Quality House Windows

There are many types of house windows available to homeowners. Each type has unique characteristics that can compliment the design in your home. Depending on your home improvement project replacement windows of the same type are easy installed. If you decide to change out the type of window there can be some construction costs involved to properly prep the window frame. The most commonly used window types are listed below.

Awning Windows: These windows have hinges at the top and open outward, so from the outside of the home the windows have an awning effect. Awning windows are great when it is raining since you can open the window and the rain cannot come inside of the opening.

Casement Windows:These windows have a hinge on the side and open outward via a crank system. These windows are great when installed over a sink of bathtub where leaning over the window to try to push it up can be difficult. Most casement windows can open up to 90 degrees, which allows for breezes to enter the home.

Double Hung Windows: This is the most common type of house windows used. They open by pushing the bottom window up. These windows stay within the footprint of the home so are perfect when installing near walkways or low clearance areas.

Gliding Windows: Gliding windows open side to side, where one window slides over the other. These windows like double hung windows do not protrude outward so they are ideal for being installed near high traffic areas.

Picture Windows: Picture Windows, commonly called called Fixed Windows, do not open at all. They are purely for decoration and the allowance of light to enter the room. Picture windows are usually installed between or next to another window that can open, usually double hung windows.

Bay Windows:Bay windows protrude from the wall of the home allowing for a larger circle of view. Sometimes the side windows on a bay window will open outward via a crank system, but other bay windows have all fixed windows in side. Bay windows tend to change the outside look of the home and are mainly used for architectural style.

As you can see therer are many different types of house windows available for your home. The design and type really depends on your indivuidal stlye and the type of room you are installing the window into. Be sure to consult with a contractor if your window installation is not simply a replacement window of the same type.

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One major issue with windows is the required maintenance to keep them in tip top shape. In earlier times most house windows were made of wood. The issue with wood is that as wood is exposed to sun and moisture it tends to warp, crack and even rot. Without regular sanding and painting of wood framed windows, you can be sure to have some problems later on.

With the invention of vinyl windows much of those possible problems are gone. As you know if you have vinyl siding, vinyl windows are pretty much maintenance free. They won’t crack or warp like their wood counterpart. Vinyl window are also some of the most affordable windows out in the market place today.

Vinyl windows come in many different colors and textures to match the outside color of your home. The vinyl gives the window a “just painted look”, that can easily seen just by hosing down the window when it gets dirty. These windows are the preference of contractors as they are very easy to install. They are easy customizable to create a size that will easily fit into the opening from a previous window.

Vinyl windows are also very energy efficient. They have a moderate to high R-value meaning that they are more resistant to heat flow than windows with a lower R-value. This is very important when choosing windows as the energy savings can help pay for the cost of window replacement over time. Installing a window that allows you to lose heat in the winter time can cost you more over the life of the house.

It is clear to see that the benefits of vinyl house windows outweigh those of regular wood or steel framed windows. If you are looking for a low cost, energy efficient window that is extremely durable you should think about having vinyl house windows installed in your home.

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Depending on the age of your home you may have windows installed in your home with little or no insulation. In the current economy with increasing home fuel costs, having insulated windows will help significantly reduce a homeowners heating and cooling bills throughout the year.

Most older House Windows will only have one pane of glass. These types of windows are called single pane windows. Windows produced today are commonly created with two panes or double panes of glass. Double paned windows provide two barriers of protection to the elements to help keep cold and heat from entering the window and window frame.

There is also a newer type of house window called a Gas filled window. Gas filled windows are exactly like how they sound. There is a gas trapped between 2 panes of glass. The gas, usually, krypton or argon helps to minimize the transfer of the outside temperature to the inside of the house. These types of windows help to block out solar rays which helps keep the house cooler in the summer whereas a regular window would allow all that heat in as the sun shines through the window. One issue with gas filled windows is that as a house settles the window can actually shift in a way that the gas can be released. The window can then fill up with moisture between the 2 panes making it very hard to look through.

The US government as part of the Stimulus Package passed on 2008 is giving homeowners a tax credit of up to $15000 when they install energystar energy effecient  windows. The government has estimated that when installing energystar rated windows, the energy savings are as follows:

As you can see replacing your current windows with insulated house windows is not a cheap process, but the savings you can gain in the long term is well worth the cost. Installing energy efficient windows also allows you to help the environment by helping to conserve energy costs, and as those costs rise, you will be happy that you went through that process.

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