Replacing your windows doesn’t have to (always) be a case of replacing old, worn-out windows with bright, shiny new ones. In fact, you don’t have to wait until your windows are broken or looking decidedly rundown before replacing them. Sometimes, a makeover is just the thing you need to spice up your home’s look and enhance its curb appeal. Maybe you have a view that’s being spoiled by suboptimal window selection? Or maybe it’s a case of high energy bills that’s making you look into replacement windows. Any or all of the above are all perfectly valid reasons to replace your

home’s windows.

Double Hung Windows -- For the Traditional Look

Double hung windows are an old standby, but that doesn’t mean that they’re outdated or have gone out of style. In fact, they are still the most commonly-installed windows in all of the United States today, with a market share that’s vastly bigger than any of the others. There’s a reason this old, but dependable, style of window is still the most popular in America.

Since the 17th century, double hung windows have seen wide use in the U.S., although they’ve been around for longer than that. Their use in many historic houses has caused them to be associated with that kind of timeless, old-fashioned charm, making them a great match for more traditional homes, such as ones built in the Cape Cod, Georgian, Queen Anne, and American Farmhouse styles.

Bay and Bow Windows -- An Elegant Architectural Statement

Jutting out beyond a home’s exterior wall, bay and bow windows add a striking, attention-grabbing feature to your home’s exterior. Variations on the same compound window design, the bay window is differentiated from the bow window by its rather more box-like or trapezoidal shape. Where a bay window will typically have only three sides, the more gently-curving bow window can have anywhere from four to six panels.

PART 1: AESTHETICS OF WINDOW REPLACEMENTS

From within your home, the effect of either bay or bow window can be equally as striking. Not only do they provide more illumination than most other windows in the same situation, they also subtly add to the perception of space in a room by adding actual usable space.

Versatile enough to be installed just about anywhere in your home, the room you install it in will dictate whether the space created will be a reading nook, additional seating for your living or dining spaces, or even just added shelf space in your bedroom or den.

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That’s the view from the outside, more or less, but your windows can also do great things for the view from within! More on this in Part 2!

PART 1: AESTHETICS OF WINDOW REPLACEMENTS

Picture Windows -- Framing that Vista Perfectly

There’s nothing quite like a picture window for perfectly capturing a particular view from within your home. Maybe it’s a nice patch of the beach or the sea just off your porch, or maybe it’s a grand mountain view that overlooks the valley below. Whatever it is, installing a picture window will help you relive over and over again the sheer majesty of that view outside your home.

The picture window takes its name from its similarity to a picture frame. With the option of installing a picture window pretty much lacking anything in the way of decorative grills or muntins, you can superimpose the window frame on any spectacle outside your home.

Depending on your home’s layout, you could even have a set of picture windows arranged in a multi-story configuration, essentially serving as a glass wall that brings the outdoors directly into your living room, or other interior spaces.

The large glass area also has the added advantage of letting in greater than normal amounts of natural light, which not only helps to seamlessly connect your home’s exterior and interior, but can also aid in reducing your dependence on artificial lighting to illuminate your home during the day.

PART 2: CAPTURING VIEWS WITH THE RIGHT WINDOW

Sliding Windows -- View and Ventilation, All in One

If there’s one major disadvantage to picture windows, it is that, by definition, they cannot be opened. Though other windows can be used in combination with picture windows in order to provide both ventilation and a vista to view, there is also the option to install sliding windows instead.

Don’t think though that sliding windows are simply just a compromise between picture and operable windows. Rather, they’re a great choice in their own right.

Though individually they don’t offer quite the same amount of viewing space as a picture window, there is the fact that sliding windows generally come in twos, either or both of which can be set, depending on the model of window you buy, to be operable.

Best of all, not only do sliding windows open with but a touch, but since they have so little in the way of moving parts, they’re generally less prone to breakdown and will last longer, with less required in the way of regular care, than many other styles of window.

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Windows aren’t all just about looks; they can also help yousave on your energy bills. More on this in Part 3.

PART 2: CAPTURING VIEWS WITH THE RIGHT WINDOW

If you’re looking to your windows to help you save on your overall yearly heating and cooling costs, you have several options open to you. What’s even better is that you don’t have to compromise aesthetics to rake in energy savings.

Picture Windows

Picture windows are the most energy-efficient windows you can install, largely due to the fact that they neither open nor close. This means that, unless you have other sources of ventilation into your room, undesired or otherwise, then a room with picture windows installed will be more airtight than a similar room, all other things being equal.

The large expanse of glass on a picture window also has additional benefits in the way of light and heat. The light admitted through your picture windows can help offset the need for artificial lighting in a room; installed facing towards the east or the south, directions from which the most sunlight comes from during the day, they can even eliminate the need for electrical lighting entirely during the day.

Picture windows can also help offset the amount of heating a room needs. Again due to the large amount of glass in the window, during the colder months the amount of solar heat admitted through the window can help offset the cold even while it lets in the light, making rooms installed with a picture window particularly comfortable places to stay in during the cold winter daylight hours.

PART 3: WINDOW REPLACEMENT AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Live in an area where it’s generally warm? Opt for low-emissivity glass in your window replacements to filter out heat without impeding natural light, keeping passive heating at bay.

Casement Windows

Ranking just below the picture window in terms of energy efficiency is the casement window. In addition to being the second most energy-efficient window (by virtue of the way the window latches against the frame), the casement window also has the added advantage of providing better ventilation than most other window type

This is because it’s the only window that opens to the size of its frame and its sash can be angled to catch side breezes that would otherwise just whistle past more conventional windows. With a casement window, you not only better control your home’s heating and cooling, but you also enhance and control the flow of fresh, ventilating air into your indoor spaces.

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Window replacement has a lot to offer you and your home so don’t delay! Work only with a reputable window expert in your area and you’ll ensure top-notch product quality and reliable installation.

PART 3: WINDOW REPLACEMENT AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Renewal by Andersenof Milwaukee

1510 Paramount Drive, Waukesha, WI 53186

10972 N. Port Washington Road, Mequon, WI 53092

(262) 955-84001-877- 977-3639

RBAMilwaukee.com