windows.
No matter the age of your home, replacement vinyl windows can reduce your utilities by blocking the transfer of heat and cold, protect your belongings from being faded by the sun, and result in a more beautiful and valuable home. Washing windows can be done safely from inside the space.
