In many older homes, windows are still single-pane glass units and with sash pulleys and weights. Unfortunately, these windows are less efficient and may lose heat more rapidly than newer ones. Glazing putty on old windows may have also dried and cracked due to frequent usages. The sash weight cords could also be damaged as well. Badly frayed or missing sash ropes make the situation particularly dangerous, because if someone knocks out the stick accidentally, the window may come crashing down, causing injuries to fingers or even neck! If our windows are an old style one with single-pane windows, it is a good idea to replace it with a thermally efficient one. There are different styles and shapes of replacement windows. As an example, vinyl windows can be more affordable.
There are also custom-colored windows that can be more suitable for our house and exterior. Different windows brands could have different characteristics. The most affordable windows unit may feature frames with one-piece vinyl extrusion. This may allow cold air to be transmitted directly through the windows frames, causing the area near window to be much colder. In fact, it is possible that the indoor temperature of the window frame is equal with the exterior one. An ideal replacement is windows that has thermal break placed inside the frame that creates a barrier between the exterior and interior part of the frame. The window should also have insulating glass, which is made from a couple of glass panes with an inert, non-heat conductive gap in between.
Another improvement is by using a window with low E coating. It means that the sun energy will be transmitted into the house, but it won’t be reflected back to the outside. Windows with low E coating can be only a few dollars more expensive, but we will save a lot more money for decades to come. However, vinyl windows with low E coating are often available in limited color options, more commonly brown and white. There are custom-colored low E windows, but they could be more expensive. Another feature that we should look for is exposed wooden windows, but vinyl layer on the outside. It means that we no longer need to paint the exterior, but the wooden interior can still be painted to match our interior.
Colored exteriors have different colors, such as red, green and blue; but we should know that they will be there for a long time. It isn’t possible to change the exterior of the window, so they will always be there once we install them. Wood replacement windows are available in the market, but they may not be the best available choice, unless we are willing to paint the external side of the windows using ladder. It means that among the best solution are wood windows, made from wood with low heat conductivity, that also have low-E glass and thermal breaks. When looking for replacement windows, we should make sure that the sash tilts inside, so we will be able to clean it easily. It means that we don’t need to balance on ladder or hang out on windows.