Leave Your Wood Windows Behind

Main Office — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 20:32:00 +0000

Though there is much appeal to wood windows, wood windows also come with a large set of problems. These problems can make maintaining your home difficult and time consuming. For this reason Christian Siding recommends that you leave your wood windows behind. Instead exchange them for vinyl windows for easy care and energy efficiency. Here is a list of top ten reasons to leave wood windows behind:

Top Ten Reason to Leave Wood Windows Behind

1. Wood Needs Constant Repainting.

Unlike vinyl windows, wood windows constantly need to be repainted. This is because paint chips and fades off wood, vinyl windows don’t need repainting and don’t fade over time. Repainting is necessary to ensure there is a barrier between wood and weather. If wood is exposed to changing weather conditions it can warp or rot.

2. Wood Rots.

Rotting wood invites not only communities of pests, but also weakens your window. It requires replacement and maintenance, a problem not present in vinyl windows (as they don’t rot).

3. Warped Wood Allows Water to Enter.

Warped wood allows water to enter from the outside of your home causing damage to both the wood and your home. This can promote rot as well as provide suitable conditions for mold and fungus to grow.

4. Wood Can Swell and Twist.

If you don’t maintain your wood window’s upkeep, weather conditions can cause it to swell and twist. This is not only aesthetically displeasing, but can make using your window difficult.

5. Wood Invites Insects.

Since wood and trees provide insects with valuable nutrients and shelter, wood attracts many unwanted critters. Unless you keep up with the constant maintenance and protection of your home, insects such as termites could invade and nest in your wood windows.

6. Uneven Painting.

If you unevenly paint your wood windows, or only paint the parts that need new paint, then you create problems for the opening and closing of your window. Uneven paint not only leads to uneven surfaces making it difficult to close your window fully. But uneven surfaces allow drafts to enter and raise your energy bill.

7. Wood Can Increase Your Energy Bill.

If drafts are coming through your wood windows due to uneven painting, your energy bill will increase by more than 20%. You can save money by opting for vinyl windows.

8. Wood May Crack Under Extreme Heat.

Wood is more susceptible to weather conditions and can crack under extreme heat. With the varying weather in Northern Virginia it would be wise to choose windows that can withstand it all.

9. Wood Windows are Expensive.

Wood window installation is expensive to begin with, and replacing wood windows isn’t any cheaper. And if you are looking for exotic woods for your windows the increase in price is exponentially larger than vinyl windows.

10. Wood Windows are Time Consuming and Pricey.

The constant maintenance required for wood windows is very time consuming, and hiring painters and contractors to upkeep your windows becomes expensive overtime. Instead save your money and never paint again with vinyl windows.

The post Leave Your Wood Windows Behind appeared first on Christian Siding.

Energy Saving Windows

Main Office — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 16:20:51 +0000

Installing energy-efficient windows can reduce energy use and cut your monthly heating and cooling bills. The U.S. Department of Energy has determined that 30% or more of a home’s energy can be lost through inefficient windows. Can you afford to continue to waste up to one-third of the money you spend every month on utility bills? Christian Siding installs replacement energy saving windows that are among the most efficient on the market, with superior energy performance engineered into the frames and glass.

How to Determine the Efficiency of Northern Virginia Replacement Windows

How can you tell if a window is energy-efficient? Standards have been established by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC), an independent, non-profit organization that administers the only nationally accepted rating system to measure the energy performance of windows, doors and skylights. The NFRC provides fair, accurate and reliable energy performance ratings, allowing architects, builders, code officials, contractors and homeowners to compare products and make informed choices.

U-Value. The most important measure of a window’s performance is its U-value, the rate of heat flow through a window. The lower the U-value, the more energy-efficient the window will be. U-value measures the entire window unit and is the only measurement accepted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR program.
R-Value. R-value is the measure of the resistance of glass to the flow of heat. The higher the R-value, the better the glass will be at insulating your home. However, R-value is not an accepted form of measurement by the NFRC or ENERGY STAR, as it does not measure the overall window unit.
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient. Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) measures how well a product blocks heat caused by sunlight. SHGC is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower a window’s solar heat gain coefficient, the less solar heat it transmits.

Energy-Efficient Glass Reduces Monthly Utility Bills

The glass packages available in replacement windows installed by Christian Siding include some of the most advanced features available today. At the heart of our replacement windows is a technologically advanced glass called Low-E (low emissivity) glass. Low-E glass maximizes your home’s efficiency by reducing the amount of heat entering or escaping. Microscopically thin layers of oxidized metal are applied to the glass surface, allowing filtered light to pass through while reflecting most heat energy back to its source – an incredibly efficient way to reduce energy loss.

Trust the Northern Virginia Window Replacement Professionals

The replacement window experts at Christian Siding are ready to help you reduce energy costs and make your home more beautiful and comfortable. Contact us for a free estimate today by calling (571) 402-5627 or completing our online quote request form.