Replacement Windows
Replacement Windows is a general term for new windows, installed to replace old or less energy efficient windows. Often purchased upon the remodeling or acquisition of a home, Replacement windows come in a variety of materials, styles and sizes. Sometimes windows are replaced for decoration and design but most often they are replaced for energy saving reasons. Properly insulated windows keep the hot and cold air in the house that would generally escape through a window's glass, casings, fittings, and even moldings, drastically reducing air conditioner and heating utility bills.
[edit] Types of Replacement Windows
[edit] Replacement Windows Styles
[edit] Choosing Window Style
Choosing the style of replacement window often depends on the allotted window openings and their locations in the house. For a smaller opening, a slider or a casement window may be the most expedient option. For a large opening in the home's living room, dining area or den, a bow or bay window may serve as the room centerpiece and with a window seat can double as furnishings.
Future cleaning of the window is also taken into consideration. If the opening is on the ground floor and accessible from the outside, a permanent arch, block glass or other fixed frame window is no problem. If the opening is on the second floor, a window with moveable sides, such as a single-hung or double-hung, would be a better selection, enabling the homeowner to move the window back and forth effortlessly to clean both sides.
[edit] Arch Windows
Arch Windows are separate stationery windows that are generally placed above casement, double-hung, bow, bay, block-glass, picture windows or doors for design. They help add more sunlight into the room and are often installed 2-3 in a row over a series of operable windows.
[edit] Bay Windows
[edit] Block Glass Windows
[edit] Bow Windows
[edit] Casement Windows
[edit] Composite Windows
[edit] Double Hung Windows
[edit] Fixed Frame windows
[edit] Folding Windows
[edit] Garden Windows
[edit] Retrofit Windows
[edit] Round Top Windows
Adding round top replacement windows to a remodeled house offers a design with style and warmth. Round tops are available in wood, aluminum, vinyl and fiberglass. Homeowners can place a single round top replacement in a home or group several round tops together. Round tops can be operable or non-operable windows.
[edit] Single Hung Windows
[edit] Sliding Windows / Slider Windows
[edit] Sound Proof Windows
[edit] Skylight Windows
[edit] Replacement Windows Materials
[edit] Energy Saving Windows
[edit] Replacement Window Parts
[edit] Cladding and Molding
Each window manufacturer has its own exterior cladding and interior molding options from which to choose. Often local weather patterns are taken into consideration when choosing the cladding and molding. Many replacement windows have weather-resistant treated aluminum cladding which is available in a variety of colors. Additionally, the interior wood molding can be stained in different shades or painted.
[edit] Glass and Insulation
Buying windows with a low-emittance -- low-E -- insulation, especially in very hot climates, suppresses radiative heat flow and lessens the heat that enter the home through the windows. Buying windows with a low-E treatment, especially when the low-E is coated on windows which face the sun, results in a cooler home and lower cooling costs.