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How to Select New Windows for Your Home
Windows have a huge environmental influence on your home, affecting not only the light that comes through to brighten and warm the home, but also affecting the temperature and ventilation of your home's interior. Your windows are directly tied to the comfort of the people inside your home. In addition to all of these factors, your windows contribute to the overall aesthetic beauty of your home's exterior. Selecting new windows for your home is a challenge simply because there are so many considerations to make.
Window Styles
Windows can be made from a variety of materials and are available in many types, sizes and shapes. Selecting the right windows for your home should involve factoring in your budget, the style of your home and the performance that you require from the window. You want a window that will be easy to maintain and that provides security and ventilation for the home. When selecting your windows, you should determine if you want the window to serve its practical purpose as a window, or if you want it to pull double duty by also being a focal point for the home's exterior or interior.
Wood, Aluminum, or Vinyl Windows
Windows are typically made from wood, aluminum or vinyl, or a combination of materials. Windows that provide the most weather protection and energy savings cost more initially, but will really pay off big when it comes to energy savings and low maintenance. Wood is a popular material when it comes to windows, especially for the parts of the window that can be seen from inside the home. Wood is ideal for windows because it does not conduct cold air like other materials or have issues with condensation, but it can swell, shrink, rot, or warp over time, especially on the outside, unless it is protected properly. Aluminum is more durable than wood, and aluminum windows are usually insulated with a thermal break of vinyl or foam to help prevent the loss of heat from the home due to aluminum being thinner. Aluminum will corrode in coastal areas due to the salt from the air, so aluminum windows are not a good idea for these regions of the country. Vinyl windows are made from PVC with hollow spaces inside that work to resist heat loss. Vinyl windows are a relatively inexpensive choice but may distort when exposed to weather extremes, which can make them more prone to air leakage. You cannot paint vinyl windows. All three types of windows described above come in frames that are pre-hung, which means that they will fit directly into a rough opening in your wall.
Saving Energy
Windows that are double-paned or triple-paned are big energy savings. Double-paned or triple-paned windows have two or three panes of glass with air or argon gas trapped between them to keep out the cold or to keep the cool air indoors during warmer months. Windows that are specially treated to save energy are popular right now. These windows are treated with a special low-emissivity (low-e) glazing that lets light in but prevents rays from the sun from being transmitted through the pane of glass. This helps to keep your home cooler on hot days and warmer on cool days, while also protecting your upholstery work or carpeting from fading from exposure to sunlight.
About the Author
Jessica Ackerman from WallDecorandHomeAccents.com offers a whole new perspective on how to display art wall plaques in this era of home decor accents.
Window Styles
Windows can be made from a variety of materials and are available in many types, sizes and shapes. Selecting the right windows for your home should involve factoring in your budget, the style of your home and the performance that you require from the window. You want a window that will be easy to maintain and that provides security and ventilation for the home. When selecting your windows, you should determine if you want the window to serve its practical purpose as a window, or if you want it to pull double duty by also being a focal point for the home's exterior or interior.
Wood, Aluminum, or Vinyl Windows
Windows are typically made from wood, aluminum or vinyl, or a combination of materials. Windows that provide the most weather protection and energy savings cost more initially, but will really pay off big when it comes to energy savings and low maintenance. Wood is a popular material when it comes to windows, especially for the parts of the window that can be seen from inside the home. Wood is ideal for windows because it does not conduct cold air like other materials or have issues with condensation, but it can swell, shrink, rot, or warp over time, especially on the outside, unless it is protected properly. Aluminum is more durable than wood, and aluminum windows are usually insulated with a thermal break of vinyl or foam to help prevent the loss of heat from the home due to aluminum being thinner. Aluminum will corrode in coastal areas due to the salt from the air, so aluminum windows are not a good idea for these regions of the country. Vinyl windows are made from PVC with hollow spaces inside that work to resist heat loss. Vinyl windows are a relatively inexpensive choice but may distort when exposed to weather extremes, which can make them more prone to air leakage. You cannot paint vinyl windows. All three types of windows described above come in frames that are pre-hung, which means that they will fit directly into a rough opening in your wall.
Saving Energy
Windows that are double-paned or triple-paned are big energy savings. Double-paned or triple-paned windows have two or three panes of glass with air or argon gas trapped between them to keep out the cold or to keep the cool air indoors during warmer months. Windows that are specially treated to save energy are popular right now. These windows are treated with a special low-emissivity (low-e) glazing that lets light in but prevents rays from the sun from being transmitted through the pane of glass. This helps to keep your home cooler on hot days and warmer on cool days, while also protecting your upholstery work or carpeting from fading from exposure to sunlight.
About the Author
Jessica Ackerman from WallDecorandHomeAccents.com offers a whole new perspective on how to display art wall plaques in this era of home decor accents.
