8 Mistakes I Wish I Had Avoided When Changing My Windows
You may be about to embark on a renovation, or you may have decided to take advantage of the aid for renovating windows and improving the envelope offered by some public administrations, surely right now you are having a lot of doubts about measurements, materials, finishes, or types of closure. Don’t panic, we are here to help.
Finding efficient windows can allow you to save on heating and air conditioning consumption and improve comfort and expert can give you the best idea.
#1: Any crystal is not worth it
The glass (or glass if we use the correct professional word) of a window occupies 80% of the surface, so no window can be good if the glass is not good. Today the range of possibilities is very wide, there are insulating glasses with high performance to insulate against cold and heat, glasses with solar control, low emissive glasses, acoustic glasses with insulating effects against noise or laminated glasses to improve safety.
If you are looking for window replacement and want to buy a new one and don’t have any idea how to process then you have to contact experts such as Jack’s Siding and Windows.
There is no excuse for not thinking carefully about the type of glass for our next window, any glass will not do.
#2: Weak points
Even if glass is the best for your needs, windows have weak points that must be taken into account to improve their efficiency, such as the blind box. In the past, drawers were designed thinking about their functionality and not so much about insulation, so cold, humidity, pollution or noise entered through them.
To solve this problem, drawers with different insulating materials appeared on the market that offer a more efficient solution. It makes no sense to install an efficient window if we do not properly insulate the blind box.
#3: Insulate yourself correctly from cold and heat
When buying windows for our home we have to think about every day of the year, how they will respond to inclement weather, and how the cold or heat will affect us. Fortunately, it is now possible to find high-performance glass that improves insulation in winter and protects from heat in summer, which considerably improves the insulation of the entire window.
#4 Frames and materials
Currently, there are quality frames for practically all budgets, when talking about exterior carpentry it is important to analyze the thermal transmittance of each material and its useful life or maintenance.
PVC, aluminum, and wood can be a good solution in terms of performance and have multiple finishes. They are very resistant materials so their useful life is long. If we opt for an aluminum window, it must have a thermal break (RTP) since it substantially improves its efficiency.
#5 Have a professional installer
Not everyone is trained to correctly place a window. There are certain parameters, knowledge, and processes for which it is better to have a professional or company of which we have references, who offers us guarantees, as well as information about the possibilities, maintenance, etc…
#6 Acoustic insulation
This is one of the most overlooked points when changing windows for more efficient ones. We do not take into consideration how important acoustic insulation is until we hear the bar below the house, the arguments of passers-by, the cars or the traffic jams. Windows also improves insulation against city noise… It is important to think about what is outside when changing them.
#7 Maintain architectural balance
The facades of the buildings belong to the common. We share that space among all the neighbors and we must avoid “breaking” the architectural balance. When choosing our new windows, the correct thing to do is to opt for the predominant frame color, avoiding finishes that break up the whole. If we need to carry out any modification that substantially affects the façade, it is advisable to ask permission from the community, thus avoiding grievances that can lead to legal problems.
#8 Choose the cheapest window
Luckily today there is a wide range of possibilities between materials, crystals, finishes, types of closure, or designs for all budgets.
Buying an efficient window is an important decision, it is not advisable to be guided by bargains or super offers, you have to assess your needs and choose the best quality-price ratio. Windows are an element with which we are going to live, to share the inclement weather, they will be there rain, snow, or very hot and we want them to maintain their performance over the years, sometimes even for life.
Buy windows for your needs
In the same way that we do not buy a car at random, any window is not ideal for a home. All the benefits must be taken into account, what is important to me may not be of value to someone in the same block because the orientations, the use of air conditioning, or personal needs are different.
