10 Reasons to Replace your Old Windows with New Vinyl Windows

1. Save Money by Decreasing your Energy Consumption:

The U.S. Government’s Energy Star Program states, installing Energy Star Rated windows, doors and skylights will decrease your energy bills and your carbon footprint by around 7-15%, depending on where you live, compared to non-qualified products.

All Energy Star qualified windows, doors and skylights are independently tested and certified according to the procedures established by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC).

The NFRC is a non-profit, third party organization that certifies, rates and labels the performance of windows, doors and skylights to help the consumer make an educated decision when purchasing the products that are available in the market place.

Energy Star enables the consumer to easily and properly identify superior energy performance through NFRC Labeling, on each and every window, door and skylight manufactured in the US that is Energy Star Qualified.

The 5 Categories that can be found on the NFRC label are:

• U-Factor: Tells you how the window, door and skylight insulate by measuring heat transfer. The heat transfer value is measured in Btu/h·ft²·°F, and generally range from 0.25-1.25. Unlike R-Value, the lower the U-Value, the better the window insulates.
• Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC): Tells you how well the window, door and skylight reflects the heat and radiation caused by the sun, by measuring the fraction of solar energy transmitted. SHGC values typically range from 0.25-0.80 and is measured on a scale of 0 to 1. The less solar heat the window transmits, the lower the SHGC number will be.
• Visible Transmittance (VT): Measured on a scale of 0 to 1, it identifies the amount of light the glass and frame allow through. The values will generally range from 0.20 to 0.80. The more light allowed through, the higher the VT number will be.
• Air Leakage (AL): Determines the rate at which air will pass through the window joints. It is measured by how much cubic feet of air will pass through one square foot of window area per minute. Industry Standards and Building Codes usually require an AL of 0.3 cf·m/ft². The less air leakage, the lower the AL Value will be.
• Condensation Resistance: Scored on a scale of 0 to 100, it determines how well the window, door and skylight will resist water accumulation. The least amount of water accumulation the product will allow, the higher the Condensation Resistance Factor will be.

ENERGY STAR qualification is solely based on U-Factor and SHGC Ratings.

2. Increase the Value of your Home:

According to the National Association of Realtors, www.realtor.org, Realtors rated exterior replacement products among the most valuable home improvement projects in the 2014 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report. By purchasing and installing new vinyl windows, you will increase the curb appeal, thus fore increasing the resale value of your home. Curb appeal is crucial since it is the “First Impression” for potential buyers. Realtors’ states that projects like a new entry door, siding and window replacements can recoup homeowners more than 78 percent of cost upon resale.

3. Increase the Comfort of your Home:

Since new vinyl windows are highly energy efficient, the overall temperature of your home will stay more desirable due to increased U-Factor, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) and decreased Air Leakage (AL). To increase the U-Factor and SHGC, you can add a Low Emissivity Coating (Low E) to the Insulated Glass Unit (IGU). Low E Coating is a transparent, very thin layer of microscopic silver vacuum-deposited onto a thin layer of Mylar plastic and come in two different categories, hard coat and soft coat. Hard coat is silver oxide sprayed on the glass when the glass is in its molten form inside the float tank. Soft coat is silver oxide vacuum deposited on the inside of the outside sheet of glass, of the IGU and is more energy efficient. Soft coat Low E2 is two coats of silver oxide, soft coat Low E3 is three coats of silver oxide vacuum deposited on to the glass.

4. Maintenance Freedom:

You will never spend your weekends painting and/or trying to repair the water leaks, air infiltration and damage on your windows. Once vinyl windows are installed, they are virtually maintenance free of defects and problems. Vinyl windows come with Lifetime Warranties and are very easy to lock, open, clean and operate.

5. Sound Pollution Reduction:

Sound Transmission Class (STC) is a numbered rating of how well a window attenuates airborne sound through decibel reduction. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is a group of scientists and engineers that develop and publish voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems and services. The ASTM uses acoustical engineers to test sound attenuation values at sixteen standard frequencies from 125 Hz to 4000 Hz. These acoustic engineers take the transmission loss values and plot them on a sound pressure level graph; the resulting curve is compared to a standard reference contour. Then the engineers fit these values to the appropriate Transmission Loss Curve (TL Curve) and determine an STC Rating. The thickness of the glass will increase the STC Rating of the window. Thus for, Single Strength Glass (SSG-2mm Thick) has a lower STC Rating compared to Double Strength Glass (DSG-3mm Thick). Single Pane windows have a lower STC Rating compared to Dual Pane Windows. You can increase your STC Rating on your windows by ordering unequal or laminated glass on the IGU.

6. Security for your Family from Home Invasion:

It is obvious, that a criminal can invade your home and steal your possessions by breaking 1-Single Pane of SSG glass compared to 2-Sheets (Double Pane) of DSG. There are 3 additional ways to protect yourself and your family; Purchase laminated, tempered and/or unequal glass in your new vinyl windows.

7. Extend the Life of your Air Conditioning and Heating Units:

By purchasing and installing new energy efficient vinyl windows, your AC and FAU will not have to run as much, since the temperature of your home will stay more consistent. The less your appliances run the longer they will last.

8. Protect your Home Furnishings, Blinds and Flooring:

Ultra-Violent Radiation (UV) from the sun can cause severe damage to your furniture, blinds and flooring. UV Rays in sunlight is divided into three bands: UVA (320400 nanometers) can cause skin damage and may increase the chances of skin cancer known as Melanoma; UVB (280320 nanometers) stronger radiation that intensifies in the summer time. It is the common cause of sunburn and most skin cancer; UVC (below 280 nanometers) the strongest and potentially most harmful form;

Purchasing Low Emissivity glass (Low E) on your new vinyl windows can decrease your UV exposure from 60 to 95%.

9. Save Money and Time Cleaning your Windows:

New vinyl windows come with Tilt-Out Sashes for easy cleaning and the vinyl frames clean-up very nicely with a non-abrasive cleanser.

10. Quality of Life:

By decreasing your utility bills, increasing the value and comfort of your home, giving you the opportunity to enjoy your time off rather than repair your windows, hearing less outside noise, extending the life of your appliances and securing your prize possessions, you will increase the Quality of your Life.

Call today at 888-804-7775 for your free estimate!