(BPT) - Florida homeowners can benefit from properly insulated windows throughout the year. It’s fairly easy to assess whether existing windows are functioning well by checking for two types of issues: thermal and air draft.
To observe a window’s thermal status from inside a home, during the fall or winter, put your hand a few inches away from the window glass — near the middle of the pane. “If you feel cold through the glass,” explains Matt Vasquez, co-owner of Neighborhood Windows & Doors, “your window may not be well-insulated.”
Vasquez suggests performing the same test, being sure not to touch the glass, in spring or summer to see if you can feel the heat. If you do feel warmth, there may be insufficient thermal insulation.
Air draft concerns relate to gaps around the window frame. Any light around the window frame is a sign of poor insulation. The only place you should see the light is from the glass; there should not be any visible gaps around the window frame. Vasquez recommends one good way to check for gaps: “Take a flashlight outside, during the evening when it is dark, and shine it around the edges of a window. If someone indoors spots light coming from anywhere other than the glass, there is likely an air draft problem.”
Discover more about insulated glass by visiting: https://modernize.com/windows/glass/types/insulated-glass.
Prioritizing window replacement
If existing windows are not well-insulated throughout a home, it may be necessary to sequence their replacement as budget allows. Modernize Home Services is a reliable and trustworthy solution that thoughtfully connects homeowners with contractors for home improvement services. Modernize can help you locate a trusted local window contractor to determine where to start. Visit https://modernize.com/windows to learn more.
Experts at Neighborhood Windows & Doors recommend beginning with one of the following areas:
- East- and west-facing windows. These windows require the greatest amount of insulation to block heat during Florida’s warmest months. Because these sides of the house are likely to receive the greatest amount of light, well-insulated windows can have a big impact on comfort and energy consumption.
- Rooms near exterior noise. Any room or rooms near a school, fire station, hospital or daycare learning center may benefit from good window insulation to minimize disturbance from noise.
- Frequently occupied rooms. Rooms that you spend a lot of time in, such as an office or family room, should be prioritized for upgraded windows to ensure both comfort and a low level of disturbance from ambient noise. For example, someone working from home may want to minimize the sound from lawn care people or traffic and avoid temperature extremes.
The video accompanying this article explains some important terms that homeowners should be familiar with if they suspect they need to replace certain windows. Modernize also provides a free-of-charge educational guide to home window glasses: https://modernize.com/windows/glass.
Window replacement cost
According to Vasquez, replacing poor-performing windows with well-insulated products in Florida costs between $1K-$2K per window. “Costs vary depending upon the window brand, product line chosen and special features such as tint,” Vasquez explains. “It is noteworthy that Turtle Tint typically adds only a nominal extra cost, as it benefits conservation.”
Modernize offers a window replacement cost calculator that helps homeowners estimate what new windows cost in their area: https://modernize.com/windows/replacement-cost-calculator
For more information and homeowner resources, visit https://modernize.com.
