The opportunity is running out for homeowners to use their Federal Tax Credit. As the year is nearing it’s end, window contractors will be booking months ahead. If you’re planning to purchase your windows and receive the $1,500 tax credit, all windows must be installed by December 31st of this year.

Colorado residents residing within Douglas County  now have one more reason to take advantage of a new energy efficient rebate program. The rebate, is a 20% rebate directly from Douglas county with a maximum of $1,000 returned.  If a homeowner spends money on energy effient windows in Douglas County, 20% of the contracted price is refunded back from the county. It will come in by check ,three to six weeks after the job is completed.

The county does require homeowners to pull permits for the job, however. The contractor also needs to be licensed in Douglas county and most commonly, the contractor will handle the permit. After the job is complete, Douglas county will send a inspector out to review the install and verify new windows were installed. After the inspectors leave, simply fill out the one page form and send in the contract. The county will then send you a check for 20% of the contracted price.

This, combined with the 30% discount applied by the federal $1,500 tax credit, can help the homeowner to save up to 50% of the cost of the windows! What a wonderful time to take advantage of these savings.

Anderson windows has a newer line of windows called 100.  Anderson is a industry leader, selling more windows each year  than any other company today. It was important for Andersen to recognize how different the window industry is today compared to even five years ago.

Andersen’s new 100 series windows, including every window in our on-line catalog meet the .30 U-factor .30 SHGC requirements for the 2010 tax credits. The Fibrex® material was invented by Andersen, and is in large part wood particles left from shavings from their other wood window products. The new material is a innovative and environmentally friendly way to offer high performance windows, at a reduced cost.

Andersen offers this product without some of the common features you’ll find on other windows in their line. Vent stops, for example, are not available on the 100 series. The reduction in some of the “nice to have” features often available in higher end windows is may not be a major contributing factor for consumers hoping to save some extra money while looking to replace their old drafty windows.

Overall, the Andersen  100 line can offer a reduced cost for people bargain shopping new windows. The added incentives offered by the tax credit and by Andersen in rebates up to $175 are all great reasons for consumers to consider this line a strong contender.

There are now some windows manufactured that come with screens that have been dubbed “HD screens” or high definition screens.

The new screens are becoming more and more popular in today’s market place. A HD screen will have almost a completely see through appearance do to the fact that the screen mesh is much thinner. To compensate for a thinner/weaker screen mesh, the weave pattern is tightened.

Another interesting improvement is that the new screens offer greatly improve air flow because of less surface resistance. Since the weave is tighter the new screens are only slightly more likely to tear. With these screens popularity increasing it will be an option or even a standard feature with most windows produced in the near future.

Some consumers feel as if they need to buy windows that carry a brand name (Household name). They feel as if they must buy from a large brand name (Household name) company as well.

As discussed in a earlier post, If you spent 450.00 to have a window installed in your home you just bought a 150.00 window if you bought it threw a small (Mom and pop company) company spending zero to little on advertising. A small company usually only sells a few different lesser known brand names (NOT house hold names) in order to keep there orders to the factory up so they are insured the best wholesale price on the window. They must offer better service ( A person touch) and features that surpass the larger companies in order to survive. If you paid 450.00 then it is safe to say the window cost is around 150.00, the labor was about 150.00 and there was 150.00 profit for the owner to run the business( Half of that would go to the salesperson if they have one).

If you spent the same With a large window company with a household brand name how does the break down look like? They spend millions of dollars to become household names and the consumer pays that expense. The laborers are paid less than the labor paid to an laborer working for a small company. There is more specialization in labor coming from a smaller company with less turn over in workers than in large company’s. If you paid 450.00 for a product that you see as a equal product than your window is really only a fifty dollar window instead of 150.00 window purchased from smaller companies.

