Replacing the windows of your 20- or 30-year-old New Jersey house is a big decision, but when the house in question has been around for a century or more, your decisions can become more difficult and complex. In addition to your own personal decisions in these matters, there are often governmental or community regulations with which you must comply for any change to your home’s exterior appearance.
If you live in a historic New Jersey home, chances are that you find it’s historical integrity to be a large part of its appeal, but sometimes the cost of maintaining that history — in money, time, heating and cooling costs, and comfort — can be too much to live with on a day-to-day basis.
At Renewal by Andersen of Central New Jersey, we care about your home’s windows, so that’s why in this post we’ll discuss how to determine whether or not your historic windows need to be replaced, and if so, what your options are when it comes to preserving your home’s historic integrity with new replacement windows.
Is it Time to Replace Your Historic Windows?
While appearance is a critical consideration of replacing your historic home’s windows, in order to determine if it’s time to replace those windows, we’ll first need to look at how well they’re currently functioning. Obviously, windows have functions beyond curb appeal and those functions contribute to making your home livable and comfortable and their ongoing cost of maintenance. When the temperature of your home seems to fluctuate uncomfortably no matter what you do with your heating or air conditioning thermostat, you’ve got a good indication that your historic windows aren’t functioning as well as their more modern models.
Frequent drafts are another sign that your windows aren’t doing one of their primary jobs— keeping outside air outside and inside air inside. Replacing your windows with properly installed energy efficient may go a long way toward stabilizing the temperature in your home. In addition to their inherent energy efficiency, new windows and modern installation techniques will reduce the drafts that make you uncomfortable in your own home, forcing you to make frequent trips to the thermostat and raising the cost of your utility bills.
Of course, while functionality is more important to some people than appearance, as we mentioned before, there is no reason to have to sacrifice one for the other. It’s safe to say that yesteryear’s window technology just does not have the performance or durability of today’s modern energy efficient windows. No matter how well they were constructed back in the day or how well they’ve been maintained over the years, older windows simply can’t hold prevent the ravages of the constant barrage of weather and time the way new windows can.
Replacement Windows for Your Historic Home
If the conditions described in the previous paragraphs have you sounds a lot like your current living situation, there is hope. We understand that your home’s historic integrity is very important to you (and perhaps your neighbors) and you’re naturally concerned that your windows will look out of place on your historic home. It’s these concerns that can paralyze historic homeowners from taking any action and leave them uncomfortable in their historic home while they throw energy dollars out the window every day.
Rest assured that replacing your windows does not have to mean sacrificing the historic integrity of your home. Renewal by Andersen of Central New Jersey offers a vast collection of windows in every style, color, and finish that you could want. Many of these windows have been approved for use by some of the strictest historic associations around the country.
With some many options, you’ll sure to be able to create the perfect window to reflect the historic value of your home and reflect the style and spirit of your historic home. You’ll still be able to enjoy the historic look of your home without having to sacrifice the time, money and upkeep that your current windows demand from you year-after-year. You can have the best of both worlds.
Contact Renewal by Andersen of New Jersey for More Information
Have any more questions about how Renewal by Andersen of Central New Jersey can help you get the windows that you need, while still maintaining the historic integrity of your home? As a subsidiary of Andersen Windows, we have been providing people with quality windows in all styles for generations. Our experienced design consultants will ensure that your replacement windows are the perfect fit for your historic home. Call us today at (866) 609-5033 or fill out the short form on this page for a free design consultation.
