Energy efficient vinyl replacement windows do more than add curb appeal and an elegant look to your home. In fact, they are actually a super way to save you some cold hard cash by lowering your energy bill month after month. How? They work wonders by your wallet by embracing newer technologies that reduce your household’s energy usage each month. Undoubtedly, new windows are a smart investment to both enhance your home’s appearance and save money.
Take a look at the technology updates that make today’s windows superior to older windows.
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Superior insulation provided by foam filled frames
Today’s window manufacturers fill not only the frames but also the sashes with a dense foam insulator. Because of that density, foam provides higher insulation value than older aluminum or wood-framed windows.
How does that help you? The foam insulation protects your home from losing warmed air during the wintertime and cooled air during the summer months.
Addition of weather stripping
Window makers now also add several lengths of weather stripping around each window’s sash. The attach this strip directly to the vinyl with adhesive to ensure that it will hold up well for you for decades.
Why is this weather stripping important? If offers a crucial line of defense as it block air drafts from leaking into your home and triggering your HVAC system to run more frequently.
A side benefit of this is the reduced wear and tear on your HVAC. It’s a mechanical unit, and the more you use it, the more you’ll wear and tear on it. By ensuring a draft-free home, you may dodge replacing your HVAC for a longer span of time.
The use of low-e glass
Most of today’s window makers use low-emissivity glass. You probably have heard this called low-e glass, the more common term.
Choose this glass, as it’s the standard of today whether you choose vinyl, aluminum, or even wood windows.
Have you wondered what low-e means?
Emissivity the term to describe any material’s capability of radiating energy. When you’re talking windows, you’re referring to the capability of the glass to radiate the natural sunlight. Low-emissivity glass is desirable as it better insulates your home by reducing the heat transfer of the window.
Do you need another reason to love low-e glass?
Low-e coatings reduce wear and tear on your home’s flooring and furnishings by filtering out the damaging rays of the sun.
Here’s an example. Have you ever moved floor lamp (or area rug or chair) to find that the spot where it sat is darker than the surrounding areas? That happens when the sun fades your flooring but the presence of that floor lamp you moved protected that spot.
Improved general weathering
How well your windows will protect you from the weather is a cost factor that some fail to consider.
It’s no secret in the window industry that vinyl windows are a clear winner when it comes to how well windows hold up in severe weather.
Vinyl replacement windows are better than wood windows because they don’t rot or become warped from humidity or crack from the drying damage of the sun. Plus, they outperform aluminum windows because they don’t transfer the heat or cold as they are not a metal, conductive material.
Windows that don’t weather as well are prone to leaving you exposed to health hazards that can endanger your home and family. Think of termite infestations, mildew, and mold that can trigger asthma in your children and cost you thousands of dollars to repair. These can all result from weather damage leaving cracks and crevices in inferior windows.
Other Benefits of Vinyl Replacement Windows
Aside from the reduced energy consumptions and cash you can save on your heating and cooling bills, think about the other benefits of vinyl replacement windows.
They are more user friendly
Does opening your old windows feel more like wrestling an alligator than venting your home? Old windows, wooden frame windows in particular, are famous for swelling from the humidity and getting stuck.
Other reasons that older windows can stick are:
- You accidentally painted them closed.
- Your home’s foundation has slightly shifted.
- It has become unbalanced over the years.
Whatever the reason for your sticky windows, it’s a sign that you are due for replacement windows. And, wouldn’t it be nice to open up the windows without working up a sweat?
They sound proof your home’s environment
For urban dwellers or people who reside in a neighborhood filled with activity, vinyl replacement windows will aid with soundproofing your home environment.
You might be wondering how windows can quiet your home.
Do you remember our discussion of the factors that save on energy? These new window technologies also serve to reduce not just the invasion of cold air and sunshine, but the insulating properties also ward off unwanted noise.
The quiet home environment is something that customers always mention when we follow up with them. They are often surprised at just how intrusive outside noise was before they upgraded!
Fantastic color selections
Not only will upgrading to vinyl replacement windows save you money, it will amplify your home’s resale value by adding curb appeal.
Sure, new windows look great in and of themselves. However, they also afford you the chance to customize your home’s exterior with a fantastic selection of fashion-forward colors that will even further increase the look of your home.
By ordering vinyl in your color of choice, you won’t need to paint or maintain that look. They arrive at your home with your replacement window installers and instantly add that dazzling new color. Vinyl windows resist mildew, molds, and fading and look great for years on end.
Wrap-Up
Energy efficient vinyl replacement windows clearly win over homeowners with good reason. They cut down on energy consumption thus reducing their monthly energy bills; they increase the curb appeal which can result in higher property value; and they are virtually maintenance-free and don’t accrue maintenance costs.
What’s not to love about vinyl windows?
