Windows replacement or improving: payback

If you're building a new home or doing a major remodeling, and replacing siding in your existing home, investing in advanced energy-efficient windows is surely a good investment. But it is not necessarily the same if your old windows are just low or medium efficient...

An advantageous investment

Invest on high quality windows if you are building a new home, or making a major remodeling. It will be largely advantageous and you will get big energy savings.

Your initial invest will be higher than that on low quality units (special glasses can add around $1 per each square foot of glazing, and argon gas filling, warm edge spaces, insulated frames and good casement designs, will add some more dollars to your investment, but in the end these aren't truly huge differences, and you will recover your initial extra investment in a few years time. You heating and cooling bills will thank you.

When not to replace your old windows

Similarly, if your windows are truly old and inefficient and their replacement is just a question of time, replacing them is also certainly well worth... Your comfort gains will be great and the payback will be not too long...

However... if your windows aren't too inefficient, in that case things are a little more complicated. You may try some simple math analysis, but in most cases replacing your old windows isn't cost-effective. In other words, it's best to perform other most cost-effective home energy improvements, before replacing your old windows.

Windows repair and retrofit or windows replacement?

According to sources quoted by Toolbase Organization, low-E coating glasses can save homeowners around $100 per year, in a cold climate zone, while low E2 glasses can reduce heating and cooling costs by $65 per year (over double pane clear glass) in a moderate climate like Tucson, AZ.

On the other hand, installing a qualified window may cost you something around $500 to $1200... That is, paybacks may vary a lot, and depend on climate and energy losses, and are often more than 10 years.

And if you legitimately think that such paybacks are too long, you may prefer to make window improvements like weatherstripping and caulking, or the use of blinds, awnings, shades, or make investments with a shorter payback like wall and attic insulation...