How Cold Weather Affects Your Doors and Windows: What Homeowners Need to Know
October 11, 2024If you surveyed a hundred people and asked them what in their household costs the most money each year, you would be given a wealth of different answers, including their heating bills, ceiling repairs, or gardening bills. However, most people don’t realize how much their old windows could affect their household. Older, outdated windows come with a flood of potentially hidden costs, including a boost to your energy bill. Here’s a look at some of the expenses of outdated windows and how they can cost you more money than they’re worth.
How Old Windows Are Costing You Money: The Hidden Expenses of Outdated Windows
How Old Windows Are Costing You Money
Windows aren’t a priority for most people to replace (or update) unless something cracks or breaks. However, older windows cost you money every year. Most people don’t realize the long-term savings and cost-effectiveness of installing new energy-efficient windows. Keeping your outdated windows is costing you money that could be used elsewhere.
Older windows don’t seal as well as newer models. Existing windows can:
- Increase maintenance costs
- Decrease your home energy efficiency
- Increase energy bills
- Added pressure on your home’s operating systems like heating and air conditioning
- Let in more humidity, increasing the chances of mold in the home
That’s not all, there’s more. Older windows were not designed for optimal UV protection. They can increase the amount of sun damage to anything on the other side of the window inside the home.
Did you know that your windows can affect everything from furniture to food supply?
Old Windows and UV Damage
Older windows haven’t been designed for modern conditions. While newer windows have been designed to block out harmful radiation from the sun, older windows weren’t.
Sun damage can shorten the lifespan of everything from fine furniture to rubber sealing. If your windows are ancient, you create a less-than-ideal environment for everything else in the long run.
New windows appear to cast a whole new light on things. That’s exactly what they do.
Old Windows and Cleaning
Older windows become more challenging to clean over time. This is partially because of micro-abrasions on their surface and the fact that glass is actually a stable liquid. No, older glass windows aren’t solid and might even thin out over enough time.
If you spend a lot of time and money cleaning windows, the problem isn’t your cleaning skills, but it might be the windows themselves. Replace the windows with something new and crisp. They’re much easier to keep sparkling and clear.
The Hidden Expenses of Outdated Windows
If you haven’t replaced any of the windows in your home, you might be unintentionally increasing your heating bill. Older windows thin out with time and don’t regulate temperature as well as they should. The thinner the glass might be, the more temperatures will change and increase the amount of energy loss.
More than this, older windows can’t seal as well as newer ones for the same reasons. When warming up your home, windows are one of the largest culprits for heat loss. Having new windows installed brings increased energy savings.
Replace your windows and automatically pay less for your heating and cooling.
Broken Or Cracked Windows: Another One Of The Hidden Expenses Of Outdated Windows
Older windows shatter more easily. This is another one of the hidden expenses of outdated windows. Newer windows are often designed with more substantial, shatterproof plates. Older, thinner glass windows can shatter or crack from the slightest vibration.
Older window frame materials can also be more dangerous than newer ones when they crack or break. Let’s just say that they were designed before modern technologies and safety regulations.
Replace older windows with newer, shock-resistant glass, and you could be saving money, time, and nasty injuries. Contact your local window company for more information on window replacement costs. They can guide you through the many available options of new, energy-efficient double or triple-pane glass options.
North Country Windows & Baths in Lincoln, NE, and the Surrounding Areas
At North Country Windows & Baths, our Windows are backed by a Lifetime Warranty giving our customers peace of mind. Each window is custom-made to fit your home with state-of-the-art engineering by design, and energy efficiency enhanced by style. Our windows are made to last for years of maintenance-free beauty.
Whether you want a soaker tub surrounded by subway tile or a low threshold shower with granite-like walls, you can customize your BathWraps space and even add accessories like soap dishes, caddies, seating, grab bars, and more Contact us today.