Here is what I told a customer recently — two great ideas have changed window glass forever:

Great Idea #1: Low-E (low-emissivity) glass. This means that a thin coating of transparent metallic material, like silver oxide, is applied to the window glass, which acts as an insulating film. This Low-E coating helps to prevent heat gain (or loss) in your home by acting as a kind of reflective shield, pushing radiant heat that tries to pass through the glass back to the source it originates from.

By the way, Renewal by Andersen windows have 9 layers of metallic materials applied in a micro-thin layer, followed by 2 layers of titanium dioxide to help make cleaning easier.

Great Idea #2: Argon gas is an invisible, nontoxic, odorless gas that’s injected into the space between dual glass panes. Air is easily affected by heat, but argon is much denser than air, so the weight of this gas dramatically reduces the amount of heat that can pass through the space between the panes of glass.

If that isn’t enough to convince you that triple panes are obsolete, here’s one more good reason: they’re heavy. They’re a pain!

It’s been my experience after 27 years that three panes of glass make for a very heavy sash, which will make your balance system break down that much quicker. That means, eventually, your window won’t stay up when you try to raise it. You’ll be out shopping for new windows. So triple pane windows can soon become a pain in the pocketbook too.

Dual-pane gas-filled windows with Low-E coating trump triple panes any day.

If you have started to shop around with the $3000 limit in mind, you’re probably dismayed right about now at the selection available to you. That’s because low-end, low-quality doors are simply not designed to look beautiful, to seal properly, in short, they are not designed to last. In the world of windows and doors, you really do get what you pay for. A low-budget product probably means a low-budget installation. So chances are they are not going to be sending out the best sub-contractors to install the door correctly.

I would say, wait a little longer, save up for the door you really want, invest in quality and in a professional installation. Don’t sacrifice, don’t settle. Get your $5000 door — a door that you are going to love for a long time. You don’t want to have to replace your entry door three years from now.

One option you could consider is financing. That way, you can make monthly payments on the right door. Treat this entry door purchase as an investment. Besides, you want to be proud to drive up to your home every day and see a great-looking door! And a home with a beautiful front entrance has great curb appeal, so bear that in mind too if you ever plan to sell your home.

A couple recently told me they were frustrated by all the research they had done on replacement windows and still felt confused about making the best choice. They had heard terrible things about vinyl and didn’t want to make that mistake.

When you start researching windows, it’s like learning a whole new subject in school. And the focus is on the product rather than the company. What I suggested to this couple I thought may be helpful to share with you.

Before you can find a window that you like, you need to find a window professional that you like — and trust. Once you find a professional who is credible, reputable, experienced, knowledgeable and whom you can trust, you’ll find the window you want.

The product is only a small portion of the window project. The company that you choose to purchase the window from and to do the installation is every bit as important as the window itself!

I would recommend, therefore, that you begin your research by finding the best A+ rated companies through the Better Business Bureau. Ask the BBB for three recommendations. You will want to research and contact window companies that have been in business and members of the Bureau for ten or more years. These companies will no doubt have a long list of satisfied customers, and they will be happy to let you speak to them or drive by homes in your area where they have installed windows so you can see what the finished product looks like.

And let me stress the term “window companies” — not general contractors, not remodeling companies. You want the specialists, the “surgeons” so to speak.  That’s all window companies do — day in and day out  – they install windows. They are window experts.

So I say, if you are shopping for windows, keep doing your research, but just focus your research on the companies out there selling and installing windows. Research the company first and the right product will fall into place.

I recently got a question about how the trim work is handled inside and outside when wood windows are replaced with vinyl and there is a lot of wood rot involved. This is a great question, because it gives me the opportunity to talk about the two types of window installation available — full frame and insert.

This should make it clear for anyone who has ever wondered how windows are installed!

A full frame installation means that all of the interior trim and the exterior trim is removed, including the rotten areas, as well as the buck frame with all its sashes. We are left with what is called the “rough opening.” That’s the window opening down to the two by fours. A custom-built window is then installed in that opening and with that custom-built window comes all new exterior and interior trim.

In other words, in a full frame installation everything is gutted and replaced – interior, exterior and everything in between. Typically, these days, the exterior trim is a composite material, which means that the exterior trim is will be maintenance-free. The interior trim is typically wood, which can then be painted or stained.

An insert installation or a replacement window application, is by far the most common and the most affordable method. In this case, the interior trim is left alone and the existing buck frame is left in place. Only the two sashes are removed. The exterior trim is left in place – that’s the sill and the brick mold.

If there is rot, however, the sill and the brick mold would have to be cut. But that’s not unusual at all. Most older wood windows do exhibit rot in areas. In this case, once the custom-built insert window is inserted in the existing buck frame, secured with set screws and insulated, some vinyl coated coil stock will be bent into the shape of the sill and the shape of the brick mold and then capped over. This replaces the rotten exterior trim.

As for price…the full frame installation involves more steps, more material, and does take more time, which means it will cost more, about  20% to 25% more.

However, a good window company will send a consultant out to your home to analyze your project, offer design ideas and leave you with a written price quote — not an estimate but a written quote — so that you know exactly what the project is going to cost, be it full frame or insert. Regardless of which installation turns out to be right for you and your home, you can be assured of this  — you will be getting a beautiful, brand-new window to enjoy for many years to come!

