06/20/2018
Top 10 Things to Look for When Buying New Windows
- 1. Research the Company:
Do your due diligence on the company that is coming to estimate your project.
How long have they been in business?
What is their reputation?
Where can you find references?
A little bit of research can potentially save your house from a bad install.
Remember, Google is your friend.
- 2. Research the Product and Code Requirements:
Does the company offer what you’re looking for and need to pass inspection?
While your representative should have your best interest at heart, there are still companies out there selling outdated products.
City inspectors will fail windows that do not meet code, leaving you with a heck of a hassle.
QUICK TIP:
Ask your representative about
their U-Factor & Solar Heat Gain CoEfficients and where TEMPERED glass is required in your home.
You can confirm these requirements with your city inspector.
- 3. Interview your Window Representative Carefully:
You’d be surprised to know (sshhh industry secret) that the majority of sales consultants for the window industry can’t even properly measure a window. 🤦🏻♂️
The big counter-argument is that they’ll send an installer to measure,
but why would you take construction advice and spend a chunk of your hard-earned money,
with someone that doesn’t know
when to measure the window inside or outside (and yes certain window types can very how it’s measured).
Ask your rep to walk you through the process carefully.
Also ask them how long they’ve been doing this and what their construction background is.
Some Home Improvement companies have a high turnover rate, so you never know if you’re getting a seasoned employee or a super green rookie, so interview them carefully.
(TIP: Look at the company’s online reviews and request reps that have been mentioned by name.)
- 4. Check for Any Damages that Need to
be Addressed Before Having Windows Installed.
The two biggest things to address are your home’s foundation and rotted wood.
Your home’s foundation can cause your window openings to shift, which can affect the sizing of your new windows.
If your openings aren’t squared, you can end up with windows with a lot of extra trim work.
Rotten wood sills can usually be addressed by the window company themselves,
but if the entire frame is rotted, it may be a good idea to have your local contractor to replace the entire frame.
This will save your pocketbook big time, and give you a better window installation.
- 5. QUALITY, PRICE, and VALUE:
The industry is flooded with companies selling $1500, $2000, and even $4500 windows.
$1500 PER WINDOW?
Are these windows made of gold?!?!
You definitely get what you pay for, and you need a legitimate company that has the right experience to do a great job,
but there’s no need to pay such outrageous prices.
Since a legitimate company will meet the required U-Factor and Solar Heat Gain CoEffiecients,
you can rest assured that the $500 window performs the same as the $1500 window.
TIP: While color choices, arched windows, and tempered glass can raise the cost of your windows, your average window cost should stay between $400-$800 per window,
including installation and all fees.
- 6. Glass Replacement is Almost as Expensive as New Windows.
The cost of glass replacement has risen significantly.
I’ve had clients show me glass replacement quotes as high as $350/window!
Glass quotes that high, I can replace the entire opening with a new insulated frame
and energy star glass for $75 more per window.
(That particular home had standard square windows that were 3X5.)
Also, you should know that sometimes they can’t get older frames put back together,
due to damage to the ages frame.
You could end up with a bead of super-glue holding your new glass in your old frame.
Be careful!
- 7. Is the Lifetime Warranty Really Lifetime?
What many homeowners are unaware of is that their Lifetime warranty is bogus.
It’s actually a manufacture’s warranty from the factory the company bought windows from
and is usually rated for 10-20 years.
Ask your rep the stipulations of the warranty.
Does the company you’re buying from have it in writing that they will take care of the warranty?
(TIP: Ask if they have a long-term Maintenance Plan to go with the Warranty.
This can assure you that they plan to be around for a long time.)
- 8. Don’t Skip the Sample!
Whether you’re getting one estimate from a referred source or you’re getting multiple estimates, don’t skip the sample.
Seeing the window sample and the cutout sample will allow you to see the inner workings of the window.
This will show you whether you’re buying a window with real locks or dummy locks.
It will also allow you to see if the window has any kind of reinforcements in the frame rails.
- 9. Custom or Standard?
This is a huge confusion in the window industry.
If you’re replacing windows in a house that’s already built; 95% of the time,
you’ll need custom sized windows built.
Why?
Because only new-construction windows are perfectly framed for standard units.
While your replacement windows are usually sized down to fit your brick or wood openings.
Standard size windows being ordered for replacements can lead to destroyed brick,
chopped wood exteriors,
or window frames shaved down to fit an opening (which compromises your energy efficiency of the window).
- 10. Plan for Long Wait Times During Peak Seasons:
Most of the top window companies have wait times of 4-6 weeks during the regular year.
This is due to the building of custom windows and scheduling the perfect install crew for your project.
During the beginning of summer and the dead of winter, peak season times can run up
to 8-9 weeks due to the high demand,
so plan accordingly!
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Use this checklist to arm yourself with the right knowledge to help with your home improvement project!
Check out http://windowworld.phonesites.com for more!
