All my buyers want new windows but dollar for dollar, do they save enough energy to justify the cost? Don't be seduced by the newspaper ads promising big energy savings for low priced replacement windows, warns writer Wayne Curtis in Preservation Magazine, the magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "Replacement fireplaces and replacement walls would make more sense," Walter Sedovic, a New York architect who specializes in preservation, told Curtis in the January 2008 Green issue of Preservation. Replacement windows are "easy to construct, easy to transport and easy to sell," Sedovic says, "but they don't really make sense for the energy conscious." Curtis went to the Whole Building Design Guide for the proof: Older single pane windows have an insulation factor of R1, the Guide says. Modern double glazed windows offer R3. "Taking a window from R1 to R3 will not provide sufficient energy savings to offset the cost of replacement windows and associated waste,"the Guide says. Restoring and maintaining old windows makes more sense, Curtis concludes. We call them replacement windows because we keep replacing them! Sedovic credits his colleague John Seekircher with coining that phrase. "...Only 10 to 12 percent of total air infiltration in a building is through the windows," Sedovic told Curtis. "The cold isn't being transferred through the glass. It is through the openings in and around the sash. The energy loss is mostly through the roof and through the sill," Sedovic explained. That is why he advises people to look to their fireplaces and walls for sources of energy loss. The high tech seals on modern windows eventually fail, Curtis writes. "You don't repair them. You replace them." There is a sad irony in the idea of replacing 100 year old windows with so-called "envionmentally responsible" windows that will be junked and replaced every decade or two, Curtis concludes. We all want an easy, affordable fix, so I am sorry to learn that "replacement windows" are not the cure-all they are advertised to be.
TD Bank - Phillipsburg, NJ
Hi Zeta,
Thanks for the interesting post, one other thing to keep in mind when considering the possible energy cost savings is the potential for the energy credit on the homeowners Federal tax returns- I believe they would be eligible to credit 10% of the purchase and installation costs up to $2000/ yr. It may make up some of the difference. Just a thought. Enjoy your day.
Dec 02, 2008 01:19 AM
CMG Home Loans - Toms River, NJ
I never saw it put into "R" factor before. but an r3 is three times as efficent as an R1, isnt it? Either way, it is a small number considering that most attics have an r30 and most walls are r13...
Dec 02, 2008 01:44 AM
Chicago, IL
Replacement windows are for existing homes. However, the R factor and the product that the consumer chooses does make a significant difference in energy efficiency! I have been rehabbing homes and reconstruction homes for the last 30 years. Every home is more energy efficient and with the latest, proven track record for maintaining the homes energy efficiency and usage of our natural resources.
When windows are replaced in the home there is a cavity within the window "framing" that the weights and pull chains were housed in. That cavity should be filled with a bio-base foam insulation that is natural in product. The old windows when removed are not reframed and they should be once the bio-base foam insulation is installed.
Replacement windows have to do with the exterior framing of the windows that makes for easy installation. That's one of the reasons why it is defined as a "replacement" window.
However, all windows, no matter how old, will need replacing sooner or later. It amazes me that the single pane windows are still out there in houses with the age of the houses being 45 years old and up. Those windows are wood framed. The windows that we have now range from cheap, inexpensive vinyl replacement windows whose seals will break within 5 - 15 years depending upon the pressure the framing the house is putting on that particular window.
An illustration is an old porch. There was a 2 x 4 faceplate for a "header" and new windows were installed 6 years ago. Because there was no double 2 x 10 for a header over this three window opening, the pressure from the vertical 2 x 4's were putting over the center of each window put enough pressure to crack the seal of each vinyl replacement window. Because there was not a proper header it caused the fogginess within the windows. I had a new header installed, sistered the old vertical 2 x 4's and reframed the entire housing unit and once the new header was in place, the fogginess within the newer replacement windows disappeared. Unfortunately, the seals were broken because of hte pressure point in the center of the window and hence, all three windows had to be replaced.
Removing lath and plaster and replacing the entire house with new energy efficient drywall is great but by not removing the old single face batting which eventually sags and drops to the bottom half of the wall even if the paper was nailed or stapled in place, the batting will drop eventually. The best solution is to remove this old insulation and have a soybean bio-base foam insulation sprayed into the wall cavity but allowing 1" differential between the drywall and the new insulation. Why? Air still needs to travel between the drywall and insulation. This same biobase insulation should be sprayed in the rafter cavities of the attics as well. Whereby creating an envelope effect. To put in open face batting or loose insulation isn't healthy for the lungs as there are particles within those insulations that are not healthy for the humanbeing.
All in all, with this bio-base foam insulation and with new replacement windows installed properly, yes, there is a significance of approximately 40 - 60% in energy bills. Air conditioning during the summer is minimal as this type of insulation retains the cool in the house during the summer and the heat, well, the thermostat is at 65 degrees and the house is toasty. It has to do with the type of windows one uses versus cutting corners with cheap vinyl replacement windows. It has to do with understanding the whole element of home remodeling. To choose a window that will reflect heat into your home during the winter is an excellent idea. That same window will shield the home from the heat rays during the summer.
Can insulation be installed without removal of drywall? Yes, it can. However, for healthy lungs, one should learn what is inside there walls as some types of insulation are hazardous to your health.
Hope this helps.
Dec 02, 2008 02:30 AM
Anonymous
Window replacements are a good investment that can be made to your home. It is important to have appropriate windows installed so that they allow maximum sunlight into the house, avoid extreme temperatures, improve visual appearance, and give our homes an elegant look. http://window-replacements.net/
Feb 26, 2009 08:30 PM
#5
Anonymous
Interesting post. I think replacement windows are a must. I replaced my windows with Feldco and it was very cost effective because they have factory direct prices. Also, since we have installed our windows our heating and cooling bills have gone down. It has been five years and they still look brand new. I think replacement windows are the way to go. Plus we went with Feldco and they give you a lifetime warranty so you dont have to worry about them being replaced again. I also think they hold out noise from outside.
www.4feldco.com.
Also, anyone that has had replacement windows check out the new federal tax credit. you can get up to $1,500 in tax credit back!
Mar 11, 2009 10:57 AM
#6
Rainmaker
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zeta cross
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