WINDOWS and doors are as important to our homes as the walls and roof.
No part of the home is a bigger culprit for letting heat out in the winter and in during the summer as well as letting in the exterior noise that can drive homeowners crazy.
And the buzzword when looking to replace windows is efficiency. Though there are several different products and brands on the market that cater to different needs, efficiency is the common requirement for all homeowners.
Energy-efficient glass has a low-E coating, with argon gas in between the panes. Every manufacturer has a different name for them, but essentially they have the same properties.
While prices are dependent on a number of factors, the average living-room window can be updated for roughly $1,000, some of which customers will see returned in the form of lower heating costs.
Not only are people opting for double-pane low-E windows, many are further increasing their efficiency with triple-pane glass, often with two low-E coated panes and two chambers of argon. The average single-pane window offers an R value of roughly two, while a triple-pane low-E window can quadruple that value, increasing both thermal efficiency and noise reduction.
Homeowners are also concerned with style, with many now opting for products in blacks, browns, reds and greens, as well as choosing low-maintenance materials.
Style and maintenance are also buzzwords when it comes to doors, with the clunky materials of the past being replaced by fibreglass in either a smooth finish or a wood-grain texture.
Fibreglass doors stand up better to normal wear and tear, and allow homeowners a wide range of colours, stains and styles that weren't available in the past. And like the newer windows, they offer huge increases in efficiency, since their polyurethane cores are much more efficient than a traditional wood door. Nor will it warp or rot.
With the addition of colours and glass inserts in newer doors, customers are opting to remove screen doors and allow their door to be on full display.
-- Postmedia News
