Many people pay attention to the outdoors landscapes through their windows when inside.  When it comes to The Woodlands Windows, people will notice the windows too and not just the view outside the windows.  You never hear how gorgeous the windows are, but you do hear how gorgeous it looks outside until you have a new window installation by The Woodlands Windows. You know you need a new window when the most beautiful scenery is obscured by old and dreary screens. If the windows in your home are aged, unreliable or damaged, an update may be necessary. If you are trying to decide between removing your windows or merely fixing them, here are five things to consider.

1. Is it possible to repair my Windows?

Old windows may be replaced to make them more energy-efficient in some situations. Most older homes, however, have wooden windows vulnerable to rot and decline. Water is any homeowner’s greatest foe because water can cause substantial damage even before you know it has entered the foundation of your house. In fact, replacing a single panel window will not give you the ease of use or offensive advantages of a traditional double panel window.

As Lee Wallender points out at The Spruce, as today’s vinyl windows are better than ever, a growing number of homeowners choose to remove rather than repair their old windows. “The main reason for this shifting trend, especially over the past two decades, is the vast improvement in the manufacturing techniques of mass-produced vinyl and fiberglass framed window options, resulting in lower prices being passed on to the consumer.” You could save a little bit of money in the short run by repairing an old window, but you’ll probably end up spending more time on both of them. If you are wrestling with the repair versus repairing option, some people should ask the following considerations: Have your windows shattered or broken glass? Panes can be repaired, so you can get away with a patch but should get window replacement The Woodlands, or replacement overall.

Does a window have muntins that rot or split? (Muntin is a vertical piece of wood separating individual glass panes.) This could be a sign of more extensive moisture damage than you might see without opening the window walls.

Have the top or bottom sashes been stuck? You can repair this in some cases by removing old paint layers. In other cases, to ensure ease of operation, the windows should be replaced.

Is the outside trim loose, broken or rotting? This could be a warning that your home has a problem with humidity that is worth investigating in more detail.

Is the putty that binds the panes to the muttins missing from your windows? It may be time to replace rather than patch if the putty is fragile or completely missing.

If any of these factors that suggest the need for replacement windows, probably checking out more than one means that you are better off replacing rather than fixing.   

2. What is the approximate cost of replacing the window?

Price is a major factor, as with any major home improvement. While the actual cost of replacing windows depends on where you live, how many windows you are replacing, and what types of replacement windows you are purchasing, you can get an idea of the usual cost of replacing windows by looking at average country-wide statistics.

Remodeling Magazine’s 2017 Cost vs. Quality Report shows that the national average for vinyl window replacement is $14,725, with a return on investment (ROI) of 73 percent. This estimate is used to replace “10 existing 3-by-5-foot double-hung windows with single, low-E, simulated-divided-lite vinyl windows.” The country’s South Atlantic region’s average vinyl window replacement price is the same, with a small ROI increase (74 percent).  

Although averages are a good starting point, the true cost of the replacement window depends on the unique features of your property and the type of windows you install. We deal with all sorts of budgets at The Woodlands Windows. Our window experts will assist you in choosing windows that complement your home and providing the energy savings you need.

3. Will weather and caulking stripping work?

Caulking and weather-stripping can aid but only to a point increase the energy efficiency of a door. Air leaks can account for the heating and cooling losses of up to 30 to 40 percent of a building, so plugging holes can help reduce heat and air losses. This only helps to reduce the loss of heating and cooling around the frame, however. If the panel itself is old and thin, or the house has settled down, allowing the window to not fit properly anymore, weatherstripping will not help much.

Weatherstripping — which can be caulk, rubber, felt, metal or vinyl — works by covering the gaps between the window’s fixed and moving parts. Old windows, however, that don’t suit the frame properly, as well as unreliable or aging single-panel windows, would likely not benefit from weather stripping.   

4. What if I’m living in a historic home?

You naturally want to maintain the historical character of your home when you reside in a historic house. This is simply not possible or realistic often, however. Old windows are, in some cases, too damaged to repair. In other cases, for a window made decades ago or even a century ago, it is impossible to find replacement hardware.

Some homeowners ask us: What if I have only one window to replace? You may not be able to match the replacements exactly to your existing windows if you need to remove one or two windows. Many homeowners choose to upgrade all the windows of their historic homes to new replicas in this case. In doing so, they preserve their historic property’s beauty while leveraging the advantages of energy-efficient windows that are easy to operate and maintain.

Keep in mind that in your home you also have to stay. Through updating plumbing and electrical systems, as well as installing workable kitchens and bathrooms in historical buildings, homeowners regularly make compromises to modern life. You can, for example, keep an old coal chute in the cellar of your house, but you may have installed central heating. Or maybe you’ve kept the antique gas light fixtures in your house, but they’re wired for electricity now.

Determining whether your windows were installed before 1978 is also relevant. This year is important as federal lawmakers have banned the use of lead-based paint in homes this year. Lead-based paint is particularly common in pre-1960 houses, and it is quite possible that homes dating from this time will have paint layers around the windows— some of which may contain lead. It can lead to serious health problems when lead paint flakes or dust are swallowed.    

The good news is that today’s window manufacturers are making windows that emulate historical designs while offering modern technology’s energy savings. To see designs that complement a variety of architectural styles and periods, check out our windows gallery.

Many historic property owners choose to remove old windows and convert them into the home’s art installations or amenities. For example, an old exterior window can be mounted on an interior door. It respects and retains the past while acknowledging that a home is a dwelling that needs to evolve and adapt to new occupants generations.

5. What are New Windows ‘ advantages?

Many people are considering changing their windows when they have to run and repair their old windows. If you’re fed up battling with doors that lock and jam, or you’ve had it in the middle of winter with cold winds blowing through your house, new windows will make you enjoy your home again — as well as take pride in its looks. The benefits of new windows include smoother operation–new windows are extremely easy to operate in addition to looking good. If you’ve spent years resisting opening your doors because you don’t want to wrestle them up and down, you’ll end up loving spring breezes and fresh falling air again inside your house.

No More Condensation–When homeowners ask us to repair their doors, the condensation that forms inside their old windows is one of their most common complaints. When this moisture builds up, it can leak into casements and even make its way into the walls of a house. New windows are energy efficient and condensation is prevented from forming inside or outside panes.

Quick Maintenance–The windows of today are so quick to use, you’re going to want to wash them. Double hanging windows slide down and tilt in for trouble-free maintenance that you can do from inside and throughout the year.

Curb Appeal–Clearly, the appeal they bring to your home is one of the main advantages of new windows. One of the most cost-effective ways to remodel is to redesign the doors. By changing your doors, you can completely transform the look of your house.