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When is it Time to Replace Your Windows?

Replacing your windows can make a world of difference in your home. Not only will the installation of replacement windows give your home a cosmetic facelift, but you will notice remarkable savings on energy costs year-round. However, many people find it difficult to know when it’s time to begin replacing the windows in their home, and most times, a visual inspection from the outside of your home is not enough to make your decision. It is also important to note that windows on one side of your home may need replacing more often than windows on the other side of your house, as one side of your home may be more exposed to certain weather conditions that can lead to deterioration of windows. Once your windows begin to show certain sure signs of age or damage, you will want to start thinking about replacement windows.

Window Performance

One of the first things to consider when deciding whether or not to replace your windows is overall window performance.  Difficulty opening and closing your windows is one very obvious indication of old or damaged windows that need to be replaced, but there are other tests that can be done to check the performance of your windows as well. Place your hands on the interior window pane. If your windows feel cold in the winter or warm in the summer, they are not insulating your home properly and it may be time to have those windows replaced. You should also not feel air flowing in through any cracks on or around your windows, nor should you see any frost or condensation. If you do see a buildup of the two, poor insulation is not the only problem you have to worry about. Frost and condensation mean extra moisture, which can ultimately lead to rotting frames and even a buildup of mold that can become dangerous to you and your family’s health. In checking for moisture, you can also light a candle and “trace” the outline of the window from the inside of your home. If the flame flickers at any point in the process, it is a sign of a draft.

Window Aesthetics

In addition to performance, you will also want to take note of the overall aesthetics of your windows. If your windows seem outdated, don’t match the rest of your house, or if you simply don’t like the look of them any longer, it is time to consider replacement windows.  In addition to unsightly appearance, any marks you notice on our around windows may be a sign of even bigger problems. Look for any glass that may be cracked, chipped or water stained. Also take note of trim that is rotted, chipped, or even missing.

If you think your windows are ready for an update and need more information, the best step to take is contacting Pittsburgh replacement window experts, like the ones at Legacy, to help you. A replacement window consultant will be able to show you exactly where you’re losing energy, as well as give you an estimate for how much it would be to replace your windows.

Buying Replacement Windows: Understanding the Energy Star Label

Windows are one of the best ways to add both beauty and value to your home. They offer curb appeal from the outside and provide natural lighting and views of your surroundings from the inside. But in addition to aesthetics, windows also provide security, sound proofing, and a critical element of insulation to your home.  Heat is attracted to cold, so during the winter months, the heat circulating through your home looks for ways to flow outside, and in the summer, it flows indoors. Of course, the easiest source for heat to flow toward the cold is through the windows in your home. Without proper insulation year-round, you will find that your energy bills tend to skyrocket as your thermostat struggles to maintain a comfortable level. As the cost of energy continues to rise, more and more homeowners are turning to replacement windows as an effective way of insulating their homes.

What is Energy Star?

If you’ve started browsing for new replacement windows, it’s likely that you’ve noticed the Energy Star label. So what separates Energy Star windows from other windows on the market? The Energy Star program itself is a joint effort between the EPA and the United States Department of Energy. Energy Star products are designed to help protect both the environment as well as our wallets through energy efficiency. When most people hear the term “Energy Star”, they think of appliances. But the Energy Star certification does apply to windows as well. In order to earn Energy Star certification, windows are independently tested by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) and labeled according to climate zone. Homes in Pittsburgh fall in the Northern zone, and to meet Energy Star criteria, windows in this zone must offer special insulation to protect against the cold during harsh Pittsburgh winters.

The Bare Minimum

If you’re in the market for new replacement windows, most of the ones you’re considering will be Energy Star-qualified. In fact, Energy Star should be the bare minimum in energy efficiency that you are considering for your replacement windows. Some window companies, like Legacy, offer windows that exceed Energy Star criteria. If you are looking to looking to maximize your home’s efficiency, then you should be looking for a product that exceeds Energy Star.

National Fenestration Rating Council

This is where the NFRC comes in. Each replacement window you view should have a label from the NFRC, similar to the one below. The NFRC rating system focuses on five factors that affect a window’s performance: U-factor, solar heat gain coefficient, visible transmittance, air leakage, and condensation resistance. To educate yourself about the five factors and what you need to look for, you can download this free e-book that explains it in detail.

Moral of the story? While understanding the Energy Star program and looking for the Energy Star label on windows is important, it is only the first step in making an informed replacement window purchase. To truly maximize your home’s efficiency, go beyond the Energy Star label and do your research.

