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Depending on your point of view, the No. 1 consideration for buying new replacement windows Pittsburgh is either energy efficiency or aesthetics. After all, new windows affect the buyer's wallet at the time of purchase and for many years (and heating and cooling bills) to come. And the right replacement windows can give a house a long-term face-lift. Cost of Replacement Windows Like any major home-improvement project, installing replacement windows in Pittsburgh is costly. Prices vary from contractor to contractor and brand to brand, but the average ranges from $350 to $450 per window including installation. And generally, single-hung windows (only the bottom portion slides) cost less than double hung replacement windows (both top and bottom slide). There are three parts to the quality thermal window equation: frame, seal, and glass. With only those three components, a homeowner can come up with almost thousands of different replacement window possibilities. Customers can get any degree of energy efficiency, any level of durability and certainly any kind of look they want. The only real limit is how much they want to spend. The frame is probably the most important part of double hung replacement windows. The cost is totally dependent on the look you want, the energy efficiency and the durability. For people who are choosing between aluminum, vinyl and wood frames, following are a few considerations about each type. Aluminum Replacement Windows Aluminum frames are most often found on older homes. On the plus side, they are usually the least expensive and the most durable. However, because aluminum is so good at conducting heat and cold, the frames literally bring the outside temperature right into the house. If you like the durability of aluminum but don't care for this drawback, consider ATB (aluminum thermally broken) frames. These frames, which cost about 15 percent more than standard aluminum, feature a polyurethane buffer between the inside and outside frame. The buffer breaks the conductivity and stops much of hot or cold from passing to the indoors. Vinyl Replacement Windows Vinyl tops aluminum in the insulation factor, but it is not as durable. Because vinyl can expand and contract with temperature changes, it can easily loosen or break the caulking that surrounds the window — creating gaps for air to pass through. They can be easily and inexpensively customized to fit the window space and they do not conduct heat and cold, so the frame and the window are both serving as a barrier to the outside temperature. Wood Replacement Windows Wood frames are the beauty contest winners. And if you want window frames to be one color on the outside and another on the inside, wood is your only option. But the very idea of painting puts them in a high-maintenance category. Wood makes for a good insulator, sealing out heat and cold. And wood frames can last for the life of the home when protected from the elements and pest infestations. Wood frames are commonly the most expensive. Be sure to ask what kind of wood you're paying for; it makes all the difference in durability. Harder woods, such as ash, hold up better than less-expensive options , such as porous pine. Pittsburgh Window Design After deciding to buy replacement windows, why not consider changes in window design as well? If you're tired of the same old rectangles, let your creativity guide you to a new vista. For example, picture windows can be divided and turned into working windows, often with stationary panels on each side. Bump-out garden windows can be installed in kitchens, bathrooms or breakfast nooks. On a larger scale, these bump-out styles are also used to make room for a window seat; many feature copper or cedar shake awnings. The author has an immense knowledge on replacement windows Pittsburgh. Know more about double hung replacement windows related info in his website.
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