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Some replacement dealers develop a sales pitch designed to convince Long Island homeowners to buy their brand based on specific window styles and add-on features – like specialty glass, custom grille patterns and exclusive hardware options. While it is important for buyers to gather this type of information, saving money depends on other factors, too. At Renewal by Andersen of Long Island, our policy is to give consumers all the information they need to make an informed decision. This post will discuss six factors that directly influence how much money modern replacement windows may save you over the long term.
Did you know that about 30% of the energy lost in a home comes from the “bottom” of your house? Poorly insulated floors, crawl spaces and basements eat up a lot of money spent on heating and cooling the indoor air just to have it sneak out through gaps and leaks. Your heating and cooling bills will be higher if you have to run the HVAC system all the time to stay comfortable. Even the most expensive replacement window will not provide the highest return on investment unless you eliminate all leaks and insulate appropriately for our variable weather. Which lead us to the next factor that effects potential savings from installing replacement windows in your Long Island home.
On Long Island, we have four distinct seasons. We enjoy moderate spring and autumn months sandwiched between more extreme periods of hot summers and frigid winters. Because window glass makes up a substantial amount of the building envelope, choosing a glass solution designed for our changing weather is crucial to maximizing savings. Manufacturing techniques today include innovative technology applied in the factory to make windows more energy efficient in the winter and summer, and to control the amount of heat and light that passes through the window. All of these features allow homeowners to build a customized window to efficiently manage their heating and cooling budget year-round.
The size and shape of your home’s windows may directly impact how much you spend on monthly utility bills. Ask your personal replacement window consultant to explain how your existing home window shapes and sizes are helping or hurting your efforts to control costs. Speaking of existing fixtures, the landscaping and surrounding buildings may also prevent you from savings as much money as you would like.
Shade trees and tall shrubs near a home can reduce the surrounding air temperature by up to 6%, according to Energy.gov. And, the area near the ground under a shade tree can be 25 degrees cooler than surface temperatures near streets and roadways. So, shade trees and tall structures near your home will make it easier to keep the house cooler during our hot, muggy summers, However, native plants that don’t drop their leaves during cold weather may prevent you from capitalizing on solar heat gain during the winter to enjoy lower heating bills. You cannot always do anything about tall buildings and other structures, but you can intentionally landscape to make sure you take full advantage of natural resources while budgeting for indoor air comfort and quality.
Earlier we mentioned that the building envelope integrity has a lot to do with how much energy you spend heating and cooling your home. However, disrepair isn’t the only reason your building envelope may be interfering with your efforts to control heating and cooling costs. Here is an interesting bit of information you may not know: two houses of the same square footage, equally well-insulated, appointed with the exact same replacement windows styles and sizes, and free from bothersome building envelope leaks, but one is a single story and one is a multi-story home – they would not be rated the same for energy-efficiency. Why? Because surface area in the two- or three-story home is by design smaller. A smaller roof surface and foundation footprint automatically reduce the sunlight and air exposure, which reduces the potential for energy loss! Foundations are notorious for developing cracks, too, which increase incoming cold air leaks during the winter. There is another type of style that will impact how much you can save by installing replacement windows – the window performance and appearance.
Upgrading a well-maintained home that happens to have aging, ugly or outdated windows with modern, custom-crafted replacement windows won’t net you the same financial return on investment as investing in a total rehab that includes repairing building issues, intentionally landscaping for energy efficiency and installing a state-of-the-art heating, air conditioning and ventilation system to improve performance. However, choosing a window with a superior frame (such as our patented Fibrex composite that harnesses the best characteristics of wood and vinyl) that effectively controls heat transfer, high-performance glass and a window style customized for your existing lot orientation, surrounding landscaping and family lifestyle, will help you capture the highest savings possible when you install replacement windows and patio doors in your Long Island home.
Have more questions about how to design replacement windows and patio doors for your Long Island home that will net you the biggest savings on heating and cooling costs year after year? We can help. Visit our showroom, fill in the short form on this page or pick up the phone and dial (866) 609-5033 to schedule a private, in-home consultation today.
Learn Everything You Need to Know BEFORE Buying Replacement Windows