For the better part of the past four years, businesses and consumers alike have faced a constant barrage of bad news when it comes to the economy. Reports about joblessness, foreclosures, and government bailouts have seemed never ending. While it seems obvious that the downturn couldn’t last forever, it sure felt like it would. Now, as we head into 2012, I think I am starting to see reasons for optimism.

There have been some positive signs in the news. Unemployment has dropped by a meaningful amount over the past 14 months and consumer confidence has begun to increase, the recently passed holiday season saw increased consumer spending, and according to recently released data, all three of the major American car companies are profitable again. All good news to be sure, but meaningless for me as a small business owner if I don’t also see things improving for my company, Legacy Remodeling.

Fortunately, at least in the little corner of the remodeling market that we occupy, things do seem to be getting better. We have grown by approximately 10% in installed business versus last year. Our sales this past December were double those of a year ago and January is off to a nice start. This weekend we participated in our first home show of 2012 and there were more vendors there than in previous years and larger crowds of people. Even better, those people seemed to be feeling better. We had more conversations with folks who were planning to actually do projects in 2012 than we have had since 2007. Customers seem more willing to invest in the window, door or siding replacements that they have put off for the past few years.

Even more importantly, we have been able to start hiring again. Although the numbers are small, we are one of the millions of small business that drive the economy and if we are all able to hire one or two or three new people, as we have done, the country would be well on its way to recovery. At my company, these are good-paying, family-sustaining jobs. Even better, the kind of work we do creates more jobs. For every home improvement project we book, there is a manufacturer somewhere who needs to make the shingles, lumber or deck material that we will use.

For those people out there who have been looking at home improvement projects, now is the time to consider moving forward with that kitchen or room addition. Good remodeling companies like Legacy are already getting busy quickly. By the time the spring is here, we expect to be taking orders for projects that will be run over the summer. If you have a particular time you want your deck to be done, for a graduation party for example, now is the time to start planning for that so that its ready when you need it. Even better, by planning ahead and placing an order early, customers can avoid the annual spring price increase that comes from building product manufacturers virtually every year.

When I speak with our customers about their upcoming remodeling plans there are many reasons that come up as to why they are doing a particular project. Whether its new windows for efficiency or vinyl siding for a low maintenance exterior, the answers are as varied as the types of projects.

However, when I speak with them about why they selected Legacy… the answer is astoundingly consistent. By a large margin, our customers choose us because they feel comfortable working with us. They trust us. The reasons for the trust vary, just like the reasons for doing a particular project. Some people trust us because we were referred to them by a friend, relative or manufacturer, some people like that we have 25 years in business or that we carry a large number of manufacturers’ certifications, but the underlying reason for using Legacy is that they believe in our ability to do the job right and to stand by the project later if any problems arise.

The idea that there are so many people for who trust is most important brings me back to the title of this particular blog… “know what you are buying when you remodel.” Are you simply buying a commodity? Twelve hundred square feet of siding? Eighteen hundred square feet of roofing? Or are you buying something more when you select a company to do a project for you?

If you are just looking for a certain amount of product then it seems that price should be the number one driver. If however you want to make sure that the product you buy performs right over time, if you want to feel comfortable that it was expertly installed and that any problems will be handled, then clearly price cant be the most important thing.

Buying a remodeling project is not like buying a car. When you buy a car, you can look for the lowest price knowing that if problems arise later there are countless other dealers and mechanics who would be happy to service the make and model that you buy.  However most home improvement companies are not in the business of servicing other people’s work. Rather, remodeling companies prefer to do the entire job so that they know it is all done correctly. If a contractor replaces a roof incorrectly, it is hard to find a company who will then correct that work without just redoing the entire job. The reason for this is simple, in the eyes of most homeowners, once a company does work on their home, they own that project and all of the responsibility that comes with that, including future services which may not even be related to the repair they made. As a remodeler, I would not want to fix a leaking roof for fear that future leaks will become my responsibility. I would prefer just to replace the whole thing and know that it was done right and won’t leak.

For this reason, it is very important to know exactly what you are buying when you spend money on remodeling work. Are you buying just the product, or are you buying a long term relationship with a company who will warrant and service what they sell?  As a remodeling company, our goal is to provide our customers with good value, but not necessarily the lowest price. To me, value means a good return on what people spend with us. That means good products, proper installation and a company that answers your phone calls years after the job is already done. If this is what you are looking for, then Legacy is the answer. If however your primary focus is on the lowest price, then you should be sure to carefully heed the age old warning of “buyer beware.” What feels like a bargain may in fact be the most expensive option if you have to do it twice!

