With heating bills going up dramatically every year, many people are much more concerned these days with doing things to make their homes more energy efficient. One of the easiest and most effective ways to do this is to replace your original windows with energy-efficient windows, such as Anderson replacement windows.
Here are a few signs you may need to replace your windows.
- You never have replaced your windows before. If you haven’t already replaced your windows at some point, you should definitely consider it. If your home is older, it won’t have benefited from the newest technology in windows. And modern construction companies tend to use the cheapest materials possible in building a home, so new doesn’t necessarily mean energy efficient!
- Your windows have aluminum frames. Because they were cheap for the builders, aluminum frames were often used on homes built in the 1940s onward. Many replacement windows over the years have used aluminum frames, too. Unfortunately, aluminum frames conduct heat terrifically well, meaning that your heat is getting out in the winter — and the heat from outside is coming in during the summer. Look for replacement windows with frames that won’t conduct heat.
- You have single-paned glass windows. Double paned windows are more energy efficient than single-paned glass, which means they retain heat better, limiting the energy your furnace has to expend to heat the house.
- You have exceptionally large windows in your house. In the 1950s and 1960s big picture windows became popular — basically a big slab of single- or double-paned glass, which conduct monumental amounts of heat. The more large windows you have in your house, the more heat you are losing! Picture windows and bay windows are therefore excellent candidates for replacement.
Replacing your windows is a big step, but it is also one of the best ways to dramatically increase your house’s energy efficiency. If your windows meet any of these criteria, you should seriously consider replacing them!