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.

Weather in Denver’s been interesting but the warmth is a nice and welcome change!

What if I’m now seeing water on my window seals and even on the walls and floors around my windows? In short, there could be many problems, many of these may be beyond the scope of repair or may be nearly the cost of a replacement window. Now may be a great time to get a quote and look at your options. If you’re calling a window expert to come look  at the window for repairs, expect them to offer to replace the window as their first recommendation. This is not necessarily a negative thing.

Windows that begin to leak are often suffering from other failures and the windows are likely aged or were cheaply produced. If there is no manufacturer warranty covering the windows, you may find replacing one or two windows at a time a reasonable resolution to your circumstances. Repairing the window, however, may be more costly than helpful. As the repair occurs, additional damage can be caused inadvertently to parts that had been at the brink of failure already. The effectiveness of the window to insulate you’re home, is also likely to be sacrificed even after the window is repaired.

Many times a window repair project can come as a surprise and you simply haven’t budgeted thousands of dollars needed to replace all the windows in your home. Most window companies are much more cooperative with smaller sized projects to be performed in stages than they may have been previously. As the market and business has changed over the years, smaller 1-2 window projects are becoming more common. Some consumers, however, haven’t really recognized that this is a option and recognize it may be a great way to start saving on their energy bills even if it’s only by a small percentage.

Denver Window Info’s been growing!

Our traffic is expanding quickly and we’re happy to say more people are finding our site resources help them gather information about their new replacement window purchase.

Denver Window Info.com establishes relationships with local companies that stand out as industry experts and we’re growing those relationships. Our focus is to insure our site provides detailed information to readers who are researching buying new windows in the Denver area. We know that the best way to achieve this, is to talk to, cooperate with and learn from the best there is!

If you’re a local company, we think a cooperative effort to get the best information out to customers is the best way to bring qualified customers to you. To learn more about how we’re expanding our services, and to get in before we close our doors to new companies, contact us today. We’d love to have a chance to build a long and fruitful relationship.

We’re nearing the end of the winter season and transitioning into the summer months. What better time to reflect upon that magical combination of SHGC and southern facing windows and how a proper selection of window could have actually generated heat for your home all winter long. The matter of fact is that there is a sort of harmony where a window is actually generating more heat than it’s releasing during the winter month. How this effect is generated is a bit beyond the scope of this post but I’ll cover the basics for you below.

First, SHGC or (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient) is a important measurement displayed on the Manufacturer rating system. It’s purpose is to measure the heat transmitted from the sun blocked by the windows.

For cold weather climates where temperatures fall low enough, the SHGC for southern facing windows can actually best perform if it’s not at it’s lowest values. A low SHGC, where very little solar heat is transfered through the window would be a .30. A higher SHGC, where more heat is permitted through the window might be .50.

Our northern neighbors have a easier time determining when a SHGC should be higher or lower for the best energy efficient windows. The increased time during colder temperatures increases the significant changes a high SHGC can provide. In Colorado, this becomes more varied since your home may be too hot during fall and spring when a south facing window permits a lot of heat into the home that then must be cooled.

If you’re buying. A higher SHGC without sacrificing your U-value for southern windows should improve your energy savings over a low SHGC window. Consider a .50 SHGC or slightly higher effective at generating heat for your home in the window while maintaining a minimal difference. With a higher SGHC, during summer months you’ll pay a slightly higher cooling bill to offset the additional heat permitted to radiate through your window. The extra cooling costs in the sumer will be outweighed by the savings to heat your home in the winter.

For north facing windows, the SHGC rating of those windows isn’t worth worrying about as much. If you’ll be buying a different glazing or option for windows on different sides of your home you’re likely to save money by having a higher SHGC on northern windows. A higher SHGC is neither harmful or helpful for northern windows. Overall buy the northern windows according to what price will make the most sense.

For more information: Check this great post on Green Building Advisor.com

Have you ever considered the effects SHGC might have on your windows and winter heating costs? Did you realize you might save more money over a year with higher SHGC ratings rather than lower? Let us know! Post in the comments.

Many people are more interested in getting a general idea on the cost of new windows and not a full fledged quote. Well, that’s a tricky question and it’s very difficult to estimate with any level of accuracy.

So, for what it’s worth, I will give you some generalizations. But, you’ve been warned – window’s vary in price significantly based on features, materials, install needs and the overall size of the window.

The best of the best, for top end quality, expect to pay top dollar. You could spend thousands per opening for the worlds most efficient windows. While the best windows on the market will initially require big investment, the payout is that most of these windows will pay for themselves in 15-20 years. That’s dependent of coarse, on what is coming out and a number of other factors. You may not recoup the full window cost for more than 40 years with energy savings alone. Also, consider the fact that the windows will increase the value of your home by between 50-90% of the cost of the new windows. But I digress…

If you’re looking for a general high end window, plan on roughly $500-$800 per opening.

A more basic vinyl replacement window with 2 panes of glass and middle of the line features and energy savings will range significantly but a $300-$600 per opening would be fair.

The lower quality and lower efficiency windows that in many cases may just marginally outperform the windows in your home currently, can run from $100-$300 per window opening. If you’re considering one of these windows, and you currently have a vinyl or similar composite window with 2 panes of glass, you’re not going to see much change in your excel energy bill. If you’re current windows function and you can save for a better investment in higher grade windows I would highly recommend it.

Many real estate professionals will consider windows as they ‘flip’ or remodel a home. The selection they’ll make for windows should they determine they need to be replaced should vary. A high end home should receive at very least a medium grade double or triple pane window. With the potential to reclaim a very large percentage of the cost of the windows in the resale value of the home, it’s best to consult with a Realtor or appraiser for determining the window grade to consider. As the neighbors who have replaced their windows. If you’re window quality is significantly lower than the smith’s next door, you’re likely to be hurting the home’s value and sell-ability.

Have a specific question on how much you should expect to pay for windows? Post it in the comments and we’ll do our best to answer any questions you may have!

Request a quote from a local professional today! Learn about your options and get pricing details for your home. You’re may be surprised at all the options and benefits a window can give you. With all the tax credits available, why wouldn’t you?

There really is never a bad time to request a quote to help you make the best buying decision. If your expecting to buy in the next 10 days or 12 months, request a quote today!

Finding the right window can seem like a daunting task.  One thing important to consider when thinking about your new windows for your home is often overlooked by many people.  When it comes to buying windows, you must ask yourself why.  Why are you buying new windows for your home?  Do you want to replace those old drafty ones just because of their poor shape and because they leak?  Are you looking to really improve the energy efficiency of your home or just trying to perform ‘maintenance’ and upkeep the house?  Try and understand your priorities when it comes to looks, features, efficiency and price.  Distinguishing why you are buying windows can save you a lot of time and money.