There are many reasons to renovate your home. First and foremost, people like to make their homes their own, reflecting their own tastes and likes in the ways that they choose to decorate. Beyond that, there are many reasons people invest in their homes. People remodel to reduce maintenance,  improve functionality, increase energy efficiency and for many other reasons.

Regardless of why you are investing in remodeling work for your home, you should also consider what the return on that investment might be in dollars. In other words, later, when you go to sell your home, how much will the renovations you make increase the value of your home. In order to help people understand how much a particular project might impact the value of their home, Remodeling Magazine, a well respected trade publication for the home improvement industry, releases a report each year called “Cost versus Value.”

This report is put together by surveying realtors and remodeling professionals in markets all around the country. From these surveys, Remodeling Magazine is able to come up with two important numbers. The first number is an average price for a given project in each market. This includes window replacement (wood and vinyl), new entry door systems, kitchens, baths, room additions, siding and a number of other popular home improvement projects. The second number is an average return on the investment for each of these projects.

Based on these figures, homeowners can figure out what to reasonably expect to invest now and recoup later from an home improvement project. Additionally, based on how much a particular investment adds to the value of the house, homeowners can get a sense of what the most popular projects currently are. If this is accurate, then right now the most popular project is the installation of new siding using a fiber cement product like James Hardie’s Hardie Board.

Last month, Remodeling Magazine released their annual report which can be found here. In this report, fiber cement siding is shown to retain approximately 78% of its value when the home is later sold, which is a full 8% more than normal vinyl siding.

When you consider that this project will add to the beauty of your home while you are living there, reduce your maintenance, and possibly cut your energy bills, this seems like a pretty good deal. As one of only two Hardie Preferred Remodelers in Western Pennsylvania, Legacy Remodeling is uniquely experienced to provide its customers with quality installation of fiber cement siding on their homes.

Beyond siding, other projects fare well, also. According to Remodeling Magazine, a new door will return approximately 75% of its purchase price, replacement windows will return around 68% of your investment when you later sell your house, and a kitchen remodel can recoup around 70% depending upon the scope of the project.

When you consider the usage you get while living in a remodeled home together with the value added to your home, investing in remodeling seems like a much less expensive endeavor.

As a follow up to my blog posting from last week, I wanted to talk a little bit about a different type of insulation that many people are not aware of, radiant barrier. This is a type of insulation that works differently than traditional insulation products and can therefore add an additional layer of efficiency to homes which are already adequately insulated with fiberglass or cellulose insulation.

Traditional insulation products rely on pockets of air to form a blanket around whatever it is they are insulating. These pockets of air slow the transfer of energy through the insulation. This resistance to the transfer of energy (heat) is what is measured by an R value. The higher the R value, the higher the resistance and therefore the better the insulator. Eventually, however, the heat will transfer through a insulator which is why even well insulated homes still need to run a furnace in the winter months. Furthermore, this resistance only applies to the transfer of energy by convention or conduction. Energy can also be transferred by radiation (think of the sun radiating heat through space).

In order to address heat loss or gain through radiation, customers may want to consider the installation of radiant barrier insulation. This is  particularly important when you consider that roughly half of the heat lost in the winter is lost through radiation and around 90% of the heat gained in the summer is through radiation. Put simply, traditional insulation can only solve part of the problem. By addressing the heat lost or gained through radiation, a homeowner can significantly improve the energy efficiency of their home.

Radiant barrier is a thin silver-colored material that comes in sheets or rolls. An installer can apply this to either the floor of your attic over traditional insulation or it can be applied to the underside of roof rafters. The installation goes relatively quickly and with little mess (a normal attic can be done in a day or less). A radiant barrier works just like a space blanket. In cold weather, it reflects the heat radiating out of your home back into the home. In the summer months, a radiant barrier will reflect heat from the sun away from your home, reducing the energy used by the air conditioner. Radiant barrier can also be installed on the roof deck surface beneath shingles. In fact, there are now companies that manufacture roof sheathing that comes with radiant barrier coating on one side. The use of radiant barrier has been shown to have no negative effects on the life of shingles.

In terms of the cost, radiant barrier is comparable to the cost of installing more traditional insulation and can be added to a home at the same time that normal insulation is being installed. With this in mind, if you are looking to upgrade the insulation of your home, you may want to consider also adding a radiant barrier in order to maximize the insulation value of your home.

