New Windows Version 20.09

We have a running theory that the builder of our house really intended it to serve as a summer home. As I've written before, the drafts through all rooms are many and cold in the winter-time; so one of the continuing missions for us is to upgrade all aspects of the structure to preserve heat and increase the quality of life within our four walls.

One part of this mission is replacing windows. Last year we had four windows replaced by a local company called Madison Vinyl, who delivered an excellent product with poise, professionalism, and few marks that they had been in our home when the work was done. So this summer, inspired by a federal tax credit for installing energy-efficient windows, we hired them again. Earlier this week Ivan and Carlos came by to do their usual good work.

Here are a few before-and-after shots.

Our kitchen window, which had never had a screen before:

now allows us to do the dishes, enjoy a breeze, and keep the bugs out at the same time:

Our kitchen picture window gave us both a gorgeous view and a horrible heat sink:

But now has a triple-paned heat transmission factor of 0.21 (look up what that means, then be impressed):

The tiny first-floor bathroom window had that retro-feel from the glass blocks, but once again, not much heat efficiency:

And now it can be opened, cleaned entirely from the inside, and looks a little more not-out-of-the-seventies:

The upstairs central window went from a cranky split window with a misbehaving lock mechanism:

To an easy-to clean double-hung:

The north-east window lacked a screen, and the eastern-facing picture window had lost its seal, leaving us with a foggy view:

Now we can open them both, thanks to double-hung technology:

and we can see our driveway:

What's more, they don't look good only from the inside. The original exterior beauty of our windows came from shaped wood trim and accent-colored shutters:

Now, thanks to Ivan's diligence and creativity, our new windows are wrapped in the accent color, which will keep the elements off the wood trim and remove the need for shutters (which produce a problem of nesting bats and the resultant guano):

Thanks to Ivan, Carlos, and Madison Vinyl for adding beauty, convenience, heat efficiency, and value to our home. (And praise the Lord for tax credits!)

~emrys