Frequently Asked Questions
When you're ready for a window replacement start by taking down your initial measurements. Use a tape measure to determine the width of the window from the inside of the window sill. Measure the opening at the top, the middle, and the bottom, and write down the smallest measurement you get. Remember, if your window is too large, it won’t fit in the opening. Do the same with the height, measuring the middle and along each side, then write down the smallest number.
- You spend time in the fall sealing your windows with plastic and tape to keep drafts out.
- There is noticeable mold on your wooden window frames and sashes.
- Your windows are hard to open and close, or permanently painted shut making it difficult for you and your family to get out of your house in an emergency.
- You have windows with broken hardware that you can’t operate.
- You feel drafts around your windows even when they are closed.
- You’re cold in the winter or hot in the summer when you’re sitting near your windows.
- Your windows have only one pane of glass.
- Your windows have two panes of glass, but there is moisture or dirt between the panes.
- You have water leaking into your home or into the wall cavity, creating a mess when there is rain or snow.
- You’re losing heat in the winter and cool air in the summer because of inefficient windows.
- Your heating and cooling bills are too high.
- You hear excessive outside noise when your windows are closed.
We urge homeowners to know that window installments are not always simple and fast “do-it-yourself” type of projects. The precision and expertise required in installing a window is crucial in the care for the materials purchased. Window parts may suffer damage or become modified, which can lead to repairs or replacements from being installed imprecisely. Also, the measuring tools involved in the window installation process are not common to household tool boxes and must be operated by a trained professional for best results.
- Construction or remodeling.
- Building materials such as wood, plaster, concrete and paint produce a great deal of moisture. As these materials “stabilize,” they release less moisture into the air.
- Changing seasons. Your house absorbs moisture throughout each humid summer. The first few weeks of heating your home at the beginning of a cold season may cause temporary window condensation. This moisture will dry out after a few weeks, and you should have less condensation.
- Quick changes in temperature. Sharp drops in temperature can create temporary condensation during the cold seasons when inside heating is used.
• Argon is an inert, non-toxic gas used in insulating glass units to reduce heat transfer.
• Argon is the gas most often used between panes in a double- or triple-glazed window. It's colorless and odorless and is denser than the atmosphere, providing more thermal efficiency than having air between the panes.
• Argon is the chemical element of atomic number 18, an inert gaseous element of the noble gas group. Argon is the most common noble gas, making up nearly one percent of the earth's atmosphere.
• Although argon is abundant in the Earth’s atmosphere, it evaded discovery until 1894 when Lord Rayleigh and William Ramsay first separated it from liquid air. In fact the gas had been isolated in 1785 by Henry Cavendish who had noted that about 1% of air would not react even under the most extreme conditions. That 1% was argon.
Argon was discovered as a result of trying to explain why the density of nitrogen extracted from air differed from that obtained by the decomposition of ammonia.
Ramsay removed all the nitrogen from the gas he had extracted from air, and did this by reacting it with hot magnesium, forming the solid magnesium nitride. He was then left with a gas that would not react and when he examined its spectrum he saw new groups of red and green lines, confirming that it was a new element.
- Interior surfaces of energy-efficient windows stay warmer reducing the potential for condensation on your windows.
- You save money! An older home can lose up to 50 percent of its energy heat through leaky, drafty windows and doors. Reducing heat loss can translate to noticeable savings on your heating bills.
Certainly. You can enjoy the immediate benefits of improving your home’s appearance and efficiency any time of the year. If you are experiencing heat loss through your windows and doors, do not wait to increase your home’s comfort level and improve its thermal performance.
Vinyl is today’s most popular choice for window material. The maintenance-free and energy efficient benefits of vinyl are second to none. Since the mid 90s, however,the popularity of vinyl has skyrocketed due to the cosmetic and design enhancements that have been added to vinyl products to distance them from the other composite choices.