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posted by admin, October 24, 2011 Companies dealing with window replacement often have to explain their clients why it is worth to install vinyl windows units instead of old wooden windows. Some clients believe vinyl windows are nothing more than tribute to fashion. They think it is better to repair their old windows. In fact, repair of old wooden windows is very heavy, because it is necessary to remove completely the old layer of paint or varnish. It may take a few weeks to remove paint, replace corroded parts of the window frame, restore its rotten parts, putty and oil vanish it. It will hardly be much cheaper than easier than window replacement. Modern double glazing units help to solve a problem of draughts, because their air permeability resistance is 15-22 times higher than that one of old windows. Window replacement can also solve the problems of heat-transfer resistance and external noise. As a rule, acoustic insulation of modern windows is 25-35 dBA. Maximum acoustic insulation of the windows older than 10 years is 20 dBA. Read More posted by admin, August 15, 2011 Someone may say the cost of window replacement is not a problem at all. It only means they were lucky and did not hire companies having ridiculously high prices for window replacement. Really, surfing the Net in order to realize average cost of window installation or replacement, we found advertisements of some “experts” who want $100 for filling holes with foam. No one in right mind will give such money for it. The only purpose of these “experts” is to stuff their pockets with more money. How not to jump at the bait? Look through pricing of leading companies. Compare them with pricing of local companies and Internet-based ones. We tried to do the same to smoothen things down for you and got the pricing of window replacement offered by one of leading companies. All below listed prices of window replacement include only service payment. On average, DH window replacement without sills and stops costs $100. With sills and stops it costs $150. Full replacement of the DH window frame costs $175 and more. As for NC windows, their full replacement will cost you about $300. Replacement of the Bay windows and 5 unit Bows is the most expensive. You will need about $900 and $1000 respectively. And finally, you will need about $75 for replacement of the exterior or interior trim. This is not a full pricing list associated with window replacement, but these prices may help you to find your bearings. Read More posted by admin, July 9, 2011 New wood windows are more serviceable than old ones, but only if window replacement was performed correctly. Professional-quality window replacement combined with proper maintenance can make its useful life longer. That is why it is very important to install new windows in accordance with all necessary standards. What factors influence results of the window replacement? These are inspection and making-ready of the window opening, installation of the window casing in this window opening, its anchoring to the wall, insulating, openers adjustment and finishing works. It is necessary to read local building codes including information as for required type of the window, recommended material and glass, window size and grade. The best way is to order custom-sized windows in accordance with size of the old window if it met requirements of the local building codes. Anyway, it is necessary to make sure the size of the new windows is slightly smaller than that one of the exterior opening. To be more exact, the exterior opening has to be 1-2 cm wider at each side. The gap between the top sides of the window frame and the opening has to be 1-2 cm while the gap between their bottom sides has to be about 5 cm. New windows also have to meet thermal insulation requirements. U-value of double glazing of wooden windows has to be maximum 2.0W/m2K. As a rule, the recommended air gap of such double glazing is 16 mm. As for the process of window replacement itself, straight-through joint with use of expansion anchors is advisable way of installation for new wooden windows. It does not let the window frame to move relative to the window frame and anchor plates. Read More posted by admin, June 26, 2011 Recommendations on window replacement differ depending on the material and design. Here in this article only a few recommendations on window replacement are offered. If you want to know more, the best way is to consult a specialist. Do you know how double hung wood windows are replaced? In fact, this process does not take much time. You have to remove rebate moldings holding your old window and parting stops separating the upper and lower windows. After the rebate moldings and parting stops were removed, it is necessary to cut a sash cord and then remove pulleys. If you are replacing a rather new window, it may have spring balances hidden in jamb liners. Foam backing of the jamb liners acting as a windbreak is rather flexible and it makes possible to remove sashes very quickly. This is, perhaps the easiest stage of the window replacement. If you decided in favor of wood windows, be ready to paint them regularly. Wood is excellent insulator, but only if it is maintained properly. Vinyl windows do not look so chic as wood ones, but they are cheaper and do not require painting. Despite the fact old wood windows are removed quickly, the process of the window replacement is not so easy and fast as in case of vinyl windows. A lot of homeowners prefer vinyl windows to aluminum and wood ones. The reasons are clear. In this case window replacement will cost less comparing with wood windows and aluminum frames are colder than vinyl ones. Read More posted by admin, June 25, 2011 Window replacement requires skills and knowledge to be performed well. It only seems there is nothing difficult in window replacement. But it in fact it is wishful thinking, because windows not only provide ventilation and light. Modern windows are also used to prevent heat loss and provide proper noise insulation. Two types of gas are used to make better insulating value of the windows. They are Krypton and Argon. If you decided to replace old windows with new ones, make sure there is gas in the window. If you live in the area with hot climate, it would be great to install windows with reflective glass coating. U factor is very important, especially in areas with cold climate. In this case, the lower U factor is, the less heat is lost. U factor should also be low for windows facing the east, the north or the west regardless of the climate. Choose windows with U factor which is about 0.25. As for the windows facing the south, their U factor should be about 0.55. One more factor making window replacement successful or not is SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient). In the areas with hot climate it should be not higher than 0.40. When it comes to window replacement, the most common are aluminum, vinyl and wood windows. Though, according some experts, aluminum windows are not recommended for residential use because of their electric conductivity. In turn, a lot of companies engaged in window replacement use non-conductive vinyl and rubber to separate frames of the aluminum windows. Read More |
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