Replacing the windows in your home can be an overwhelming task, due to all the factors there are to consider. Nevertheless, following these steps should give you a better idea of how to go about it.

A Starting Point

Deciding which window you want to replace is an obvious start, and then ask yourself, “what can I afford?” Coming up with a buget will give you an idea of how many windows you can actually replace, as well as the designs and materials you will be able to use.

The Function of Your Windows

What do you your new windows to do? Are they merely to look through and open, or do you want them to provide a sense of design and elegance to your home? The issue of security is an important factor to consider as well.

Shop Around

Contact several replacement-window vendors and installers for quotes and discuss with them, the various window types that they offer and the details of each. Make sure to discuss the energy-efficiency options they have available (standard insulated glass, etc)

Discuss the energy-efficiency offered by the vendors

• low-e coating - window coating that reduces heat loss through the glass, allowing heat from the sun to penetrate it.
  gas-filled windows - argon or krypton is inserted between double glazing to reduce heat loss
• Ask yourself, how much money would I save on heating and cooling bills with these options?
• Ask the vendors which types of windows abide by the standards of the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” which allows you to earn tax credits by purchasing energy saving windows.
• Don’t be afraid to ask the vendor/installers for references. Were past customers happy? Was the work completed in a timely manner?

Choose a Vendor

Choose a vendor/installer based upon price, window type, references and your gut impression, and make sure that the vendor/installer offers guarantee(s). It is also very important to make sure that the installer is properly insured. Get a valid certificate of insurance from the contractor before you pay them any money or before they begin the work.

…We hope you’ll choose Weather Tite Windows, your windows experts out of Atlanta, Georgia!

How can you benefit from the Energy Tax incentive?
If you are planning to purchase replacement windows or doors, the energy tax incentive will save you money by applying a tax credit up to $1,500 to your federal tax return, provided you choose qualified products. The $1,500 tax credit is not a deduction. Deductions are used to calculate your total taxable income. This new tax credit is much more advantageous than a deduction because it is not based on your specific income tax bracket, but the qualifying products you purchase. You simply apply the tax credit to either the amount you owe to the IRS, or the refund amount that the IRS owes you. For example, if you owe the IRS $2,000 and can apply the $1,500 full amount of the energy tax credit, the amount you’ll owe will only be $500. Similarly, if you have a refund due of $2,000 and can apply the full $1,500 tax credit, your refund will increase to $3,500. If you purchase qualified replacement windows and doors before December 31, 2010, you will be able to take advantage of this tax credit.

How can you claim the Energy Tax incentive benefit?
Compliance with the requirements to apply the tax credit is easy. Your applicable tax credit will be 30% of your purchase price, up to a $1,500 total credit for all home improvement projects. To take advantage of the credit on Weathertite products, make sure your supplier orders products that meet the specific guidelines. Document your purchase by saving the Energy Star® rating labels found on all Weathertite Energy Star® qualified products for your tax records. Print and save the Manufacturer’s Certification Statement. Complete IRS Form 5695 (not available until late 2009 or early 2010) and submit it along with your purchase receipt and the Manufacturer’s Certification Statement when you are filing your federal income tax return. We’ll furnish you with all the information you need.

Want To Learn More?
If you call us we’ll be able to give you much more detailed information, and explain what products will work with your needs and budget.
Call us anytime: (770) 578-2333 for any Atlanta windows need.

How to tell if your Windows are Drafty

This is a pretty simple thing to do - simply take a tissue and tear a one inch strip off. Now tape this thin strip of tissue to a pencil. Now you have yourself a makeshift draft tester. You’ll be able to figure out if your windows are allowing air to enter or escape, and how fast. Simply take this draft tester and hold it about an inch off your window, and move it along the entire window and all the window’s edges. It shouldn’t take you long to figure out if your windows are good or if they need some attention. For best results do this on a windy or cold day. Frost appearing on the inside of your windows during the winter is a dead giveaway that your window isn’t sealed properly.

I have Drafty Windows - Now What?

Let’s say you have a 1/8 inch opening around just two door frames. That small amount of draft can let in as much cold air as a 12 inch window opened 6 inches all winter long! Can you imagine that? That’s a lot of heat loss! You have two choices. Spend money bandaging your problems by using weatherstripping & sealer kits and hope that they last more then one season. Or invest in new windows and fix the problem once and for all. The longer you plan on living at your house, the more you’ll end up saving over time.

