Windows and French Doors

A lens for people interested in replacing their windows but want to undertake the task themselves without the help of a licensed contractor. There are three ways you can go about making your home more energy efficient and beautiful via replacement windows. FIrst of all you can replace only the glass with high energy efficiency glass. You will need dual pane windows however for this to work. You can also remove the entire sash and insert an entire new window in the hole this leaves behind. In this case the old window frame stays in place and is covered up by a flange on the exterior and trim on the interior. The third and most expensive (least recommended) method is to completely remove the old window, frame and all. This will usually require some type of stucco or siding repair.

Can you buff out window scratches?

Many people are confused when it comes to scratched glass in their windows on their home. Many people have seen products or read articles about being able to fix scratched glass. Lets face it if you have a large window in your home and it has a small scratch, it can be quite expensive to replace that piece of glass especially if its tempered. So the big question is, can you "buff out the scratches" you have in the glass in your windows?

Well the answer as I'm sure you are aware is "It depends." I know thats not what you want to hear but it really is simple. The fact of the matter is, is that any glass repair company should be able to buff out "minor" scratched in your glass at your home. Many glass repair compaines say you can't buff out scratches or it voids the warranty, or any other myriad of excuses to get you to spend more money to replace your glass. If you come across one of these companies my advice is simple, call someone else.

The basic rule of thumb is that, if you can feel the scratch with your finger nail, then you cannot buff the scratch out. That scratch is too deep. If you here this from a glass repair company then they are a bit more reputable, however, there are still exceptions. There is new equipment that claims they can buff out scratches, but they can leave smears and waviness in the glass that you usually have to sign that you will accept before they begin to buff out the glass.

Most people, if they are complaining enough about a small scratch in the glass, are usually just better off replacing the glass. Its up to you to weigh the cost and benefits of replacing the glass versus the quality of the finished product. Whatever you do, ask them to price both options and review the warranty and guarantee of satisfaction before you authorize any work.

Wood is an essential requirement when it pertains to your property's windows. Wood is solid, very easy to deal with, insulates well, lasts much extended time, and is an accepted insulator. There are lots of explanations why wood windows stay the leading option in window for houses.

Wood windows will certainly be more appealing to prospective homebuyers in the future. Wood windows normally do not have thermal breaks as discovered on aluminum windows. Wood windows that have actually been appropriately sealed against air leakage, and enhanced by double-glaze window, fulfill a number of vital sustainability objectives, consisting of decrease of waste, reuse of existing resources and increased energy effectiveness.

For wood windows, condensation resistance relies on the sort of glass specified. In a cool temperature it is challenging to avoid condensation on plain glass. Custom wood windows can easily bring an entire brand-new measurement of design and design to your house. Historical wood windows can easily proceed to operate well for even more than 100 years.

Wood windows were developed to last, nonetheless, and some are still in service after 2 centuries or even more. A residence with wood windows will certainly be evaluated for even more cash and could offer faster than a residence without them. By comparison, your existing wood windows were most likely constructed from exceptional old wood can easily very last for centuries due to the fact that of its density and tighter granule.

Those that want to replace glass only

If you want to replace the glass only on your windows, here is a site you may want to take a look at. . .

Great Glass Replacement Website

There is alot of information on how you can go about doing this. One thing you need to remember is you need to have dual pane windows already with clear glass. If you have single pane windows you can't use this method and well if you already have low-e glass, you won't get enough benefit from upgrading your glass to justify the expense of replacing the glass. Remember if you have aluminum frames, they will still conduct heat and the windows wont be as efficient as wood or vinyl windows.

Some videos on YouTube explaining the window installation process.

Here is a series of articles I wrote concerning french doors

Series of French Door Articles

any information you need about french doors can be found here.

You mean there's more than one type of glass?

Whoa! Yes there are literally thousands of types of glass. The sky really is the limit when it comes to types of glass. However, since you are most likely a home owner and not getting ready to build a sky scraper, lets limit this discussion to the types of glass you can expect in your glass windows at home.

Clear Glass - Clear glass is your basic run of the mill standard glass that has come with standard windows for a long time. If your windows are older you may have single pane glass, but if they were installed within the last 20 years or so they are most likely dual pane glass. Basically its two pieces of glass glued together after being separated by a spacer. This glass is more energy efficient because less of the heat and cold pass through the glass.

Low-E Glass - This is clear glass that has an almost invisible metal coating sprayed onto the glass. This glass is even more energy efficient because it limits the amount of heat that can transfer though the glass. It keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Some smart low-e glass will allow you to choose glass based on your location. If you live in the north and have long harsh winters, the glass will allow the sun through in the winter to warm your house. The opposite effect is available in southern warmer states that are more concerned about cooling during the summer.

Safety glass - There is tempered, safety glass and laminated safety glass. Tempered glass is used in dangerous areas in case the glass break it will break into many small pieces instead of large shards that can fall and cause serious cuts and injury. Laminated glass is extremely hard to break and can be used when you want to increase the security of a certain area.

Tinted Glass - Most glass that comes tinted from the factory isn't a film but rather a dye that is inserted into the batch and causes the glass to come out with a tint. Most of these will be either bronze or gray.

Obscure Glass - There are thousands of types of obscure glass but it is basically what it says. It obscures the vision through the glass while still allowing light to transfer through.

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