BLOG

Replacement windows payback, whether you are considering wood, vinyl or fiberglass windows, is one of the highest returns of all home improvements.  That’s especially good news if your present windows are starting to get weathered and need replacement or upgrade.

Good News For Homeowners - Payback From Replacement Windows

There are multiple pieces of good news for those looking for replacement windows at this time. Here are a couple of highlights – 

A four season sunroom perfectly illustrates the immense change occurring in sunroom design since the days when add-on aluminum sunrooms were introduced in the 1970’s. And, when homeowners see the new technology designed into the present day four season sunroom, they are usually pleasantly surprised, often impressed and generally very excited.

They days of the single paned glass, aluminum, metallic looking, non-insulated glass-roofed structures is just a bad memory.

At some point every home will need a replacement window. Whether a homeowner is replacing one window or every window in their home, the need to compare the various products available is inevitable.

A replacement window can come in a vinyl, fiberglass or traditional wood. Each of these types of windows has strengths and can be used in various situations.

As you consider a replacement window for your home, consider the amount of durability you expect, what you prefer aesthetically and the energy efficiency (savings) you hope to attain.

Given the climate we contend with in the Madison WI area, a replacement window is an important investment. The benefits to you in making a good choice include enhancing your home’s beauty, increasing its market value, reducing outside noise, decreasing the amount of cleaning and maintenance required as well as energy costs.

Sunroom additions all have one thing in common – the homeowner is wished they had built their sunroom sooner.

At ClearView Sunrooms & Windows, the most difficult part of our jobs is hearing our customers lament that they wish they had built their sunrooms sooner. While we feel gratified our customers are enjoying their sunrooms (usually four season sunroom additions for year round use), we are frustrated too. In most cases there is no good reason to delay building. The result of the delay is they deny themselves the enjoyment of the room. Our experience tells us enjoying their sunroom is a huge part of their Return On Investment (ROI).

A Four Season Sunroom often provides the ‘best of both worlds’ for homeowners when compared to a traditional room addition.

To clarify, many people confuse a Four Season Sunroom with a traditional room addition.  A traditional addition will usually have a few more windows than a home living room. 

On the other hand, a Four Season Sunroom will have virtually all windows. Sunrooms are built specifically to accentuate window and glass area to embrace an outdoor experience - while sitting indoors protected from bugs and the elements. 

Conversely, when using traditional building methods, Wisconsin building codes and materials needed limits the amount of windows - glass area.  The result is traditional room additions can make if feel as if you are sitting in just another room in your home.

When homeowners get to the point of replacing old, worn windows, they are generally looking for their replacement windows to improve their home’s energy efficiency.

Unfortunately, they often times go through the entire replacement windows selection process without having all of the definitive information they need to battle the Madison WI elements in winter and summer..

For example, many people gain a false sense of security if a window has an Energy Star rating. While this identifies products having minimal efficiency ratings, an Energy Star rating does not necessarily identify the best performing product in terms of energy efficiency.

Homeowners often ask if they can build a sunroom on their deck or a concrete slab or patio.

Unfortunately for the homeowner, the answer is usually no. While there are instances where the existing structure allows this to occur, it is rare. The Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC) applies to the entire state of Wisconsin and local building inspectors in the Madison WI area adhere to the code. If you are considering working with someone who says they can build on a deck or patio, it is a good idea to get an additional opinion.

Sunroom Basics To Considered When Building

Have your contractor pull the sunroom building permit. This is important because if a homeowner pulls the permit, he or she assumes all liability for onsite injuries, damages, etc. The contractor you choose to build your sunroom should be licensed and insured. Ask for proof. In addition to a building permit, your contractor may also pull a Zoning Permit, Electric Permit and possibly a Heating-Cooling Permit to build a sunroom. Clearview Sunroom and Windows takes responsibility for all needed permits its customers require.

With each passing year, aging windows increasingly show wear. At first it’s subtle, but time, and more significantly the elements, wears down materials, seals and finishes causing a progressive window failure. It’s difficult to know when replacement windows should be installed, however, it’s very typical for an older home to lose 30 to 40 percent of its energy through leaky, drafty windows and doors.

Replacement Windows - Waiting to Install A Costly Option 

Windows are one of the most important aspects of regulating home temperatures. Today’s energy efficient replacement windows are designed to keep heat in or out of the home depending on the season.  If homeowners are putting off replacing older windows to conserve their cash, they are paying more for NOT changing their windows.

When it comes to a sunroom built today, we are definitely in a different era.  

Today’s sunroom is better looking, better performing and much more energy efficient than the stereotypical metal and glass contraptions of the past.

Stuck In Sunroom Past

Some people think of the products of thirty years ago when they consider a sunroom addition to their home.  They are usually very pleasantly surprised when they learn the single pane glass, aluminum/metallic-looking, non-insulated glass-roofed structures are now just a faded, bad memory.

Double-pane replacement windows can now perform better than triple-pane windows. Even better, these replacement windows cost $150 to $200 less per window.

When purchasing replacement windows for your home, a per window differential of that amount adds up very quickly. With ten windows a homeowner can save as much as two thousand dollars and a twenty window purchase can save up to four thousand dollars. The best part of this scenario is the replacement windows perform at a higher level, saving energy costs year round.

These double-pane replacement windows are a great example of technology applied practically to a common, everyday use. Homeowners can now get windows that save more energy, practically eliminate ultraviolet rays from the sun, and reduce unwanted glare. To be specific, you get an NFRC U-factor of .20, which converts to an R-value of R-5 on a double-hung window. Center of glass R-value is R-10.