Leave it to the Pros

If you decide you are tired of wasting money on heating bills and seasonal band aids, then call and get an estimate from the professionals. When you call for a free in home estimate, a window professional will explain how new windows will not only save you money, but will increase the value of your home. If you’re in Atlanta, we have you covered: Atlanta Window Installation.

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When I was 28, I moved into a 100 year old house with my pregnant wife and my three year old son. My son’s room had new insulation in the walls because it had been renovated. We moved in during Georgia’s scorching summer heat. The house had a new central heating and air conditioner, but it did little good.

I discovered that the attic was not vented so I installed attic vents which made a huge difference. Well, during the vent install I noticed that sections of the attic that were closed off did not have any insulation in them.

I know what your thinking, somebody really stuck it to me! No, actually we got a really good deal and the house is on beautiful property so we really enjoyed it.

Anyway, I put insulation in the attic, which was an experience in a 100 year old house. We saw our power bill drop from three hundred dollars to around $175.

When winter came, we found ourselves in a similar environmental situation, we couldn’t keep the house warm. I noticed that it was much cooler around the windows. The windows were very old, single pane wood windows.

I went to a home depot to find a short term solution to the problem. They had some plastic that I put over the windows. All though, it was not ideal because of looks and lack of access to the windows, I noticed an immediate improvement in the house.

My power bill, which was averaging around $225 dropped to below $100! Of course I was estatic about this.

The plastic claimed that it improved the R-value by 90%. Thats not quite double what my windows were previously.  I did not want to leave plastic over my windows so I started looking into energy efficient windows. Thats when I discovered that I could increase my R-value from a R-1 to an R-7 which would be seven times the protection. This was a no brainer for me.

Cleaning The Interior Of Gutters

If debris backs up water in your gutters, the water can cause serious long term problems to your house. It can easily rot out the fascia and sophet as well as cause interior wall damage if the water finds a way in to the eaves. The best way to avoid this is with gutter cover installation.

However, if you need to clean your gutters the old fashioned way. Take out a ladder and go section to section and remove all the debris. The biggest draw back to this is the ladder work. It is very easy to fall off of a ladder. Plus, climbing up and down a ladder 50 times may not be your idea of a good time on a Saturday afternoon. Also, Be careful not to crush your gutters with the ladder.

If you live in a single story house, your best bet may be a pressure washer with a special gutter attachment. It is never a good idea to try and use a ladder and a pressure washer at the same time. One problem with this method, is the possibility of blowing water back into the house through the eaves, however this is the preferred method.

Actually getting on the roof and cleaning the gutters is a very bad idea. Especially if you are not use to walking on roofs. I have seen roofers walk up insane angles in order to do their job, but they are trained professionals. All it takes is one slip and your time could be up.

Exterior Gutter Cleaning

It is a good idea to pressure wash your house at least once a year. During this process do not neglect your gutters. Basic mold and grime will build up on your gutters and dirty gutters really detract from the beauty of your home.

Use a strong degreaser and apply it your gutters. Make sure it is approved for use in your pressure washer, if you need something that is not approved you could always use a spray bottle or an acid injector. Put the degreaser on the gutters and let it sit for about five minutes. Do not let it dry. Go back over it with the white nozzle and see if you can get off all of the grime.

If you are not able to remove all of the grime, you may have to use goof off. This is a painstaking process and sometimes it does not get everything off. Especially roof tar, which over the years stains the gutters. If your gutters are really bad, it may be a better idea to simply replace the gutters.

Single pane windows or original windows are similar to a hole in the side of your beautiful home. Single pane windows only have a value of R-1 compared to the walls around them that have a value of R-19. By adding insulated windows which will add another pane of glass to your new windows the value on them will increase to between R-3 and R-7. So what does this all really mean? In laymen’s terms it means that the insulated windows will help insulate your home better and keep the cold air out or in depending on the season.

There are also several other reasons to add insulated windows to your home that go along with the heating and cooling aspect. If you are keeping your heat in during the winter and your air conditioning in during the summer you will see that your heating and cooling bills will drop. This means more money in your pocket and spending less on the bills no one really wants to pay.

One more great benefit of insulated windows is the fact that you will live in a greener environment which in this day and age is an important thing to consider. By reducing the amount of energy you use with both heating and cooling your home you are using less of our non-renewable resources which in turn will cut down on the greenhouse effect. Not only are you saving yourself money but also helping protect the environment.

