| Don't wash those windows. Replace them! There | | | | the windows, before they start to pay for |
| are some real benefits to replacing windows in | | | | themselves in energy and maintenance savings, is |
| older homes, but like any home improvement | | | | somewhere between 19 and 35 years. I had to |
| project, there is a lot to consider. | | | | think about this as I was ripping out 100 year old |
| We recently replaced all of our windows on our | | | | windows! |
| nearly hundred year old home. This story starts | | | | The Hanley Wood Remodeling 2009/10 Cost vs. |
| with windows that were single pane, drafty, and | | | | Value report pegs ROI on replacement windows |
| mostly painted shut. Storm windows had been | | | | at somewhere around 77%. This is actually a |
| added to these original windows sometime during | | | | pretty good ROI compared to other home |
| the last 30 years, but that made them even | | | | projects, but it is also another way of saying that |
| harder or impossible to use and clean. Some of | | | | you would lose about 23% of your investment |
| the windows also blocked egress in a fire, and | | | | right away in a resale. This is a project you want |
| that was a real problem for me. The last straw | | | | to take on if you'll be in your home a while or if |
| was when we noticed that the interior paint on | | | | your current windows would actually be an |
| the window nearest the baby's crib was peeling | | | | impediment to selling your home. |
| worse than a bad sunburn at the shore. | | | | Like I said, this is not a slam dunk. It's not as if |
| We are not novices. We've replaced windows in all | | | | your energy efficient windows are going to start |
| three of the vintage homes that we've owned. | | | | saving you tons of money right away. |
| The first time, the choice was driven by function, | | | | But wait...there's more! Just this April, 2010, the |
| and a quality vinyl window in our price range was | | | | new US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |
| just the ticket. The second time, we installed vinyl | | | | regulations kicked in regarding practices designed |
| windows with our own hands in just a few rooms. | | | | to minimize the exposure of lead hazards in |
| But in our current home, we had specific | | | | homes built before 1978. If your home is one of |
| requirements. Because we wanted to maintain the | | | | these lucky ones, you can now expect to pay |
| architectural integrity of the home, we were | | | | around another $150 per window for the training |
| shopping for a certain style and caliber of window, | | | | and standards that your contractor must follow |
| and we knew that vinyl was not going to be the | | | | to contain potential lead hazards. These include |
| answer. | | | | personal protective clothing for the installers, and |
| When you really start to investigate this market, | | | | extensive plastic tenting for containment of dust |
| you might be surprised at the range of options. | | | | and debris, as well as cleaning protocols for your |
| Materials range from all wood with various types | | | | home. This isn't optional, but mandatory for all |
| of cladding to composite products that may or | | | | contractors, and they face stiff fines if they |
| may not contain wood. Styles vary widely, even | | | | disregard the new laws. |
| within the same window type, and just the | | | | In the end, we did decide to replace our windows. |
| options for window grids (also known as grilles or | | | | Because we were doing straight replacements, |
| mutton bars) or hardware can be overwhelming. | | | | meaning that we were using the original openings |
| Color options seem endless. And installation | | | | for all of the windows instead of increasing |
| processes and providers are a whole different set | | | | window openings, things were able to go rather |
| of discussions. All of these options will vary the | | | | quickly. We took the calculated risk of allowing the |
| range of prices for a single window from $200 to | | | | work to be done while we were away during a |
| nearly $2,000. | | | | week, figuring this would be the easier way to do |
| We chose to interview four top brands that were | | | | construction in a home with two small children. |
| available in our area. Some of them had been | | | | Even though we had a pre-install walk through and |
| recommendations through friends, and some of | | | | one full day when we were on-site at the start of |
| them were top names that we wanted to learn | | | | construction, we were disappointed to come back |
| more about. We also researched the brands | | | | to a full list of problems. They included capping |
| through Consumer Reports' November 2009 | | | | that was done contrary to the work order, |
| report. We read online comparisons like those by | | | | sloppy caulking, visible gaps in between the |
| Dave Yoho, which confirmed my suspicion that | | | | windows and the walls, broken hardware, and two |
| our payback was not going to be as high as we'd | | | | casement windows that had been swapped, |
| hoped. We visited showrooms and had vendors in | | | | leaving them both to open in the wrong direction. |
| to our home. | | | | Needless to say, we were disappointed. |
| Even Uncle Sam wants you to upgrade your | | | | What we did like, though, was the suggestion to |
| view. Because the energy savings can be pretty | | | | include full screens on our double hung windows, |
| good (I hesitate to say significant), you may be | | | | allowing us to safely have the top sash open in |
| eligible for up to $1,500 in tax credits (this is | | | | rooms where children will be playing. The site was |
| different than a deduction) if you install qualifying | | | | clean when we arrived home. The look of the |
| purchases by the end of 2010. In fact, the typical | | | | windows is ideal. And our contractor immediately |
| energy savings for a whole-house replacement of | | | | responded to our requests. |
| windows hovers somewhere around 20% | | | | Although we'd like to imagine that every home |
| annually. It makes sense to do the math, so, let's | | | | improvement project gets done right, on time, |
| do the math. | | | | and in budget, that's not always the case. But the |
| - Current costs | | | | key is to keep the lines of communication open |
| - Heating & cooling costs $2,400 assumed annually | | | | with your contractor, document the problems, |
| - Cost of maintenance (painting existing window | | | | specify in writing clear requests for repairs or |
| exterior), $2,000 every 5 years assumed | | | | completions, and most importantly, withhold half |
| - Costs of new windows | | | | or more of the full payment until the work is |
| - Savings of ~$480 on heating & cooling costs | | | | completed to the terms of the original contract. |
| annually | | | | I hope to be able to append this post within a |
| - Savings from IRS energy tax credit through | | | | month or so with happy news about the final |
| 2010, $1500 max | | | | outcome of our window project. For now, we are |
| - Maintenance free exterior capping, $0 | | | | happy that we can open our windows and enjoy |
| - Touch-up painting, not included in typical | | | | the spring breezes. If you decide to set out to |
| installations, approximately $500 one time | | | | bring the outside in with new windows in your |
| - Average nationwide investment, $12K-$18,000 | | | | home, I hope that our experience and the |
| Using the numbers above, the payback period for | | | | resources found here will help you through. |