Replacement Windows – Are They a Good Value?

There are a number of reasons to consider installing replacement windows in your Minnesota home.  The construction of the vinyl frames and insulated glass has improved drastically in recent years with the new technology. Energy-efficient vinyl replacement windows that are affordable and look great have become the best option for many homeowners.

For many years, wooden replacement windows were the standard of quality and longevity.  In the Midwest wood was favored for its stability and its natural insulating characteristics. This has quickly changed, as homeowners and contractors alike are becoming aware of the value and easy maintenance that comes with choosing to install vinyl.  Wood just does not stand up to the extreme conditions that come with our weather like the modern day vinyl can.

The Materials

The modern production of vinyl replacement windows now includes many features that make them more than just a pane of glass inside a frame. The vinyl now contains additives that were not there a few years ago.  This makes the vinyl more tolerant to the UV rays of the sun and to the extreme temperature changes that we experience.  The multi-chambered vinyl frames with mitered joints increase the looks of the windows, while also making your home much more sound proof.  Insulated glass made up of two or three panes of glass with heavy gas between the panes, along with tightly fitting frames, contributes to the sound-deadening quality of the windows.

Specialized glass coatings, such as Low-E, combined with Argon or Krypton filled insulating spaces between the glass panes; serve to increase the insulating qualities of these replacement windows. Not only will your new vinyl replacements stop drafts, the glass package features work to stop the transmission of radiant heat. As you learn more about these features, it quickly becomes apparent that the cost of replacing your old wooden windows with something better will be worth every dollar spent.  This is especially true now with the 30% tax credit that is available for windows placed into service by December of 2010.

Gauging the Value

The initial cost of replacing your windows can be intimidating, but it doesn’t take very long to understand just how quickly your replacement windows pay for themselves. In an effort to measure the value of your best replacement options, you need to consider several factors. The first is simply how much your heating and cooling costs will drop. Energy-efficient replacement windows will lower your heating bills.  Due to the many factors involved exactly how much is hard to determine, but some estimates are as high as 30 to 40% savings.

You also need to take into consideration the resale value of your home itself. High-quality replacement windows play a huge part in driving up the resale value of your home. Whether you are trying to increase the appraised value of your home so that you can borrow against it, or are actually in the market to sell your house, buying replacement windows is one of the first projects to undertake.  Here is an excerpt from an annual report put out by the Remodelers Magazine:

These are the numbers for the Minneapolis market.  It shows vinyl window replacement 3^rd on the list just behind siding replacement for the cost recouped.  Keep in mind that these are estimates to replace 10 windows.  Our Window World windows do not cost anywhere close to the $1,389 that they found in their survey.  This means that you will likely recoup the total cost of your windows when you buy from us.

You can find the full report here.

Locating someone you can trust

The biggest challenge that you may face when selecting replacement windows is finding an installation company that you trust.  Don’t take a contractor’s qualifications of installing house windows for granted.  Labor will be a big part of the cost of replacing your old windows, so you need to be confident that you are going to get what you are paying for.  Look for a company that does windows on a daily basis, not just as a side line.  The installers should specialize in window replacement and be experienced in all types of installation situations.

Window World has strived to be the one you can entrust your next home improvement project with.  Check out Window World’s roots and see why we are different.  It is these differences, that have allowed Window World to grow to become the largest window replacement company in the United States.  We have become the largest by treating the customer right and by giving each customer “Simply the Best for Less”.  By doing this, we grew to be the number one and this is how we continue to increase our lead over the number two company each year.

Give us a call and experience the Window World difference today!