Things You Should Know Before Buying Replacement Windows | Replacement Windows in Boyd
Replacement windows in Boyd are an affordable way to improve the overall aesthetic appeal of your home. It contributes to your home’s real estate value, paying for itself over the course of its lifetime. Most homeowners can recoup the cost of using vinyl windows, and then some. But before you can commit any money into replacement windows in Boyd, it is important to do your research to make well informed decisions.
Let’s discuss some things you should know before buying replacement windows.
1) Replacement Windows versus Retrofit Windows
The term replacement windows is self explanatory, these are bough to replace obsolete windows. There are two types of replacement windows in Boyd, labeled as “new construction” and “retro-fit”. Both terms are very similar in meaning and are often used interchangeably, making it confusing for the average buying to decide the ideal installation method for their home.
- a) New Construction– For homeowners looking to replace their siding in the near future, new construction windows are an ideal choice. In this case, the siding from the edge of the window is cut anywhere from four to eight inches to remove the flashing paper and gain access to the old window. A new window will be installed in its place and sealed with a different flashing paper, following by changing the stucco.
This ensures that the new replacement windows in Boyd are always the same size as the old windows. The only problem is that if you don’t intend on re-stuccoing your house, the patched stucco will standout like a sore thumb. Worse still is that the stucco, both old and new, will not be able to expand or contract to take into account extreme changes in the weather. This will give rise to cracks that will appear over time between either stucco. New construction has an installation method that cost a lot more than retro fit installation.
- b) Retro Fit– This option is ideal for homeowners not looking to re-stucco their house in the near future or if they are limited by their budget. Retro-fit widow installation does not require any changes to be made to the stucco because the old window’s frame is not going to be removed.
Since the new replacement window in Boyd will be fitting inside the frame of the old window, it’s specifications will be of smaller dimensions. This isn’t very noticeable in many cases, but if the old window was appreciably small, the window change might look obvious to the onlooker.
2) Types of Windows Panes to be Used
There are currently three types of window panes used in the industry, single pane, double pane, and triple pane windows. Each offering improved properties over its predecessor in terms of energy savings and durability.
a) Single pane Windows
As the name suggests, single pane windows are equipped with a single sheet of glass. This solution isn’t very ideal from several perspectives, including privacy, durability, noisiness and energy savings. The only thing protecting your house from the rest of the world is a single sheet of glass. The poor performance of single pane windows is explained by the fact that the width of the glass is as little as 4mm only. Your air conditioner will have a harder time regulating temperature because single pane windows are not able to control heat transfer.
The next evolution in modern window technology are double glazing windows.
b) Double Pane Windows
Double glazing windows are composed of two sheets of glass at a small distance apart. This distance is usually filled by air, argon gas or simply vacuum. Double pane windows offer a vastly superior solution to single pane varieties. They offer better aesthetic appeal, serve as noise dampeners and provide adequate insulation properties to keep temperature fluctuations under check.
c) Triple Pane Windows
Triple pane windows offer vastly superior performance metrics to double pane windows, although most homeowners will agree that the price tag attached to them can seem a little overwhelming. Triple pane windows block heat loss through both conduction and convection. There are two layers of gases occupying space between the house and the outside world, giving extremely energy efficient solutions.
d) Low E Glass
Low E glass is short for low emissivity. This is a special coating that is usually applied onto the interior surface of the glass. Low-E coatings are able to block infrared and UV radiation coming from the sun. UV light is one of the reasons why colors start to fade on furniture. Low E Glass can preserve your furniture’s beauty for a longer period of time.
3) Material frame for Windows
Every material will have its own advantages and disadvantages. So it is a good idea to consider them before buying one.
a) Vinyl
Vinyl windows have become extremely popular over the years for replacement windows in Boyd. They don’t require much in the way of maintenance, for the most part, provide adequate insulation for efficient transfer solutions, and are comparatively affordable. The only downside to them is the limited choice of color palette, you either get white or tan. The vinyl material cannot be painted over.
b) Aluminum
Aluminum replacement windows in Boyd offer poor insulation properties, but if you transition from single glazed windows to double glazed aluminum windows, you will notice an improvement in terms of insulation. Aluminum replacement windows in Boyd are not a good choice during winter because they don’t retain heat inside the house. This means that your heater will be consuming more power to produce the same amounts of energy.
c) Fiberglass
Fiberglass replacement windows in Boyd offer good insulation properties, require little maintenance and are available in different ranges of dark colors. An attractive selling point for fiberglass windows is that they can be painted over. The only downside to fiberglass is that they are very expensive, often as expensive as luxury wood windows.
d) Wood
Wood replacement windows in Boyd are a popular choice because they offer unmatched aesthetic appeal. They have a classic appearance that only wooden frames can command. Wooden frames have been in use for centuries, and are mostly appreciated by the architectural industry due to its durability and beauty, allowing artists to apply their creative abilities to window design.
Give our professionals a call to have your house audited for energy efficient window solutions. Click here to learn more.