Cold Weather is Coming to New Jersey: How Efficient are Your Windows?

In New Jersey, replacement windows are near the top of the list when it comes to return on investment and home upgrades. Just replacing single-pane windows and damaged sash with a a double-glazed high-performance Low-E glass option will boost efficiency and curb your energy cost significantly.

If you’re considering upgrading your New Jersey or New York home with new replacement windows, we’d like to share some of the many benefits energy-efficient windows offer.

1. Energy efficient windows work all year round – reducing solar gain during hot, sweltering New Jersey summers and blocking cold air from infiltrating your home during windy cold snaps when the temperature plummets.
2. Whether you’re looking for a window that muffles outdoor noises, protects carpets and furnishing from harmful UV light, or allows you to prevent glare – Low-E glass options and beautiful Fibrex composite frames combine these qualities in a total window package with high energy-efficiency ratings.
3. New glazing and frame materials allow homeowners to enjoy high-performance windows that look beautiful for decades without annual resurfacing to repair cracks, pitting, rusting, mildew invasion or fading.
4. Installing the highest energy efficient replacement windows not only saves you money on heating and cooling bills, you may find your HVAC unit lasts longer and doesn’t work as hard to keep your home comfortable.

Comparing Your Old Windows to Replacement Windows

If you can feel air moving around your window, chances are your windows are ready for replacement. Sagging frames, loose weather-stripping, sashes that stick or hang, and cracks or other glass damage all reduce your window’s efficiency and performance.

Effectively comparing different brands and styles of windows is easier today than ever before. The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) evaluates overall window performance by considering not only the glass, but also the frames and inert gas or air between individual glass panels. Our professional window design consultants can help you make an informed decision by sharing the NFRC rating for our window styles.

Hints Your Windows Are Costing You Money

Age Matters: During cold weather months, sun-facing windows allow direct heat gain. Older, less efficient windows aren’t insulated as well as today’s advanced designs. You’ll likely lose as much heat to poor insulation and air leaks as you gain through solar heat during the day.

Construction Material Matters: If you have aluminum frames, your windows are probably costing you money. Here’s why.

Aluminum is an excellent heat conductor. This means your frames are essentially “pulling” heat out of your home. Compared to our patented Fibrex composite frames with a lower heat transfer rating, your aluminum-framed windows are costing you money even if you have double-glazing and high quality weather-stripping. Some experts suggest that smaller windows actually lose more heat per square inch – because frames are typically the same width regardless of glass size.

A note about frame materials: Moving away from metal toward wood – or composites like Fibrex which combines wood and vinyl PVC – not only helps you control heat loss, but gives you a more pleasing appearance without added maintenance and laborious upkeep.

Vinyl as a window frame material is more efficient than aluminum, but has its own problems. It’s less structurally strong, which can lead to sagging and binding and it expands and contracts a great deal with temperature swings which can lead to sealant failure and gaps between your window frame and siding.

Style Matters: Not all windows are created equal. Some styles are more energy efficient than others.

Any operable window is going to be slightly less efficient than a fixed window of the same size. Operable windows lose a little bit of efficiency over time as they’re opened to allow ventilation and later closed to provide security, privacy or better temperature control. Depending upon the style and design wind pressure can cause some windows to move slightly, creating unintentional air leaks. Sliding windows with non-compressible weather stripping won’t close as tightly as a replacement style with a compressible seal.

While any operable window will have some “play,” advanced technology and newer construction materials overcome these common problems better than older designs. If tapping on your glass causes significant movement in the frame, your windows are most likely leaking air.

At Renewal by Andersen of New Jersey, we understand you expect replacement windows that are stylish, add value and comfort to your home, and give you opportunities to improve energy efficiency.

New Jersey Replacement Windows Before Winter Can Be a Wise Investment in Your Home

Choosing to invest in energy-efficient replacement windows is a wise investment. An investment that gives you benefits and rewards like improving comfort for your family and lowering costs for heating and cooling your indoor spaces. If you want more information about our high-quality window products, please give us a call at (866) 609-5033. You can also fill in the form on this page to send us a web inquiry and we’ll call you.