Home renovations come in all shapes and sizes. From remodeling a bathroom, to re-painting the living room, it is important to do well-rounded research whenever you choose to update or change any aspect of your home. Windows are one of the forgotten about home renovations, and often, homeowners don’t know where to begin when it comes to replacing windows. When we were shopping for new windows for the Tahoe A-Frame we learned tons of valuable lessons about making the right decision.
MILGARD WINDOWS AND SOME WINDOW SHOPPING TIPS
RESEARCH FRAME MATERIAL AHEAD OF TIME
One of the first aspects of shopping for new windows is identifying which material your current windows consist of or which you desire to have. By narrowing this down, the process of choosing windows that will best fit your home will feature a smaller selection to choose from, making the process less overwhelming. The materials that most new windows are made of include vinyl, aluminum, and fiberglass.
- Vinyl windows are known for their energy efficient properties due to their ability to trap in air. They are also typically more affordable than other window materials and the most common replacement window when homeowners plan to remodel.
- Fiberglass windows are long lasting and durable. This style of window frames are ideal for any climate and has the ability to resist swelling and rotting.
- Aluminum frames are timeless. Their light yet strong material allow for a variety of configurations and looks.
When selecting a material for your new windows, we learned that it is important to figure out why you are replacing or installing them to begin with. Be sure that the material you choose for your frames is going to do the job you need it too and not just match your home decor.
CHOOSE GLASS WISELY
Once your frame material is selected it’s crucial to find glass that will fit well with your choice. In most situations, single-pane glass is no longer used. Unless you’re located in a very mild climate, you’ll want to invest in double-pane, or even triple-pane if you live in a colder climate. Both of the thicker pane options provide varying levels of insulation from cold and noise from the outside.
We recently winterized our windows at the A-Frame – check out the blog here!
SAVE YOUR ENERGY
When shopping for windows for the Tahoe A-Frame, we were surprised with the amount of products that showed R-Values, which indicate the energy efficiency of the materials used in the windows, specifically for insulation purposes. This was very important for our project and we love that Milgard is an ENERGY STAR® Window Partner. This program is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to help individuals lower their energy costs and to protect the environment through the use of energy-efficient products and practices.
When shopping for windows, it is imperative to know what you want. Doing proper and diligent research on all materials, glass-panes, and especially a credible retailer. We absolutely love working with Milgard Windows & Doors! Their products are top-notch and have served the A-Frame well during all types of climate and weather !
Want to enter to win a $50 gift card? Comment on this post below sharing what you learned about home renovation window shopping! Ends 5/31/2020!
Have you heard of Milgard Windows before? Do you have any window buying tips that I missed? Let me know in a comment below!
I love that Milgard is an Energy Star Window Partner. This is something I never knew! Will definitely be using Milgard for my next home renovation!
Thanks for sharing! We are doing a renovation and on the hunt for our windows too.
When you wrote window shopping I legit initially thought you meant like walking down the street and looking at stuff in windows and then walking into stores to buy those things, hahahah! That being said, this post is super helpful as my husband and I are considering building a home the next time we move.
I want to enter to win that cabin!! lol I need to replace my windows at some point. The Renewal by Andersen people are relentless, so much spam from them. Their quote was like 16k for my small townhome, for double pane windows.
So true that the type of frame really does depend on the primary reason you are doing the renovation. It is really good to know what options you have and you also make a great point about considering the choice of glass where it comes to considering energy usage and saving.
These are really helpful. I think getting the right window for your house is really important. The cabin looks amazing
Thanks for sharing.
I love your porch its super cute!!
This couldn’t have come at a better time for me. We’re currently in the process of finding replacement windows, and there is a lot of information to think about! Love it.
This was a really interesting read. I have never thought about all that goes in to picking out windows. Our windows are still good, so we haven’t had to do it yet, but it’s nice to know what to look for when we finally have to.
Wow! The finished product looks absolutely stunning! Great tips to heed by when shopping for windows.
This is a great post at a great time as I am getting ready to replace my windows. The previous owners of my house could have used this article! Seriously, though, I think many people buy the wrong windows because it is truly hard to sift through all of the information.
That is absolutely beautiful design. That style reminds me of the cottage with a sophisticated taste.
wow. your project looks amazing. i had never heard of vinyl windows. thanks so much for educating me. that is so awesome that they help keep the cold or warm air inside. i remember having a single pain window when i was in a college dorm living and since i have sworn to have proper windows 😉
ENERGYstar windows are very important. This is a gorgeous looking home in the photo. There’s a lot to know about doing windows and they are so expensive – or they can be that you want your investment to last and to make an impact.
This is a great window shopping guide that will help me be prepared for my next shopping trip!
Never thought about how many things you need to take into consideration to buy windows. Thanks for all the advise and I from now on I will choose my windows wisely
We had to replace our home windows last spring/summer because we had one start to leak.
It’s amazing how varied the cost can be – we had quotes from $8k – $25k.
It pays to take your time and figure out exactly what your home needs. The energy efficiency and gas insulation between the panes was a big selling point for us.
Interesting information! I learned that there are different kinds of materials used for windows. Aluminum, vinyl, and fiberglass. It’s more important to choose one that fits the houses needs that what you think looks better!
I learned there are three different types of window frames to choose from! These Milgard windows sound and look awesome! I will check into them as we have to replace a couple of ours!
I loved how you also explained not only about the frame but also the window! Not many people talk about the windows in blog posts or reviews.
Thanks for the great information! I had no idea that there are so many elements involved in window replacement!
Love the look for this cabin hope you have a great weekend enjoy hope I’m lucky also for the 50.00 Thankyou, Ken
I hope to check out Milgard. Great giveaway! I hope that my friends will win it. Good luck to everyone!
I had no idea vinyl windows trap air–what? Very cool.
hi! you’re the randomly chosen GC winner. Emailing you!
Thank you for the list! I am definitely going to try some of these products.
literally, it’s window shopping. haha! cool post. I would also go for fiberglass windows. I think theyre perfect!
I learned that most new windows are made of various materials – had no idea! Vinyl, aluminum, and fiberglass. Great post. Thank you for sharing!
I learned that upgrading my windows can make my home more energy efficient and also help with sound proofing.
Well…I did not know Home Renovations could be so “risky” but like so simple if you do it right. If that makes any type of sensethe more you know I guess.
wow everything looks amazing. i couldn’t do that myself.
Thank you so much for this post! I will definitely be referring back to it in a few years for house reno inspo!