All The Frugal Ladies Personal finance with a feminine touch
You’re in the market for new residential windows. As you pore over the choices that you see in the big window showroom, remember that the goal is to select windows that offer a wide range of benefits.
By keeping these four essentials in mind, you’ll soon come up with the right choice.
Energy Efficiency Counts
You do want the new windows to offer more energy-efficient qualities than the old ones. The choice of window glass will factor heavily into this particular benefit.
Go with double or triple-pane glass if you want the best in energy efficiency. Both options provide effective barriers that reduce the amount of heat and cold transference into the space.
Pair the right glass with a framework that also prevents air seepage and it will be a lot easier to maintain the temperature you want without wasting energy.
Along with ensuring things are more comfortable indoors, you also end up with lower heating and cooling bills. Over the course of a year, the amount that you save will be significant.
So Does the Window Design
Consider this your opportunity to improve the look of the place by doing with a different window design.
Even if your home dates back to a certain period, there’s a good chance that at least a couple of different window styles would work equally well with your home.
Check out those options and see how they compare to the design that’s currently used.
Do find out more about the benefits that you could enjoy with a different window design. For example, you may want to go with single hung windows. If so, look into a design that includes tilting sashes.
That will make washing the windows a lot easier, especially the ones that are found on the second floor. Thanks to the tilting, you can stand inside, tilt the sash, and clean the glass without having to climb a ladder.
Consider the Materials
You’ve got three basic choices for window materials: wood, aluminum, and vinyl. Each of them provides advantages that you want to consider.
Wood is certainly durable, but resign yourself to scraping, sanding, and painting the framework after several years. Aluminum won’t require painting, but you’re stuck with the same look from now on. Vinyl comes in a variety of colors and is easy to clean.
Make sure you choose a color that’s versatile enough to still work if you decide to change the color of the outside walls.
And the Cost
Cost is something that you will have to consider. Don’t look at just the purchase price and the cost of installation. Consider how much those new windows will save in future expenses and factor that into your decision.
For example, vinyl or aluminum won’t require some of the upkeep associated with wood. They are also excellent in terms of preventing drafts and air seepage. That would help keep your utility costs lower.
A higher energy rating does mean lower overall costs for the future. According to the Delta Canadian Choice window company, if you can afford to spend a little more now, the future savings will help offset the cost as the years pass.
