Did you meet replacement window salespeople and talk to them yet? You can be rest assured that this will be an interesting experience. They are so slick in their sales talk that they will be able to even talk their way out of the devil himself! But there are also salespersons who are professional all the way. They will respect your intelligence and your capacity to know. You will be able to easily distinguish between the two types.

The former type will fill you up with blown up claims, built-up stories and give false promises. This is when you will have to begin to ask tough questions. The professional salesperson on the other hand will give you facts backed by written documentation and a list of customers who are satisfied for you to check if you want to.

The Payback Period

If you think that buying vinyl windows will also pay for themselves, then you cannot be more wrong. Such claims are far fetched. You might well ask how I am sure about this. Let me explain.

To calculate your average heating bill, you need to take the portion of the heating bill that pertains to gas or your oil bill. (If you are fully dependent on electricity then it will be just too much.) The heating bill related to gas works out on an average of about $110 every month for 7 months that is the heating season. The portion related to cooktop, clothes dryer and hot water heater is to be subtracted. Let’s assume that the resultant figure that I get is $85. In other words, I spend $595 annually for heating my house.

Assume that the new vinyl windows are predicted to save 25% though of course, I do not believe this to be so. The 25% savings means $148.75. For the purpose of convenience, for the moment we are not taking inflation into account.

Let’s calculate the cost of new windows. New high quality windows for an average house will cost $8,000. What is its life when you will have to go in for replacement? Let’s say 25 years.

At this rate and figures, it will take about 54 years to pay off for the windows when we divide $8,000 by $148.75. Stay on. There are more interesting matters to come.

Interest as Income

Let’s say that the $8,000 you require for the new high quality windows is taken from your savings account. You are likely to get about 5.5% in a one year CD at the current interest rates. If this amount that you take out from your account remains in your account, you will be getting $440.00 annually in interest. Think about this. You will discover now that the interest alone will actually pay for the extra fuel cost!

Comfort & Posterity

But then looks and comforts are more important than the exciting math that was just worked out. No one wants to live in a wretched and drafty house. The value of the house also increases with new windows. Your house will be better off with the new windows if you plan to sell the house. On an average, a family moves every seven years.

Anyway, the point I wish to make is that when you decide to buy new windows, you’d better buy the best that are available. This is a way to make sure that your investment has been good.

Style & Character

The new windows will have to suit your house and in such a manner suiting the character of your house. This will be better done with aluminum/vinyl combo windows. The color possibilities that aluminum exteriors offer is infinite. This is something that is critical to ensure that the high value of your house is maintained.

But then you should also remember that there are vinyl windows that could actually devalue your house. You need to keep watch for the glib talk of salespersons who will crook you into getting something totally valueless. They will not answer your queries but will harp on energy savings giving you wild promises. No one says that energy savings are not important. But we have seen from the math calculation what it really is like in reality. So do not get carried away by the talk of salesperson’s grand eloquence on energy savings. Look at all the options available to you.

There are newer features and options these days. Check on them when shopping for vinyl windows. The sliding windows should be checked for its motions. The ease with which vinyl/aluminum windows move should be noted. Do you see a striking difference?

Glass is the critical component of any windows. There is so much about the glass that I wish to say. You should go in for the best high performance glass that you can buy at a cost that you can pay for. High performance Low-E film or the soft coat Low-E in between the glass panes is the one that you should go for.

The heat is reflected back to its source the best with the Low-E films. This also means that you accumulate savings in both summer and winter months.
Air infiltration is another feature that you should check on. The infiltration value is expressed in terms of the number of cubic feet of air per minute that leaks through the window per lineal inch or foot of crack or weather-stripping. Air infiltration causes maximum heat loss and therefore the number is very important for you to note.

By: Martin B Smith

Article Source: http://www.energyefficienthomearticles.com

Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice on your a number of topics like Windows and Deck Maintenance if you have time drop by his site for some tips and information.

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