There are no studies and no indications that there are any chemical reactions or toxins being emitted when vinyl is introduced to drywall. Vinyl emits some off-gas, like all solid materials do, such as new carpet or paint, etc. but not enough to make you ill.

It could be the smell of the caulk, or the urethane seal.  That smell could possibly make you feel sick, until the caulk, etc. cures.

Certainly,  my best piece of advice would be to look for a reputable window company, a company that will send a professional window consultant out to your home to understand your needs and the project, to give you design ideas and suggestions, and to leave you with an accurate quote and a timeline for completion.

Just one more note: You said this is a 40-year-old home. In that case, make sure that you test for lead before you begin any renovations. Homes built prior to 1978 have to be tested for lead. Safe work practices must be employed to that window installation. It’s not difficult and it’s not expensive, but there are some steps that have to be taken during the installation so that lead is not released into your home when the renovations begin.

So when making your decisions, make sure you are dealing with a lead-safe certified company and that your consultant can explain that to you. They will know what needs to be done and they are educated, equipped – and certified – to carry out the installation according to the new laws.

This casement window solution won’t disturb the brick either, and you will get a great view with all that wonderful glass area. Plus the fact that you can crank open a casement window to let lots of fresh air in too.

Why? The answer was simple — “You’ll be wasting your money.”

Aluminum is the most thermally inefficient material you could put around a window.  Think about it. There’s a reason why pots and pans are made from aluminum — it’s a great conductor of heat! Now, just think of aluminum all around your windows during cold winters and hot summers! You will be seeing the energy-efficiency of your home drop and your hydro bills rise.

Solid wood window frames are sturdy, but the reality is that the wood used for frames today is not old growth wood — it’s young lumber, from trees about ten to fifteen years old. Even though the wood is treated with chemicals, you’re not going to get the same strength and durability of those older wood windows. And let’s not forget that wood rots. And its high maintenance too.

As for vinyl, it may have been a great discovery back in the day, but research has shown that vinyl makes for a pretty weak window frame. Vinyl windows tend to warp and pull away from the house, leaving gaps or cracks. This can cause drafts, cold spots and fogged windows.

Which is why I told my friend that his best choice would be a frame made of a composite material, such as Renewal by Andersen’s FIBREX.

A FIBREX frame is not merely vinyl clad — it’s a composite of wood and vinyl. Thermal plastic polymers are added to wood fibers to make a strong, durable, maintenance-free frame. Think Trex decking.  You know how strong, durable and attractive Trex decks are…

So a composite frame is a smart frame.  Wood provides the strength and vinyl prevents the wood from rotting. Wood stops the vinyl from warping and vinyl keeps the frame maintenance-free.

It’s a marriage made in window heaven! A composite window frame is definitely the best buy – for energy efficiency, maintenance, looks and beauty.

1) Andersen is one of the oldest and most respected window manufacturers in the country, if not the world. They have been making high quality windows since 1904. They have a replacement window division that is called Renewal by Andersen.

2) Marvin is another good manufacturer that makes a good fiberglass hopper-style window.

Here’s an answer I shared with a customer who lives at the beach. When you live in a hot climate and you want replacement windows that last a long time, vinyl windows are a poor choice.  This is why:

The surface temperature of an average house can reach up to 175 degrees during the summer months, but in areas of our country that are hot year-round, the sun and the heat are relentless, day in day out. The problem is that at high temperatures, materials begin to distort and deform.

This is true of vinyl too, not just wood or plastics.  The “Heat Deflection Temperature” is the technical term we use to indicate how well a material can deal with heat, and the bad news is… vinyl windows begin to break down at 156 degrees!

That‘s why vinyl replacement windows will need to be replaced again and again. Warm climates make this deterioration more rapid. By the way, have you ever wondered why vinyl windows usually come in white or off-white colors? It’s because lighter colors reflect heat, hopefully slowing the distortion factor as much as possible.

Appearance aside, over time, all that expansion and contraction creates bowing and warping, so the windows start to pull away from the house, leaving gaps or cracks. This eventually causes drafts and even fogged windows.

FIBREX, though, can withstand temperatures up 221 degrees— temperatures the surface of your house will probably never reach! Which is why I recommended that my customer choose a composite frame window like FIBREX from Renewal by Andersen instead.

FIBREX is not a clad, it’s a composite. Thermal plastic polymers merge with the fibers of the wood to make for a strong, durable, maintenance-free frame. In other words, it takes the best properties of both materials and forges something better and stronger from that bond — wood provides strength and vinyl prevents the wood from rotting. Wood stops the vinyl from warping and vinyl keeps the frame maintenance-free. In small measures,  you see, a little vinyl can be a good thing!

But the sad reality is that vinyl alone will look good only for about five years, regardless of where you live—sunny California or snowy Vermont.  And when any insulating property those windows had finally fails, well,  you’re shopping for replacement windows again. Can a vinyl window be repaired ? No. So for my money, composite frames are the way to go.  You’ll enjoy years and years of worry-free durability and beauty.