McDonald’s is a household name that sells cheeseburgers. More cheeseburgers than any other burger place in the world. Everyone has bought a cheeseburger from McDonald’s at least once. Most of us realize that the burgers are sub par in quality, have fillers in there meat and are a waste of money. We understand that the labor costs are very low in order to have a larger profit margin. They also employ unskilled laborers. Do you think its possible to pay a similar price for a burger at a local mom and pop burger joint and get real meat in the burger, have it be more tasteful and have it prepared by slightly more skilled employees?

So  do you really need to buy from a household name in the window world?  Your resale on your home will not be any higher with household brand name windows, but your wallet will be lighter. Your best value on windows may be to look outside the box and shop around.   There are obviously several factors to add to the mix beyond price as well, be sure you’re considering the benefits you’ll receive from working with smaller companies.

I bet your favorite place to eat is somewhere other than McDonald’s. Your favorite contractor could be someone that you might not have even heard of yet.

In order to receive your tax credit for the year 2009 you must have your windows installed by the end of the year. If they are not you still can get the credit for 2010. It is a max of 1500.00 that can be claimed in the year 2009 and 2010. Not 3000.00, but 1500.00 total. You have two years to use it and you can not double dip.

The truth is that it really does not matter where there made, its how they are made.Pella, Marvin and Anderson are thought as the top manufacturers in the business. They also have something else in common…..they are all built out  of the state of Colorado. The state of Colorado is not a manufacturing state.  There a very few windows that are built in the state of Colorado and unfortunately they all rate very low in comparison to most windows made today. Use the NFRC rating system. Its the only real way to find the value of any window.

 Most vinyl window manufactures tend to make windows 3.25 to 3.50 inches. The most common is three and a half inches. This usually means that when existing windows in a home are replaced with vinyl windows, they tend to take up more window sill space. Sometimes  existing window treatments will not fit with the new windows.

 There are about four major types of window spacers used today. One is the standard aluminum spacer. The second is the intercept spacer. The third is the super spacer and lastly there is the Steele spacer.

 Standard aluminum spacers are very inexpensive to manufacture. They are the highest conducting spacers made today and are commonly used in lower end windows. This spacer has a  high seal failure rate.  The intercept spacer is a three sided spacer the is shaped like a U. Since there is only three sides to the spacer instead of four, like in the first standard spacer, the theory is that heat and cold will transfer slower through the window. One problem this spacer commonly has is that it has a higher failure rate because since it has only three sides it moves slightly easier than the standard four sided spacer. As the window goes through cold and hot weather changes the spacer will have a slight chance of separation from the glass. The seal failure rate is about sixteen percent. The Super Spacer system is commonly sold as a better spacer system, it is made out of a foam and in theory since the is no metal in the spacer, the window will have a much harder time transferring cold and heat. The down side is that the system is attached by a beutel (glue)  to the glass and if the window experiences very warm temperatures than the spacer can pull away from the glass. One large windows that have direct heat the Super Spacer might start to dip down in the middle between the glass. This spacer has about a eight percent failure rate. Lastly the Steele Spacer. The spacer is made from Steele. Steele conducts only 300 British Thermal Units (BTUs) per hour. Aluminum spacers conducts 1416 BTUs per hour. From the start, Steele is far superior to aluminum. The Steele spacers are coming used in most wood windows and high end vinyl lines.  The failure rate is about one percent.

There are pages of window companies in the phone book. Which company would be the smartest choose? If all the companies carried the same exact products and offered them at the exact price than the choice might simply come down the installation. Some companies have a frequent turn over with installers which has some risk of quality control issues. Asking questions about the exact installer working on your home could lower the chance of an unhappy experience. Besides getting the best value with respect to price, the installer is a very important role in your happiness.

Manufactures have had a very tough year and it does not look like there is a huge change coming so0n. There is no way of knowing who is about to fold next,but it is safe to say if you buy a cheap product for a cheap price  than your stuck with a second rate window if the manufacture closes its doors. If you decide on a energy efficient window than in all honesty it really does not matter if the company closes there doors because the likelihood of a problem is drastically cut.