There may be a window in your home that is old and drafty, or even falling apart. You may have a window that sticks, or one that you have to prop open. You’ve tried caulking, taping, driving screws into that old window but there is nothing that you can do to fix it. It is probably time to give up on fixing that old window and consider a replacement.
If you have one old window, chances are you have others. These windows can be robbing your house of energy making it hard for you keep your house at the right temperature in either summer or winter. Since windows can account for fifty percent of a home’s heating and cooling needs this wasted energy can equal a lot of wasted money on utility bills.
Now may be the best time to replace your windows for more than one reason. The weather outside is mild in most of the country, so opening up large holes in the side of your house will not create any major discomfort during the operation. Plus, the government is offering tax credits for installing energy efficient windows. These tax credits are set to expire at the end of this year so get your money while the gettin is good!
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides tax credits for homeowners who improve the energy efficiency of their homes including the installation of new windows. A window’s measure of efficiency is based on how well it keeps the outside out and the inside in.
Tax credit eligible windows must meet minimum criteria of efficiency known as the U-factor and the Solar Heat Gain coefficient (SHGC). The U-Factor measures how well a window prevents heat from escaping and the rating scale ranges from .20 to 1.20. The lower the number the greater the window can resist heat flow and the better its insulating value. The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) measures how well a window blocks heat from the sunlight while letting in the visible light. The SHGC rating scale ranges from 0 to 1. The lower the SHGC the less solar heat can get through.
GO HERE to read more.
GO HERE to see a local supplier.
4 comments:
We actually have an appointment in the next few days with someone to come give us a quote on all new windows.
However, thanks to our government, they have to do a lead test first.
Guess what? Our house is 50 years old. Of course they're going to find lead!!! And then what? There goes the price - WAY UP!
We'll see how bad they try to rip us off and if they're too far out of line maybe we'll just buy the windows and install them ourselves. It's not like we don't know "how" to do it, we just would rather spend that time doing other things around the house.
I'm so sick of our government "protecting us" against things that really don't matter!
We know the people who spent their entire childhood growing up in this house and they don't have illnesses related to lead poisoning or any other serious illenesses!
There is a big huge fine if your house is tested positive for lead paint and you don't use an epa certified installer. You can't even scrap paint without having the required government regulations in place.
11:37 thats not necessarily so. Yes lead paint exists in houses built prior to 1978 but the cost to replace the windows doesn't necessarily go up because of the presence of lead paint. Dust should be controlled whether it contains lead or not. That's just good work practice. If you want a better price, go to the link Joe provided and we'll come out and give you a MUCH better price than anyone else. We're licensed, insured, AND accredited by the Maryland Department of the Environment in lead paint.
3:49 - We'll keep our original appointment and then we'll give you a call and see what the differences are.
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