Spring is in the air, warm days, occasional snow that’s gone by the next day, and soon, those first hints of green will be appearing in the trees and lawns of Denver homeowners. Spring is the time when many a savvy Denver homeowner’s thoughts turn to home improvements, and particularly to replacement windows.

 

Which home improvements have you scheduled for your property this spring?

 

It seems that the past few years, there’s barely been a month of delightful, temperate Spring weather before the Front Range heats up—and everyone switches on their air conditioners. So you might have a few weeks of lowered energy costs where you no longer need to heat your home or office, and then—pow! Much higher electric bills kick in at the same time as your need for your air conditioners.

 

You might be planning on adding central air this year, or a swamp cooler in the attic, or perhaps augmenting the air conditioners you already have with ceiling fans. All terrific . . . but have you considered the part your windows play in keeping you cool and comfortable all summer? Have you considered the major part they play in your energy bills?

 

Denver is filled with older homes, and older homes are famous for having inefficient, leaky windows. On the other hand, energy efficient windows can reduce cooling costs at the same time as they add value to your home.

 

What is an energy efficient window?

 

For starters, it’s one where the glass forms a tight seal with the frame. This tight seal lessens over time with older wooden windows, as the wood contracts and expands with humidity and temperature changes, the wood warps, or the house settles around it. This leads to what we call “leaky” windows.

 

But the main factor that makes or breaks a window’s energy efficiency is the glass itself. Ordinary, untreated glass—the kind that all windows were made of several short generations ago—allows heat energy to pass through it relatively easily. This results in fairly poor insulation, as the heat from the blazing summer Colorado sun beats through your windows and heats up your house. Your air conditioners have to work that much longer to keep you comfy, and you can be sure that your energy bills will reflect it.

 

When you purchase replacement windows today, you can choose ones which have what’s known as Low-E glass (low emissivity). This is a coating that reflects heat, rather than absorbing it and allowing it to enter your home, office, store, restaurant, etc.

 

Denver has many neighborhoods with fabulous old homes, but one feature of their windows was single paned windows. This means each window pane only had one sheet of ordinary glass in it. Replacement windows with double paned glass will also affect your energy savings to the tune of a more comfortable home for less money.

 

Along with what kind of glass you’ll choose, there are other things to be considered with replacement windows. Do you want wooden frames, fiberglass frames, or the new, more affordable vinyl frames. Why not call one of our Denver home improvement specialists for a no-cost consultation today?