Like most homeowners in Canada, you should always look for new ways to save money on energy bills. Winter in this part of the world is not particularly kind or considerable of your heating budget, which never seems to be enough.
There are a few effective ways of making your home more energy-efficient, but few match the impact of having energy-saving windows by Ecochoice Windows.
Today, we take a close look at how doing something as simple as replacing your old, inefficient windows with new, energy-preserving ones can help you spend less money on energy bills.
Why You Should Consider Installing New Windows
It might be a surprise for you, but if you weren’t there during installation, the windows of your home might be inefficient in saving energy. Not only do they allow cold air to enter your home and create discomfort, but they also cost you plenty of money on heating costs.
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The truth is that most builders resort to all kinds of construction tricks and gimmicks to save money on materials. As a result, they often install cheap, low-quality windows. If they did so before you bought the house, they got away with it and left you paying hefty energy bills in the long run.
It would help if you also considered installing new windows because window technology and insulation techniques have developed considerably in the past decade. If your home is older than 15 years old and has never changed the windows, you are now looking at an insulation technique that is inferior in quality to present-day windows.
Your energy bills may not seem expensive now, but as time passes and your windows deteriorate, you will end up paying more on heating costs in the long-term than you would pay now to swap them for modern, energy-efficient windows.
How to Tell If Your Windows Are Energy Efficient
There are several ways to tell if your windows are responsible for your costly energy bills. You can discover flaws in their construction or installation like this:
- Check if there is any air leakage between the window frames and the walls.
- Look for signs of wear and tear in the window glass, sashes, and paint.
- Inspect the weatherstripping and identify signs of deterioration
It would help if you also tried to observe how your windows react to outside weather conditions or the temperature inside your home. If your windows get hot in the summer and cold in the winter, they are most likely energy-efficient.
If your home gets drafty even when all the doors and windows are closed, there may be cracks between the walls and the windows, which allow the cold air to get inside.
Another sign that you should change your windows is condensation. When the glass of your windows gets foggy or cloudy on the inside, it is a sign of energy inefficiency. The same goes for when you have to keep your HV/AC system running consistently to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home.
In all of these situations, your windows are costing you money that you could save simply by replacing them with new, energy-efficient ones.
How New Windows Will Help You Save Money
Before we go on, you should know that installing new windows will not save you a specific sum of money. Nobody can pinpoint the exact amount that you will save on heating costs in the long run. It depends on many factors, including your home’s size, the number of people living in it, daily activities, and temperature preferences, among many others.
The reason why new windows save you money is that they apply modern insulation technology. Some of the state of the art features that make them energy efficient include:
- They have a Low-E coating.
- They are filled with gas, usually Argon or Krypton.
- They are designed to reduce UV rays that emanate heat.
Also, they use vinyl cladding, which is much more effective and resistant than aluminum or wood. IT does not rot, shrink, swell, or develop mildew and bugs as the other materials do. It lasts for decades without requiring replacement, and it is a reliable insulation material.
How to Pick Replacement Windows
When you are in the market for new windows, you should look closely at their features before paying for their installation. Some of the most important features of energy-efficient windows include:
- Maximum UV reduction.
- Minimum 4 coats of Low-E, and they contain Argon gas.
- An insulated framework and fusion welds
- Fusion-welded window frames and sashes
- Fully insulated sashes with polyurethane, closed-cell foam
- They use close to 100% virgin vinyl.
The last feature is crucial because, according to government standards, a window only has to contain 15% vinyl to pass as a vinyl window. However, you should not settle for anything less than windows with 100% virgin vinyl if you want to ensure the best insulation and comfort for your home.
Windows that have a small percentage of vinyl are not good at storing heat and often let cold air come into your rooms.
Last but not least, you should look for windows that have a long-term warranty. Try to get modern, energy-efficient windows that are guaranteed to insulate your home properly for at least ten years. Any warranty below that mark is a sign of a poor-quality product.
The Bottom Line
Many people delay replacing their windows because they do not want to go through the hassle of ripping the old ones from the walls. However, when they finally go ahead with the change, they regret not having done it earlier.
Modern windows that follow the latest energy efficiency standards should help you save money on energy bills in the long run. Not only do they reduce heating costs, but they also provide better insulation and comfort regardless of the season.