In addition to those excellent points insulated windows can also be used to help block out the noise coming in from outdoors. This makes insulated windows ideal for homes that are located on busy streets to help drowned out the traffic noise coming in. Insulated windows are also great for those who are in an area where these is a lot of noise such as factory areas, trains nearby or a countless amount of other reasons. Insulated windows really can be a great investment not only now but in the long run.

If you do not have any experience in installing new windows you should seriously consider hiring a window contractor to get the job done for you. While it might sound like a great idea to embark on a journey to install the perfect windows yourself without the knowledge and expertise of a professional window contractor you might just be tossing money out those new windows and ending up with a mess.
Hiring a window contractor can help you get the job done quickly and professionally. A window contractor will know exactly how the windows need to be installed not to mention what needs to be done to get the original windows out safely.

If you choose to install the windows yourself you put yourself at risk of getting hurt which can be costly not only in medical bills but also missing work. You could also end up breaking the new windows which means you will need to purchase another set of windows to put in. Why buy two sets of windows for the same window space when you can purchase just one set and leave the installation up to a professional window contractor? It just makes more sense to pay a window contractor to do the job right the first time around.

Not to mention the window contractor will also clean up the mess left over from the removal and insulation of your new windows because who wants to look at a mess when they have beautiful new windows? So if you are thinking of buying new windows to install in your home or office consider the upside to hiring a professional window contractor to install them. A professional window contractor can get the job done in a timely fashion, professionally and safely which in the long run will help save you not only time but also money.

There are a few standard components that are very basis for every window sash. A simple frame is one of those components. This frame is used to allow the easy insertion of the window sash into a window casement. Inside of the frame is where the glass will be inserted and then sealed into place. The glass that is inserted is likely to be composed of several series of small glass panes that will be connected with the interlocking framework of the window. This will then be attached to a larger frame of the new window sash. In most windows the window panes will be clear but for some they choose to tint them or install stained glass components for a different look.

A small set of runners will be used to attach the window sash to the casement to give support and hold the two window sashes in place. The tracks are also included in the runners. These tracks are what will allow the up and down movement of the window sash as desired. In past years a series of ropes were built right into the casement which is what was used to move the runner mechanism. In recent years a more simple technique was used. This was done by installing a simple metal track that was easier to use and served the same purpose as the older model.

In prior years a window sash would have been constructed out of glass and wood. As with everything in the world advancements were made and metal frames were used in public buildings and soon were seen in newly constructed homes. The metal window sash was thought to be both durable and much more cost and energy efficient. This is why more and more you will see that a window sash is constructed out of a lighter weight material: aluminum or vinyl. Not only do newer window sashes come with those benefits they are also very simple and easy to install and have also become a popular option for patio doors and outdoor porch windows.

Even though the metal window sash is very popular you will also see that there are many newer homes that are being built using the traditional wood window sash. This traditional item will offer a nice touch or traditional construction to a new home. Many builders and home buyers have found that the wood window sashes can be found in both a simple design or can be customized to offer that one of a kind look.

Energy Savings

Vinyl windows have an “R” value assigned to them depicting the amount of heat flow that is allowed through the window itself. During the summer, it stops heat from coming in and during the winter it helps stop the flow of heat going outside. Many traditional windows do not have “R” values and do not protect against heat flow.

Economical And Stylish

Because vinyl windows are not made from a natural resource that is high demand, such as trees, it is much more economical. Especially considering the higher “R” value windows can cut energy costs by 40%.

Since they are man made, many different colors and variations are available. Even the pickiest homeowners are able to find styles they like and match their current home decor.

Easy Maintenance

Vinyl windows never need to be scraped, stained or painted. The vinyl material is made with the color being a part of the core material, unlike paint which sits on top of the material. Vinyl windows are scratch resistant and withstands most impacts without damage.

Vinyl replacement windows are also very easy to clean. Simply spray with a soap and rinse off. If their is a tough grimy spot. You can safely pressure wash vinyl windows without worrying about water damage. Wood absorbs water and will rot. However, you never have to worry with rot or water damage with vinyl windows.

Vinyl Window Installation

With many traditional windows a standard for installation is not always followed. However, since vinyl replacement windows are manufactured to meet certain energy standards, there is also a standard set forth for their installations. Always make sure you hire a legitimate installer and you know that your windows will be done right. Read more about our Atlanta window installations.