How to Save on Winter Heating Bills In Kansas City With New Windows
Dec 06, 2020Older windows and damaged windows can cause many more problems than Kansas City homeowners realize, especially during the winter months. Whether you just bought an older house or the windows on your home are several decades old, new windows can be a solid investment that provides more benefits than you may realize at first. A broken or outdated window may seem like a simple inconvenience, but it is probably causing you to hemorrhage money needlessly.
Window quality is especially important during the winter. If your windows allow warm air to escape or cold air to enter, you are probably spending far too much on heating your home. Unfortunately, this has a compounding effect, forcing you to deal with discomfort from ineffective windows and the associated costs of poor insulation. While you may think it’s unreasonable to schedule a window replacement for your home during the early winter, it’s easier than you might expect and can provide immediately recognizable value.
Winter Window Installation: What to Expect
If you decide to replace your Missouri windows on your own or just replace one or two windows, prepare for the window opening to be exposed for a few hours while the window installation team handles the job. Typically, it’s easy to create a temporary barrier that minimizes the amount of cold air entering the home and the amount of warm air escaping during installation. While it’s true that your winter window replacement job will likely make your home a bit colder for a day, it’s well worth the temporary discomfort to have brand-new windows that are ready to handle the harsher weather ahead.
Work closely with your Kansas City window installation team to determine which windows need to be replaced and how quickly the job can proceed. Most professional window installation teams are experienced in handling window replacements in all types of weather. Depending on the number of windows you are replacing, the job may take one or more days to complete. Replacing a single-window does not take very long for a professional window installation team. A temporary barrier of plastic sheeting or drop cloth may be surprisingly effective at keeping out the cold. However, your inside temperature should normalize within a few hours of the work being finished.
Winter window replacement may involve extra cleanup, but you should immediately notice a difference after a few days of having your newly installed windows. Temporary wind barriers should help keep your home reasonably comfortable during the job. However, it should not take long afterward to feel more comfortable or notice your furnace is not working as hard. After a few months, you’ll start to notice the additional benefits of your investment.
How Your Windows Influence Your Heating Bill
Your home’s heating system has a crucial function. This system activates when it detects the inside temperature below a preset level. When you set your home’s thermostat, the furnace will do its best to maintain the temperature at your desired setting. This is where insulation comes into play. If your home is well-insulated, interior heat is maintained more easily, and your furnace does not need to work as hard to keep the inside of your home comfortable. This, in turn, means lower energy consumption and less money spent on energy bills every month.
However, if your home’s insulation is lacking, particularly due to old windows, your furnace will continue working harder and harder as warmed air seeps out of your home. Over time, this means your furnace will consume far more energy than you expected. This means not only higher monthly energy bills but also a greater chance of your furnace breaking down and requiring expensive repairs.
Other Expenses Caused by Outdated Windows
Your Missouri home’s furnace system will be working its hardest over the winter months, so it’s essential to ensure your home is well-insulated so that it does not break down when you need it most. An overworked heater is more likely to experience mechanical faults, some of which could be dangerous. Replacing your windows this winter could potentially be one of the best ways to ensure you do not have to replace your furnace or schedule expensive repairs this winter. The window replacement process does not take long if you choose a professional team to handle the installation for you.
Replacing your windows can also help you identify other insulation problems. For example, if you believe your outdated windows are the reason your furnace is struggling to keep your home warm and you have them replaced, you’ve got valuable information. This could help you identify other problems throughout your home that may be contributing to energy inefficiency and discomfort, such as cracks in your home’s exterior, roof damage, or other issues that may be expensive to fix. Having your new windows installed will also boost your property value and potentially qualify you for additional savings, especially if you replaced very old windows with modern, energy-efficient models.
Choose Professional Window Replacement
Winter may not seem like the best time to schedule a window replacement for your home, but handling it now can potentially prevent further discomfort and unnecessary expense. Take your time when choosing a window replacement service. Make sure the provider you have chosen has solid experience handling winter window installations and ask them specific questions about what to expect from their installation process.
In most cases, window installation teams will do one window at a time, protecting the room with a temporary barrier and then finishing the installation before moving to the next one. This minimizes temperature fluctuations from the exposed window openings. Find out how long your team thinks it will take to complete your window replacement job so you can prepare accordingly.
If you are unsure whether some or all of your Missouri windows should be replaced, schedule an inspection as soon as possible. A thorough professional inspection can help you determine which windows need replacement the most. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to simply replace all of their windows at once if more than a few definitely require replacement. Take time to schedule a professional inspection with an experienced window installation team if you have any reservations about a winter window replacement project. They can help you determine the best approach to meeting your goals.