Most Sacramento area homeowners wouldn’t cash their paychecks and then throw their money out of the window. But that’s what they’re doing if the windows in their homes are outdated, drafty and are not energy efficient. They are allowing air conditioned air in the summer and heated air in the winter to literally escape out of the windows.
Sacramento Replacement Windows are one of the best home improvement projects that any homeowner can invest in.
That’s because replacement windows provide a noticeable return on investment immediately and in a variety of important ways.
Of all the benefits above, not many think about the last one. If you have a reason to get out of your home quickly in an emergency, such as a fire, you might need to exit through the window. This is called an egress.
If your old single pane aluminum or wood builder original windows are in bad shape, they may jam in an emergency. Or worse yet, maybe they are painted shut.
Our new modern vinyl, fiberglass and aluminum windows GLIDE! You’ll want to let the fresh air in (they all come with new screens) and, if needed in an emergency, you’ll be able to exit swiftly and safely.
Because windows with little or no insulation can be the cause of a major loss of energy in a home’s environment, installing replacement windows can immediately make a house more energy efficient. Homeowners who have had either Sacramento fiberglass or vinyl replacement windows installed in their homes can enjoy a major reduction in their monthly energy costs. And with temperatures in the Sacramento area during the summer season reaching over 90 degrees on most days, replacement windows make air conditioning systems operate at peak efficiency since cold air is no longer escaping through the cracks and crevices of old windows. Replacement windows mean that the temperatures inside your home will remain more comfortable on a year-round basis.
Sacramento Replacement Windows also immediately increase the value of any home. Not only does your home have instant improved curb appeal upon installation, new dual pane windows make any house look more attractive, more modern and better cared for than homes still featuring the original window installations.
Replacement Windows Sacramento also protect the investment that homeowners make in their interior furnishings, including the carpeting and drapes. The latest technology used in dual pane replacement windows includes a special coating that prevents the sun’s harmful UV rays from fading or damaging everything from couches, artwork and Oriental rugs due to prolonged exposure to sunlight. Street level noises are also less noticeable after replacement windows have been installed. Replacement windows help increase the security level of the home, which can have a positive effect on home insurance rates.
An experienced contractor can recommend Sacramento Replacement Windows in just the right color and style to enhance the current ambiance of your home. Schedule a complimentary consultation to discover how replacement windows can reduce your energy costs in addition to beautifying your residence.
Most local building codes have specific requirements calling for tempered glass at entry and exit points. Tempered glass is treated with heat and the next result is a strong, more break resistant window but, when it does break, it will fall into small pieces that are less likely to cut a person trying to exit the home.
Most often, a broken window pane will be addressed by a local glass shop. A replacement window is where we remove the window and frame unit completely and replace it with an entirely new, completely assembled unit with double pane glass and frame. It’s not the quickest and most economically way to address a broken window.
The air gap between two panes of glass is important for insulation. Air by itself is an effective insulating material but, inert gas, since it’s more dense than air, adds to the efficiency. Window manufacturers use either Argon or Krypton gas to fill the air gap. Argon is six times denser than air and is the most common inert gas found in windows manufactured for our region. For superior insulation and more demanding climates, use Krypton since it is 12 times denser than air.
The U-Factor is the windows ability to keep the warm air inside the home in the winter from escaping the home. Think of it like insulation in your walls. R-19 is a decent level of wall insulations for most purposes. For the ceiling, you want a higher rating like an R-30. You want a higher value of insulation to prevent heated air from escaping but, since Sacramento is in a moderate climate, a low number like a .20 or .25 is an effective number in our climate.
The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient is the fractional percentage of the sun’s energy that can make it thru to the surface on the other side. The SHGC is written as a fractional decimal number and a window needs to meet certain minimums in order to be rated as Energy Star. If you set an object directly in the path of sun light, that is a SHGC of 1 or 100% of the suns warming ability is hitting that object. Think hot sidewalk and bare feet! Ouch! A typical range in our climate in Sacramento is a .35 to about a .28. We want less that 30% of the sun’s energy warming our home.
If we lived in a cold climate, we would want less shading effect or numbers from .60 to .80 We would want 60% to 80% of the sun’s heat to warm our home.
The IGU or Insulated Glass Unit is the glass assembly mounted inside the frame of a window. The IGU commonly has 2 separate glass panes bonded to what is called the spacer or the Super Spacer. Spacers are commonly made of a rubber material and sometimes bonded to vinyl and they keep the two panes separated so that solar heat transfer can not take place from the exterior facing glass pane and the interior glass pane. They maintain the Air Gap between the two panes of glass solely for insulating purposes and is often filled with a type of inert gas to further improve insulation. See the diagram on Simonton’s web site.
A replacement window is a complete factory manufactured unit of Frame and Insulated Glass Unit. Replacement windows are manufactured in both standard window sizes and custom dimensions up to 1/8″ in custom increments. For example, a 36×48 window is a stock size but to get a tighter and more customized fit without the use of excessive fillers or messy cutting of sheetrock and framing, an exact window can be ordered to fit the opening. Visit our Window page for additional info. We have replacement windows from Simonton, Ply-Gem and many more.
Please Complete Our Quote Request Form or Call Now at (916) 455-7730 to Book an Appointment!