Were you gazing out your window the other day only to find yourself staring at your windows themselves? Are you wondering if it is time to give your house a facelift with some new, brighter windows? Well, here are some tips that you’ll find helpful, especially if you live in the Southwest.
Homeowners and home builders in the Southwest have a couple of special weather components that they need to take into consideration when they are looking into replacing old windows or installing new ones, weather conditions like:
- Extreme Heat
- Haboobs (intense dust storms) and monsoons
- Lack of humidity/moisture
- Rapid weather changes
These are a few of the uncontrollable aspects of living in the deserts of the Southwest that should be taken into consideration when windows are being installed or replaced.
Here are 5 tips from the experts at XO Windows that homeowners should keep in mind when it comes to picking out new windows.
1. Seal it up!– When houses are built, there is a great deal of time and effort put into insulating and sealing up the house so that expensive utilities are not leaked. But windows are not made of brick and mortar or lumber, so they tend to be areas of weakness. It is estimated that 10-25% of your utility costs are leaked out through ill-maintained windows. When you get your windows installed, make sure that the installers properly seal the windows to the house and get at least dual paned windows. This will help with the insulation and soundproofing of your house. This is especially important when your windows have to combat temperatures that soar over the 100s°.
2. Get your lingo right- Make sure that you buy windows that have the right U value (this helps gage the insulating value of the window) and the right SHGC (Solar Heat-Gain Coefficient) rating for your climate; the SHGC rating tells you how well your windows will reflect heat off of or back into your house. You should also install windows that are Energy Star certified; any window that has this rating has met certain qualifications that make it as energy efficient as possible. Homeowners in Phoenix, Las Vegas and L.A. run their utilities a lot, especially through the summer to get a break from the heat pulsing outside; A/C bills in the summers tend to be high, so anything that you can do to help keep the cool air in and the heat outside will benefit you in the long run.
3. Did you shut the window?– Maintenance and functionality are important when it comes to reinstalling or installing windows. You will want to consider the market or who will be opening and closing these windows on a daily basis, and also windows that are easy to maintain and clean are desirable. You want to find a good fit for your lifestyle. XO Windows offers: Horizontal Sliding Windows, Single Hung Windows, Picture Windows, Aluminum Clad Wood Windows, Specialty Shape Windows, Vinyl Garden Windows and more. We also can custom make or retrofit any space with a replacement window.
4. Extra efforts- Once you get your Energy Star Certified windows in place here are a couple things you can do to convince the heat to remain outside. Before the summer comes on full force check all of your windows to make sure that they are indeed shut and sealed, especially those rarely used windows. You can always get special thermal curtains to help shut the heat out. Also, if you are in an area where haboobs and monsoons are common, thinking about investing in shutters isn’t a horrible idea, especially in those rooms where you keep valuables like pianos and electronics.
5. The next step – If you have decided that, yes, it is time to get new windows XO Windows does offer a no-pressure estimation for free to interested clients. So if you want to get a solid quote and some suggestions for your house from our experts, feel free to give us a call. XO Windows is always proud to stand behind our work and give our clients final results that will make them glad that they called us.
These 5 helpful tips will get you thinking in the right direction when it comes to replacing your windows in the Phoenix Valley or other parts of the Southwest, for more information call XO Windows at: (602) 343-1601.
Sources: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39738030/ns/today-money/t/steps-save-hundreds-your-energy-bill/#.UNOhzm-Ck7o
Image Source: http://rosenewyorkcity.blogspot.com/2011/01/little-cactus-plants.html, http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/jackalope/2012/07/laurie_notaro_haboobs_phoenix.php, http://andreasellshomes.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/from-kcm-blog-windows-of-opportunity-beginning-to-close-for-sellers/, http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/decorating/tips-techniques/royal-home-00000000057778/page4.html