There are many things that homeowners can do to maximize the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce expensive energy bills. These include the obvious things like installing new windows and doors or installing a high efficiency furnace. There are also some very simple things that a homeowner can do for very little money like adding an insulating blanket to their hot water heater, which will reduce gas bills.

However, equally important to these types of things is getting an accurate view of the current insulation in your home. Are your walls insulated? Is your attic adequately insulated? Many homeowners are not aware of the level of insulation that is recommended in our area in order to meet the recommendations of the Department of Energy. Nor do they know what level of insulation is present in their attics. Basically, they don’t know what they need, nor do they know what they have.

In the Pittsburgh area, the DOE recommends an R-60 in the attic to maximize the energy efficiency of homes.

I have spoken with many homeowners over the years who say that their attic is insulated, but when I have gone up and looked, what they were referring to was the rolled out insulation that was installed in their home when it was built 30 or 4 years ago. Typically this is a 4″ layer of rolled fiberglass insulation. Rolled fiberglass normally has an R-value of 3 per inch, which means these homes are insulated to an R-12, which is 20% of the recommended level of insulation. Of course, this is assuming that the insulation was properly installed (often it is not) and that its still in good shape after many years. The same sort of scenarios play out with other types of insulation; people stick their heads up in the attic and see that there is some blown-in insulation and just assume that the home is insulated properly without any knowledge of the insulating value of a particular material. Blown in cellulose is an R-3.5 per inch, blown in fiberglass is an R-2.55 per inch. This means that in order for a blown in insulation to meet government recommendations, there should be a layer of it between 17 and 24 inches deep. This is far more that what can be found in most homes.

As a company that is focused on home efficiency, Legacy Remodeling frequently finds itself adding insulation to homes that have some insulation, but are far short of the amount that is necessary to maximize energy efficiency. If you are unsure if your home is adequately insulated, take the time to look up in your attic and take stock of the situation. Legacy can bring your home up to D.O.E. standards in one day and for a price that you will recover in a few short years through lower energy bills. After that, you will find that the investment in energy efficiency will become pure profit that you can use for things that are much more fun than paying utilities.

Each year Qualified Remodeler Magazine issues their Top 500 list of the largest home improvement companies in the United States. For over a decade, this list has included Legacy Remodeling. This year is no different, in the recently released 2011 Top 500 list, Legacy Remodeling is listed as number 175. This means that out of all of the companies involved in performing home improvements across the country, from replacement windows and siding, to kitchens or room additions, Legacy is the 175th largest company by volume.

This is quite an accomplishment when you consider just how many companies and individuals there are in our industry. There are quite literally hundreds of thousands of people, from sole proprietors to large corporations performing projects that span dozens of specialties.

However, as proud as I am to be able to say that Legacy is one of the largest companies in the home improvement industry, I believe the even greater accomplishment is the consistency of this effort. What I mean by this is the fact that year in and year out, for as far back as I could find, Legacy has been on this list. In the cabinet behind my desk I keep all of the recognitions that Legacy has received over the years. Among these awards is a pile of Qualified Remodeler magazines going back for years. The oldest of these is the September 2000 issue. At that time, Legacy was listed as the 341st largest remodeling company in the United States.

Over this 11 year period of time, many companies have come and gone. Some have moved up the list like Legacy, a lot of others have simply disappeared. The home improvement contracting business is a hyper competitive environment where 96% of businesses fail within the first 2 years according to the Small Business Administration. Therefore, for a business to be able to last 25 years in this industry and to be recognized on a national level for over a decade is a difficult task indeed.

This stability and reliability is one of the things about Legacy that I am most proud of. This has translated into peace of mind and quality service for our customers. When we do work for someone, we always include our century warranty. Part of this warranty includes a lifetime no service charge policy on window and door products that supports the manufacturer’s material warranty. Because we have been able to continue to thrive in the remodeling business, those customers who trusted Legacy 10 or 20 years ago, are still able to receive service on their products.

With the ever increasing cost of energy, the business of retrofitting homes for greater efficiency has been one of the fastest growing segments of the home improvement industries. This push for increased efficiency is beneficial for a number of reasons. By using less energy to heat their home in the winter or to cool it in the summer, homeowners are able to save money and reduce man’s impact on the environment. Plus as a major added bonus, the installation of home upgrades creates good paying jobs.

