I am looking at replacing the windows in our home and have had several quotes, with different companies telling me a variety of different things. My house was built in the mid 50's, and I believe the windows had been changed once. Some companies have told me that I should not remove the existing frame becuase it would compromise the insulation around the windows from when the house was built whereas other companies have told me to take everything out and replace the windows and the frame for better insullation. I have had these companies tell me that I only need "Low E Argon", then some say "Low E Argon Sq" & then others say "Low E Argon Sq Plus". Do you have any other advice for me on what I should be looking for?
Answer:
If you compromise the insulation by removing the old windows, you're doing something wrong and at the same time, cutting out a lot of natural light. As far as the gasses in the glazings goes, I don't see a whole lot of profit in any of them - certainly not enough to bring you back the initial investment via energy conservation within 3 to 5 years. I'd look for an extruded vinyl product that has all the conveniences built in - cleaning the outsides from inside the house, easy care mechanisms, at least a half inch space between glazings, etc.
Courtesy of Ren Molnar, Construction Consultant at HomeFocus.com. I can also be reached at (613) 748-3003 and Home Focus – The Radio Show is broadcast live 8 to 10 A.M. (Ottawa, Ont. time) on Saturdays on www.cfra.com. In the interests of retaining credibility and in fairness to all, I cannot recommend prices, people nor companies for various projects.
