Is Your San Diego Home a Good Candidate for Replacement Windows?
When thinking about home improvement projects, many San Diego homeowners dream about that new custom kitchen or master suite addition. These are exciting upgrades that can really transform a home. But what about new windows? Replacing your San Diego home’s windows may not be at the top of your home improvement project list, but perhaps it should be. Here are four ways to know if your home could benefit from new windows:
Your Windows Are Single Pane
The windows in your San Diego home may be in otherwise good shape, but if they only have one pane of glass, they are not as energy efficient as they could be. Pretty much all of the windows on the market today are dual pane windows. Some manufacturers even offer triple pane windows! There is a good reason that dual pane windows are now the industry standard—they are much more energy efficient than single pane windows. Not only is it harder for the heat or cold from the outside to pass through two panes of glass as opposed to one, but dual pane windows also have an insulating gas, such as Argon, pumped in and sealed between the two panes to keep your home at a more consistent, comfortable temperature.
Your Windows Have Metal Frames
In the second half of the 20th century, many of the homes built in San Diego included windows with aluminum frames. Aluminum was chosen because it was a good balance of being durable, yet relatively lightweight. The downside to aluminum, however, is that it is not very energy efficient. Aluminum, like most metals, is a good conductor of heat. This is not a positive attribute when it comes to window frames. Aluminum frames allow both heat and cold to easily pass through, warming up your home on a hot day and making it colder inside when the outside temperatures drop.
Most of the replacement windows on the market today have vinyl frames. Vinyl is great because it is durable and very effective at keeping the heat and cold at bay.
Your Windows No Longer Open and Close Freely
If you live in a home with older windows, it’s likely that at least a few of your windows, if not all of them, are difficult to open and close. Some of them may actually be impossible to open at this point. There are some DIY fixes you can attempt, such as cleaning and lubricating the window tracks, but sometimes old windows are beyond repair and need to be replaced.
It would be a shame to not be able to enjoy the beautiful San Diego climate because your windows either don’t open, or are so difficult to open that it doesn’t even seem worth trying anymore. Replacement windows can provide homeowners with the almost effortless operation they’re looking for.
You Want to Make a Smart Investment in Your Home
Not all home improvement projects need to increase the value of your home—sometimes homeowners choose projects that will simply increase their own personal enjoyment in their homes. But what if you could make an improvement that would do both? Replacing a home’s windows has been shown to enhance a homeowner’s quality of life, while at the same time helping them save money on their monthly energy costs and increasing the value of their home! Homeowners can expect to recoup up to 80% of the total cost of their replacement windows when it comes time to sell.
How much can new windows improve your quality of life, though? According to the owner of San Diego replacement window company BM Windows, Michal Bohm, new windows can improve it quite a bit! Bohm says, “So many of our customers tell us that they are surprised by how much they love their new windows—and not only because of the energy savings they see. They comment on how much more comfortable their home feels, as well as how much quieter it is. Many homeowners also love what new windows do for the curb appeal of their home. New windows can give a home a much more ‘updated’ look and feel.”