For a number of years now, Legacy Remodeling has been installing home energy upgrades. We install high efficiency replacement windows, insulated siding, attic insulation, Energy Star compliant doors and a variety of other products that add to home efficiency. Despite these offerings, I have long felt that there was more we could be doing to promote energy conservation. For this reason I was very excited when the opportunity arose for Legacy to participate in a network made up of companies that are leaders in the home energy field. This group, Home Performance Network (HPN) is made up of a number of companies like Legacy who offer their customers the most efficient home improvements.

Starting in the coming months, Legacy will be setting up displays in Sam’s Club stores throughout the Pittsburgh region looking for homeowners who are interested in having one of our home energy experts come out to perform a review of their home’s efficiency and to make recommendations to help reduce energy use. There are normally a wide variety of ways for people to accomplish this goal. From insulating their hot water tanks and utilizing CFL light bulbs to adding insulation or replacing drafty windows and doors there are both large and small ways to influence your homes efficiency. By offering these energy evaluations for free, we are able to help homeowners to identify “do-it-yourself” type projects that can yield modest energy improvements for little cost. On the other hand, we are also able to show how working with Legacy on a significant project, such as upgrading your windows, can result in substantially greater home energy efficiency.

I expect that our participation in the Home Performance Network will greatly benefit our customers as the increased focus on efficiency and access to home energy expertise will allow us to offer more complete home energy solutions. If you are looking for ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency, I would strongly suggest allowing one of our consultants to come out and see what Legacy can do to reduce your home’s energy use. In the long run this will save you money and add to the value of your home.

One of the most common home improvement projects that people undertake is the replacement of their windows. Every home has windows, and as they age the original windows can become outdated and unattractive and in many cases, non-functional. This process is often accelerated by the fact that many builders use low end windows in order to keep the price of the home down, knowing that 5 or 10 years down the road, after the builder’s warranty has expired, the homeowner will have to replace them. In an area like Pittsburgh where there is a lot of older housing stock, thousands of homeowners replace their windows each year. In fact out of all of the products which Legacy Remodeling offers, windows replacement is what we do the most of.

Legacy Bow Replacement Window

Unfortunately many homeowners do not understand what to look for when trying to determine whether they should replace their windows or not. From my perspective the primary reasons break down into two main categories:

Condition/Functionality

1)Often older windows simply no longer work. The sashes may no longer operate as they were intended.
2)If it is a wood window, the wood may have begun to rot and become moldy, which can also be a threat to your health. Soft wood, peeling paint and visible black mold are all indicators that the wood may be starting to rot.
3)If the windows do function, they may still be difficult to operate or difficult to clean. Newer windows are designed to operate for long periods of time and often include a lifetime warranty. Features built into new windows can also make them much easier to operate and clean.
4)As people have become more aware of the dangers of lead, many people have begun to seek out window replacement to remove old wood or steel windows which have lead paint on them.
5)Inefficient old windows can add significant costs to your energy bills for heating and air conditioning that leaks out of your home. Signs of this can include drafts around your windows, noticeable temperature differences around your windows and fogging of dual pane glass that indicates a failure of the insulating seal. Homeowners who correct inefficient windows can save significantly.

Appearance/Maintenance

1) Older windows were not designed to be maintenance free. For this reason there is a need to periodically sand, scrap, putty and paint older steel and wooden windows. Homeowners who wish to avoid this work often opt for newer vinyl replacement windows or wood windows that have the exterior clad in a maintenance free material like aluminum or vinyl.
2) Due to the need to maintain older windows, eventually windows that are not properly restored will show the effects of all of this scraping and painting and in many cases will start to look their age. By installing a low or no maintenance wood or vinyl window, a homeowner can be assured that it will look nice for the long term.

In addition to correcting the deficiencies of older windows, by installing new windows, homeowners can take advantage of a number of technological improvements that have been made to windows over the past few decades. This can include aesthetic improvements like the availability of blinds between panes of insulated glass, or this could be the functional benefit of reduced noise from the outside of a home. It is also worth noting that the energy efficient low-e glass coating that makes newer windows more efficient also dramatically reduces the effect of UV light on your carpet, woodwork and furniture meaning that it not only can save you money on utilities but it also provides a new protective barrier for the items in your home.

If you think that you may need new windows for your home, please contact Legacy and allow one of our expert consultants show you the variety of window options we offer. As an independent company, Legacy is not required to push any one type of window over another so we are uniquely qualified to find you the best product to meet your goals for your home.