Many homeowners often think about the potential of upgrading their home windows to new energy efficient windows. The struggle that homeowners in the Jacksonville, FL area and abroad have, though, is figuring out whether or not they are really necessary. We typically only want to make major home improvements when we have to. You do not see too many people ripping apart a kitchen that was just upgraded three or four years earlier. When that kitchen is thirty years old or more, though, then it becomes a much more glaring requirement.
So how do you know when it is necessary to upgrade your home windows? When is the time right for you to have no other option but to pull the trigger on energy efficient windows? There are many different factors to consider, starting with the current state of the windows in your Jacksonville, FL home. You also are going to want to consider the added benefits that the energy efficient windows are going to provide over what you already have.
The State of Your Current Windows
Determining if it is necessary to upgrade to energy efficient windows is going to require you to take a long and hard look at the windows you have currently and in what state are they in. You are going to want to check out the windows for things such as cracks either in the glass or in the framing of the window. It also may make sense to take a look back at when the last time you had windows replaced in your home. This information can be quite telling. Many years ago, windows were made from single-pane. This means that there is only one thin pane of glass separating your home from the outside world. These older windows can cause a lot of problems in terms causing your heating or cooling equipment to work harder than they should have to.
You’ll want to check where your windows are at from an insulation perspective. The idea of quality windows is to insulate your home so that the temperature inside of it can be more easily regulated. On a very hot or cold day, go near the window and see if you can feel any draft coming through. A light breeze coming through is a sign that it is time to upgrade to energy efficient windows. Drafts can do a lot of damage to your energy bill monthly.
Considering the Benefits of Energy Efficient Windows
It is also very important to consider all of the benefits of energy efficient windows. The double-pane of new energy efficient windows in your Jacksonville, FL home is going to provide better insulation and temperature regulation. What this means is that you are going to have to rely on your cooling and/or heating system much less to keep the temperature on the inside of your home at the level in which you want it.
The other major benefit of energy efficient windows is the added protection that they provide from the perspective of harmful UV rays. Harmful UV rays really have the ability to do a lot of damage to a home and the contents within in. Single-pane windows are going to allow UV rays to pass right through. If you have a pet that sleeps in the sun all day, this is the equivalent of them lying out on the beach daily; it is not good for them. It also is not good for your rugs, your furniture, and so on. UV rays can cause these items to fade over time. Energy efficient windows with the double pane are going to help better protect you, your pets, and your home’s assets from these harmful UV rays.
The necessity of energy efficient windows in your Jacksonville, FL home depends on a few factors. It starts with the current state of your windows and where they are at. If you have single plane windows that haven’t been replaced in a decade or more, now may be the time to upgrade. It is also going to depend pretty heavily on just how much stock you put in home temperature regulation and prevention of harmful UV rays. New energy efficient windows are going to save you money on energy bills monthly and are also going to help better protect the assets in your home. Taking these attributes of energy efficient windows into account can help you gauge the necessity of the home upgrade.