Today’s Windows are Much More than just some Glass
Obviously, if we are factoring in cost we need to consider the medium this is all about – your windows! Every little feature and additional thing on your windows cost money – some features are going to be WAY more worth it than others. If your main reason for wanting new windows in the first place is to boost your overall energy efficiency then you’re likely looking forward to getting those nice double or triple-paned glass windows. If you weren’t aware, these work by drastically lowering heat transfer between the glass panels mostly thanks to the argon gas inside. These windows operate more on the premise of “pay more money now to save more money down the road”. And they will save you some serious money these boost thermal efficiencies of over 90% on average, meaning the air in your home is hardly being affected by the temperature of the outside air.
You can also, in some cases, elect to have your windows coated in something like a protective coating or with a heat absorbent tint. There are all kinds of options that can help keep things IN your home quiet and safe. These fantastic options do, of course, cost money.
Not only are you paying for the window but you’re paying for the material surrounding it and keeping it all in place. Pretty much all options – wood or vinyl – are plenty strong enough the only real difference is going to come down to appearance and to many, it’s very important.
Do your boring old windows only open from the bottom? Well, something nice and new like a double-hung window will open from the top AND bottom letting in a more controlled airflow and making overall cleaning far easier. Windows with more advanced functionality like this are certainly going to cost you more, but if that is what you’re really after then they are well worth it.
Only using products from long-established window brands is the best way to bring yourself not only peace of mind that the products you’re getting are tested and true, but that you have a very reliable warranty. You always get what you pay for at the end of the day. Windows aren’t one of those things you can slowly work on on your own for 20 years until you finally get it done. You have to get it all done at one and make decisions that are going to be around for a decent amount of time to come, should all things go right.
Good, Experienced Labor Comes at a Price
Deciding on exactly what window and configuration you want is difficult but so rewarding once you find the perfect ones. But we can’t forget that at some point or another SOMEONE has to install them at some point. Depending on the scope and difficulty of the job installation can come up close to 50% of the total cost of your job, just check out any of your itemized bids. Installation is something that you just do not want to mess around with, it needs to be done by true professionals and sometimes that comes at a premium.
It’s OKAY, even promoted, that you be picky when you’re looking for a window installation company to hire. Let’s talk about improper installation oh man. If you dare try to tackle something like window installation yourself or hire less than a professional, you’re quickly going to fall down the road of void warranties of products that you destroy, drafty windows, and even building code violations if you’re really bad. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, not only is all of your expensive conditioned air going to run right out of your home but things like water leakage mean structural damage to your home and that right there is going to cost a lot more than any overpriced window installation.
You need to pay ONCE for quality labor and be done with it forever after that. Professional installers have all of the training needed to get a reliable fit, down to a few millimeters, every time. You’re only going to be hiring your team of installers for a few hours, possibly a few days for a big project, but they will bring with them decades of meaningful experience. Installing 100’s of windows doesn’t mean anything, it means that you carry all of that experience and knowledge forward to you with every job.
A professional window installation team is going to come in, do the job in a timely fashion, and head out having left NO mess in your home and cleaned up after themselves fully. You can tell that a good window installation team takes pride in their work just based on a glance.
Do the math for YOU
Surely you’ve heard over and over that new windows are a fantastic choice and they will bring you lots of energy savings – and this is very true – but if for instance you’ve just had your windows replaced a few years ago and you’re only looking to do it for the aesthetic effect, well it really isn’t worth it. But if you have a home full of old leaky, inefficient windows then you could see up to a 70% return on your investment.
Check locally, find yourself the best charlotte window replacement companies in your area, ask them for a breakdown of what they do, and go from there!
