Old windows sure can make a beautiful home look bad. You’ve gone to great lengths to make your HowardCounty home a showplace, but if your house’s windows are old and shabby, they can make your showplace a no-show place. But is that all those old windows can do to a home? Older windows will not only make your home look weathered and run-down, but they can also cost you money. Old windows allow important heat to seep out in winter and much-needed cool air to escape in summer. That will cost you money in your monthly heating and cooling bills. And that’s not all. Tired windows that aren’t doing their job can also cost you money in furniture preservation. They even have a cost in the form of hazards to you and your family. If you’re not sure your windows are working properly, there are ways to determine if your windows are costing you, financially or otherwise. Take a few minutes to assess your home’s windows to make sure they’re doing their job. If you have any questions you can always talk to an expert window contractor in Howard County.
Old windows can cost you money
Old windows are a notorious means of costing homeowners money in monthly heating and cooling bills. Many of the windows that are designed and manufactured in today’s window market are energy efficient. If, however, your windows were built even as recently as the 1990s, you may want to consider doing some window replacement.
Heating and cooling bills
Probably the most noticeable effect of old windows is the drain they can have on your wallet. Of course, if you’ve always been paying the same amount in your bills, this might not be as easy to detect. Here is a good method to use to determine if your windows are leaking air, which is costing you money every single month in the escape of heat in winter and cool air in the summer. With windows closed on a windy day, light a candle on the inside of your home near the edge of each window. If the candle flickers or goes out, then your windows aren’t doing their job in keeping air and heat from leaking, and that’s costing you money. According to the United States Department of Energy (DOE), Americans lose more than $30 billion annually through poor performance of old windows. The DOE adds that 50 percent of your energy bills are spent in heating and cooling your home. Energy efficient windows can cut monthly bills by as much as 25 percent, conservatively.
Fading furniture
Old windows can also cost you money in furniture purchases. Take a look at any furniture in your home that sits near windows. Now turn the cushions over or take the arm covers off a couch or chair in order to see what’s happening on the other side. If any furniture in your home that’s near a window is showing signs of fading that means your windows aren’t protecting your home and furniture from damaging sun rays.
Old windows can be hazardous
It’s not always the first thought when considering old windows versus new ones, but the fact is that old windows can be dangerous, especially if they were built before the 1980s.
Security
Old windows that are stuck shut are a definite hazard in an emergency. Every home needs as many alternate escape routes as possible in case of a fire. If your home’s windows cannot be opened, this is a danger that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Additionally, old windows were not built with many of the security features as today’s windows. Today’s windows contain more features to prevent vandalism and break-ins.
Lead paint
Lead paint is a thing of the past, right? Not necessarily, if your windows were manufactured before the 1980s. The risk of lead poisoning, especially in children, still exists in windows that were built in the 1970s and before. In fact, old window frames have been documented as one of the major lead-containing risks inside the home. If your windows were not manufactured in the past few decades, they may contain lead-based paint that can be life-threatening, especially to children.
There are a lot of ways that old windows can be costing you, and heating and cooling bills aren’t the only price. Windows that are too old can cost you and your family in so many other ways, including all-important security, necessary alternate escape route in a fire, and even in lead hazards that need to be eliminated. Take a few minutes to do an honest assessment of your home’s windows. If they’re leaking air, if your furniture is fading, if they’re difficult to open, or if they were built before the 1980s, you may need window replacements.
