Every year, we like to pretend that winter isn’t going to come back. There will be no need to shovel snow, or to chip a parking spot out of what seems like solid ice, or to put on everything you own in an effort to prevent from freezing to death while watching the Pats play…can you tell we’re not looking forward to this? But winter is coming, and now is the time to do everything we can to keep our homes warm and comfortable throughout the season.
Windows and doors are a big issue. There’s no two ways around it. When a window leaks, it’s letting your warm interior air out, and it’s letting the cold exterior air in. Chilly drafts are no fun – and if you’ve got aging family members, little kids, or pets, you really want to keep the icy breezes to a minimum. Having replacement windows installed can reduce your energy loss significantly. This benefits you in two ways: one – your home is warmer, which means its safer and more comfortable for everyone, and two – you spend a lot less money heating your home.
There are ways to determine how long it will take to recoup the cost of your windows in home-heating savings; the numbers vary based on the size of your home and how many replacement windows you’re having installed. The integrity of your doors is also an issue: if you have great windows and a very leaky door, you can lose a lot of heat. Replacement entrance way doors are often chosen because they’re very attractive and offer a higher degree of home security, but the energy-saving aspects of a replacement door are nothing to sneeze at: upgrading the doors can eliminate a primary source of leaks and energy loss! Even better – replacement windows and doors buffer noise…including the sound of a snowplow rumbling by at 3 am!