What Are the Best Replacement Windows?

When choosing the best replacement windows for your home, it’s important to consider what your goals are. Is appearance a top priority for you? How about energy efficiency? Affordability? Warranty? Durability? The list goes on and on. Below are some key considerations to keep in mind when you’re trying to find the best replacement windows.

Frame Materials

Most modern window frames are made from vinyl, wood, or composites. All materials can provide excellent performance if you get the right brand.

• Vinyl-framed windows are usually the least expensive, require little maintenance, and can be manufactured in a variety of colors and finishes.
• Wood frames offer exceptional beauty but need more maintenance than other materials. That’s why only the inward-facing frame is usually available in wood while the outside frame is made from vinyl or another material.
• Composite frames can be made of fiberglass, wood fibers, or another combination of materials. The combination helps provide the look of a solid wood window frame but is stronger than wood. Composite frames also don’t need to be scraped, painted, or stained the way wood frames do.

Energy Efficiency

To find the best replacement windows in terms of energy efficiency, you need to learn how to read and compare the labels. Windows with the ENERGY STAR® label meet the strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Other terms you’ll find on window labels include:

• Solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) – This shows how much heat from the sun a window can block, expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower the number, the better.
• U-factor – This measures how much heat can escape through the window and is expressed as a number between 0 and 1; the lower the number, the better the insulation.
• Double-pane and triple-pane glass – Multiple panes of glass with an argon or krypton gas fill in between the panes provide added insulation.

Customization

The ability to customize enables you to create the perfect windows to suit your needs. It’s best to work with a window contractor that will measure your window openings and have your windows custom-manufactured for your home to provide a perfect fit. You should also be able to select the window styles (double-hung, sliding, casement, etc.), colors, hardware, grid patterns, and more that you desire.

Other Considerations

The best replacement windows should also be easy to maintain and clean, protect your home from strong storms and break-ins, prevent outdoor noise from entering your home and come with a long or even lifetime warranty.

Choosing a Window Contractor

Having the best replacement windows also means choosing the best contractor to install them properly so they’ll function flawlessly for many years. When you partner with Frey Construction, you can trust that your new windows will be installed with the utmost expertise by our highly trained technicians who always go above and beyond to uphold our lofty workmanship standards. Contact us to learn more about our replacement windows, installation techniques, or comprehensive warranty coverage.