Replacement Windows

They may be plain, or ornate, large or small, but every home has them.

The average homeowner never thinks about their windows until something goes wrong with them.

After the winter months have finally gone, and the temperatures in Boise, Idaho begin to rise from just above freezing overnight to a pleasant 65 or 70 degrees during the day, you may feel like opening the windows and letting some fresh air in, only to find the large living room window is stuck shut. If you try to open it, you may have to apply brute force running the risk of breaking the glass or causing permanent damage to the frame, so you decide to leave well alone and try another one.

Unfortunately, leaving the window alone won’t solve the problem. Perhaps there are other windows in your home that you have difficulty locking, and because of that, you are constantly worried about break-ins and the safety of your family. Maybe during the winter months, there is condensation on the inside of your windows, or your utility bills are getting bigger and bigger each year.

Go round your house looking carefully at each window, both from the inside and outside.

• Can you feel any drafts when you get close to the window?
• Have the outside noises been getting louder over time?
• Is there any sign of damage to the frame?
• If you shine a light around the outside edges of the window frame, can you see any light from inside the home?
• Do any of your windows have problems opening or closing?

Whether it’s a stuck window, one that refuses to lock properly, or maybe any of the above problems, you decide to remove the trouble once and for all and replace your home’s windows with modern energy-efficient ones.

What are the benefits of replacement windows?

• Lower Energy Bills.

Replacement windows could be one of the most cost-effective improvements a homeowner could make to their home. With today’s Low-E insulating glass and multi-paned glazing, well-insulated replacement windows go a long way to keeping you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Even when during the winter months of November through February when the temperatures in Boise can drop below freezing, or during July and August when it can reach the low 90s, your new replacement windows will be helping to keep the indoors at a comfortable temperature without running up tremendous bills.

• Protection from Harmful UV light.

Having natural light spilling into your home is something we all enjoy, but allowing too much sunlight to come into your rooms can contribute to fading of your upholstery and fabric window treatments, not to mention your carpets. Selecting windows that incorporate Low-E insulating glass, double- or triple-pane filled with argon gas will provide added protection from damaging UV rays.

• Your home will be more secure and safer.

If your existing windows are defective in any way, then you probably don’t feel safe, especially after dark. New replacement windows, will reduce the feelings of insecurity and fear from break-ins or home invasions. Multiple locks and either tempered or laminated glass add to the overall security. By selecting tempered glass for your replacement windows, there is a lower chance of injury if a window is accidentally broken, while laminated glass has a polymer layer that is designed to keep the glass together if shattered, making it more difficult for potential intruders to gain access.

• Simpler maintenance.

With the latest advanced features of replacement windows, cleaning becomes easier. Unlike the old-style double-hung sash windows, which had to be cleaned from the outside, you will be able to clean the outside glass from the comfort of the room, not standing on a step ladder. The new double-hung windows have features like tilt and drop designs, meaning you can clean both sides of the glass by tilting the top sash into the room. If necessary, you can also drop the top sash down completely to allow you to lean over the bottom sash and clean the outside of that window as well.

• Reduce the noise from outside.

Unless you live at the end of a quiet country road, you have become accustomed to hearing noises from outside, whether it is traffic passing by or kids playing in the street and there’s not a lot you can do about it, is there?
Actually, there is.
By installing quality replacement windows with laminated, double-pane, or triple-pane noise-reducing glass, then although the new windows won’t cut out the noises completely, they will reduce them considerably. With the annoying sounds no longer interfering with your daily life, you will feel more relaxed, perhaps even get a better night’s sleep, which can contribute to your general health.

• Increased comfort levels in your home.

With new high-end windows making your whole house better insulated, your A/C system won’t have to work as hard as it did. During the summer months in Idaho with the temperature climbing, you will find the system coming on less often but still managing to keep your rooms at the desired temperature. Similarly, in the wintertime, with no gaps around your windows, the warm air generated by the heating system will not escape to the outside, and you will be kept cozy in your home. Overall, you should see a reduction in your utility bills over time.

• The appearance of your home will improve. (The value too!)

If your home was built several years ago, chances are the windows are showing signs of age as well. You have to paint the frames every so often to keep them looking good. They don’t perform as well as they should, but with new replacement windows, your home will immediately have a facelift and the overall outside appearance of your home will be improved. Not only will the appearance improve, but according to a recent report, replacing the windows can generate a return approaching 78% of the costs when selling.