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by
Energy Swing Windows in
Murrysville
Fall
is here, your last chance to
deal with those problem
areas on your home that
continue to deteriorate.
As a homeowner of Western
PA, you know the wear and
tear Mother Nature can cause
on your house with every
passing year. The
impact of this accumulated
damage becomes even more
noticeable during the windy
and cold winter months. If
you are thinking that this
is the year you finally need
to do something, now is the
time to make changes that
will make a difference.
Over the years, nothing
takes more abuse than your
windows. Traditional
materials that were used to
make windows in the past
don’t stand up well against
the elements. They’ve
deteriorated, have broken
seals, or the weather
stripping is poor. All this
makes your windows look bad
and hard to operate.
But even worse, the energy
you’re losing is as good as
throwing money out the
window.
Air infiltration around and
through your old windows can
be a major source of energy
loss. Properly manufactured
and installed windows cut
this loss drastically. To
maximize the benefit, new
windows need to be properly
insulated and sealed around
the perimeter. They also
need to be properly trimmed
out and sealed with high
performance caulking that
has long term durability.
Windows designed with
compression seals between
their moving parts tend to
be superior to designs that
rely on hard to maintain
edge seals that can change
over time.
Since the majority of any
window is glass, maximizing
its performance and
long-term durability is
critical. Today’s superior
performing products have
Low-E coatings, and an inert
gas between the two panes of
glass. Low-E glass uses
transparent silver coating
on the inside of the glass
that works like a heat
reflecting mirror, bouncing
heat back towards the
direction it came from. In
the summertime it reflects
the heat back to the outside
of your home, keeping your
house cooler, while in the
wintertime it reflects back
towards the inside of your
home, allowing it to stay
warmer.
High performing insulated
glass units replace the air
space between the two panes
of glass with a lower
conductivity gas, such as
argon, reducing the transfer
of heat. For long-term
performance, it is also a
good idea to look for
premium glass units that
have a double seal around
the glass perimeter. They
will last years longer than
units with a single seal.
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Another area that gets hit
hard by the environment is
the siding on your home.
Many Western Pa homes were
built with aluminum, wood or
cheap flake-board siding.
All of these old technology
materials are now showing
the effects of long-term
exposure to ravages of
Mother Nature. Newer
materials, such as today’s
vinyl siding products, are a
great way to protect your
home’s exterior from the
elements. These durable
products come in a multitude
of styles and colors to fit
the architecture of your
home. Most people know that
new siding improves your
home’s appearance and
provides protection that
cuts maintenance costs.
However, most consumers
don’t realize that it is
also the ideal time to
increase the insulating
values of your walls. House
wraps, which cut air leakage
through your walls, and
insulation board under the
siding, can enhance the
energy performance of
under-insulated walls. Many
of today’s better siding
products come with integral
foam backing that not only
saves energy, but also adds
strength and stiffness to
the siding panel.
Many consumers believe that
proper attic ventilation is
only important in the summer
to get the heat out. That’s
true. However, it’s
just as critical in the
wintertime to prevent the
build-up of excessive
moisture. Moisture in your
attic can cause paint
peeling and deterioration of
your soffits. It can also
lead to the rotting of your
roof decking and potential
mold problems. Attic
ventilation can be a complex
subject. The best way to
know if you’re okay is to
consult with a contractor
who has experience and
training. Proper attic
ventilation today can
prevent costly repairs in
the future.
Over time, your home’s
gutters can take a real
beating. Today’s better
gutter systems use hangers
for support allowing them to
float as they expand and
contract from winter to
summer. This constant
movement can loosen older
gutter systems.
Finally, if you are in an
area with a lot of trees,
you may want to consider a
gutter protection system to
keep leaves and debris from
clogging gutters in the
fall, which could lead to
frozen gutter in the winter.
As you can see, there are
many ways you can make your
home look like new while
protecting it from the
ravages of another winter.
So, before enduring another
winter with cold, drafty
windows, before excessive
moisture continues to attack
the wood in your home;
before you have to paint
again; before you have to
clean out and repair your
gutters, and most of all,
before you lose another cent
on your energy
bills—research how investing
in windows, insulated
siding, soffit ventilation,
and gutter improvements may
benefit you and your home
before winter settles in.
Calling today may be your
last chance to beat the fall
rush (one of the busiest
times for home
improvements). And
call your local
architectural specialist
soon to receive a no-cost
consultation. Energy
Swing Windows in Murrysville
can perform such an
evaluation for you.
For more information, call
Energy Swing Windows of
Murrysville at
1-877-SWINGCLEAN, or visit
their website at
www.energyswingwindows.com.
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