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1. How To Choose Windows To
Suit Your Home

2. ∗ Window shopping is more than an idle pastime. Given that
each window in your home might have a different
function, choosing the best one can be challenging.
∗ Say you want to replace aluminum windows on the front
of your home with appealing ones made from wood.
Maybe an older window leaks and you need to install
something more watertight.
∗ Perhaps you're choosing dozens of windows for a house
under construction and you need to stay within budget.
Given all the variables, how do you choose the right
window?
Introduction

3. ∗ Before you consult with a window specialist, it helps
to know something about the basic components of a
window: frame materials, glass, and hardware.
∗ Comparing several manufacturers' products can give
you some idea about how various options perform
and what they will cost.
Introduction

4. ∗ Window frames come in three basic materials:
aluminum, vinyl and wood.
∗ Most people choose vinyl over aluminum because
they prefer the look of a vinyl window.
Frames & Finishes
∗ A vinyl window will also require
little or no maintenance and is
relatively inexpensive.

5. ∗ A window frame made of wood will cost nearly
double that of vinyl.
∗ You will also need to apply a finish to the frame, so
factor in the cost of painting the window when
considering the cost of wood windows.
∗ Wood is usually chosen for its insulating properties
and traditional appearance.
Frames & Finishes

6. ∗ Although wood frames have been known to last for
centuries, they require more maintenance than those
made from aluminum or vinyl.
∗ These days, however, manufacturers offer exterior
finishes for wood that reduce maintenance demands.
Frames & Finishes

7. ∗ Exterior aluminum or vinyl cladding on a wood frame
makes it extremely weather resistant.
∗ A film of aluminum or vinyl is applied to the exterior
surface of the wood frame and then baked to a hard
finish.
∗ Unless you are closely inspecting the window, it looks
like a painted-wood finish.
Frames & Finishes

8. ∗ Most modern windows have at least two panes of
glass in the frame. Dual panes provide greater
insulation, which reduces temperature and noise
extremes.
∗ Several manufacturers also fill the air pocket between
the two panes with argon gas, a colorless, odorless,
nontoxic gas that has 30 percent less thermal
conductivity than air.
Glass Options

9. ∗ Increasingly, glass comes coated with Low-E, a low-
emissivity coating that reduces energy transfer through
the glass.
∗ Low-E reflects radiant heat outward in the summer,
reflects the internal warmth of the room back inside in the
winter and blocks over 80 percent of the ultra-violet rays.
∗ Unless you're very astute, visually you can't tell the
difference between a pane of glass coated with Low-E and
one without it.
Glass Options

10. ∗ If you have extreme weather or outside noise problems,
you can order specialty glass for your window.
∗ For example, some window and door manufactures offer
heat mirror glass helpful in very warm climates or in a
room with strong reflections off a light patio or pool for an
extra 15 percent.
∗ Their laminated glass provides intensive sound insulation
from freeway and other urban noise, but costs an extra 50
percent.
Glass Options

11. ∗ There are fewer options when it comes to upgrading
window hardware, but a bigger price variation.
Standard cranks, levers and pulls are usually made of
plastic or steel, but some companies offer solid brass
hardware as well.
∗ Converting to brass hardware on an Anderson
window would increase the price nearly 20 times.
Hardware Standards