Maintaining a house is not for the faint of heart. From finding the best windows when you need to replace old ones to making sure that you correctly and quickly make repairs to household appliances and siding alike, home maintenance is a challenging and ongoing challenge. Of all the tasks that you may need to address, however, finding the best windows may be one of the most important. The right windows can help guarantee the safety, the equity, and the efficiency of your home.
Keeping Your Family Safe Should be Priority
Old windows with broken sashes and without locks are a danger to your entire family. A vandal or thief who is looking to break into a home is more likely to attack a home that has old windows than a home that has new windows. Old wooden sashes that look easy to pry open are a target, while double hung windows that lock are not.
Another advantage to the newer window systems is that they can be easily installed in conjunction with a home security system. Breaking a pane of glass is loud, and many thieves look for a quieter and less noticeable entry point.vinyl replacement windows, especially those with locks, are much more difficult to pry open and if these windows are also hooked to the security system you and your family will be even more safe.
New Business and Home Windows Can Add Equity to Your Property
In addition to keeping your family, employees, and property safe, installing the best windows can also help you keep you r property investment safe. Top quality windows that are installed by professional craftsmen not only look good, but also add to the price of your home and business in case you should decide to sell. For instance, replacing a window can cost between $300 and $700 a window on average, but realizing that those costs are often beneficial down the road can make the cost seem worthwhile. According to the National Association of Realtors, for instance, homeowners who replace their windows often get back as much as 80% of their investment when they go to sell their home. Perhaps because they understand the value of this kind of home maintenance project, a recent survey indicated that almost two-thirds of homeowners are planning on renovating.
Keeping up with home maintenance tasks, especially any needed window repairs or replacements, can help you increase the value of your property while you are at the same time making your home more safe and more efficient.
The Best Windows Provide Energy Savings
The safety and the value of new windows is important, but for many people the biggest advantage is in the energy efficiency. Old windows that are not tightly sealed waste energy, making it difficult to keep a home cool in the summer and warm in the window. The newest and best windows today, however, come with many features that can cut down on heating and cooling costs. Windows that are drafty and let air escape can increase your energy bills by as much as 10% to 25%., while the opposite occurs when a home or business owner upgrades their windows to the highest quality product.
Did you know, for instance, that home owners can save up to 15% a year on an energy bill if older double-pane windows in a 2,600-square-foot house are replaced with energy-efficient windows with low-E coatings. This information, which is provided by the Efficient Windows Collaborative is proof that when government agencies, research organizations, and manufacturers promoting efficient window technology work together they can provide a money saving product.
In a time when the Department of Energy reports that 45% of the average energy bill goes toward heating, it should come as no surprise that installing energy efficient windows and other products is a trend that is growing in popularity.
Business and home ownership is a major responsibility. Those owners who are the most successful and grow their properties to higher values know that making choices that add safety, equity, and efficiency to a home is a good choice. Are you one of those owners? If not, starting a worthwhile project like replacing windows can be a step in the right direction.
