Window Upgrades That Make Your Home Shine

Your home has looked the same for years, and you think that it is time for a lot of high-quality upgrades. One great place to start is with your windows in Iowa City. These are often considered the gateway to the soul of your home and provide a variety of style benefits that make them an important aspect to upgrade as soon as possible.

However, you aren't sure how you want to upgrade your windows and need a little bit of professional help to ensure you make the right pick. The following advice will provide you with the insight that you need to not only pick the best options for your home but to choose ones that fit your unique personal style and which make your home a more attractive and comfortable place to live.

Styles That Look Great for Your Home

When upgrading your home's windows, there are many styles from which you can choose. Each provides unique benefits that make them worth your time. They include:

• Double-Hung – The most common form of window opens from the top or bottom to create a diverse – and handsome – home style.
• Casement – These windows open from the sides to create stronger ventilation for your home. They also look great on shorter homes.
• Sliding – These sliding doors typically work best with shorter and more horizontal homes because they accentuate their length.
• Bay and Bow – Bay and bow windows extend beyond your wall to create a stunning look that is quite appealing on larger homes.
• Picture – This option is a single-pane style that creates an unobstructed view that is both handsome and alluring.

These are just a few of the options from which you can choose. Others include garden and shaped windows with unique tweaks and twists to their style. Make sure to choose which ones go best with your house: for example, bay and bow typically go best with multiple-story homes.

Frame Materials Matter Too

When buying new upgrades for your home, you need to seriously consider the frames to ensure that you get the best possible style. The material of your frames will vary between one of three different types, each of which has advantages and disadvantages:

• Vinyl – Vinyl frames provide your home with many unique benefits, including the ability to paint it. However, it does expand and contract in heat and cold, which can be a problem.
• Wood – One of the cheaper types of frames, wood provides you with a handsome and durable frame material. However, it does need periodic maintenance to keep it secure.
• Fiberglass – This material type is one of the stronger types and doesn't warp as easily as vinyl. This strength makes it a great choice though it may be more expensive.

The inexpensive nature of vinyl often makes it an alluring option for those on a tight budget. However, its tendency to warp makes it a bad choice if you want your home to look great. Wood is a healthy middle option because it is sturdy and won't bend like vinyl. Fiberglass is your best bet if you have a lot of money and want the ability to paint your frames.

Other Upgrades That Improve Window Style

Beyond the critical window elements discussed above are a variety of other upgrades to consider when installing new windows. These concepts don't fall into a single category but include a multitude of unique elements, such as:

• Flanged Frames – Flanged windows attach to your home using a nailed-down flange. This design creates a slightly different look that makes your home more attractive.
• Block Frames – A blocked window has no flanges but slides into the opening where your original window sat. These windows are easier to install but not quite as handsome.
• Glazed Panes – If you want your windows to look attractive and insulate your home more effectively, try glazed panes. These panes cost a little more, though, so pay attention to your budget.
• Removable Grids – These smart and removable grids can slide over your window and pop off for more natural cleaning. They create a more traditional look that is handsome and hard to resist.

These are just a few of the types of upgrades you can put on your windows. Integrating all of them is perhaps impossible – after all, a window can't be flanged and blocked – so make sure to choose ones that go the best with your home design. Go with your gut in this situation: pick whatever you think looks the best, no matter what others say.

Factors Beyond Aesthetic Beauty

When choosing upgrades to your windows , you need to make sure that you take into account a variety of non-aesthetic factors. These elements are more important than the looks of your window because they indicate how well it works. These include:

• R-Value – This measurement gauges how well your window can prevent heat transfer. It is essential to consider because it can keep your interior temperature stable during the warmest and coldest months.
• U-Value – The opposite of R-Value, this rating measures how much your window tends to transfer heat. Try to get windows with high R-Values and low U-Values for the best result.
• Solar Gain – This rating gauges how much your window will heat a room while the sun is shining on your home. The higher the number, the more heat that will transfer into your home.
• Wind Resistance – You typically want a window that resists the wind as much as possible because this can help avoid air leakage. This measurement is done in cubic feet per minute.

As you can imagine, windows with better values on these measurements cost more to purchase and install than those with lower values. So make sure that you carefully budget out your expenses during this process to ensure that you don't spend too much money. All too often, people choose a great window and then find that they can't afford multiple copies and end up paying too much cash.

Let Us Help You

These upgrades are designed to help your windows in Iowa City look great and to make your home a more attractive place to live. Make sure to carefully understand each of the benefits of these items before you make a purchase. And, just as importantly, make sure that you price them out correctly to ensure that you don't spend a lot of money on something that you can't afford.

And, if you are interested in upgrading your Iowa City, IA windows as soon as possible, please don't hesitate to contact us at BW Construction to learn more about the process. Our experts will work with you to identify the best upgrades for your home and can perform a variety of other updates, including adding new siding and roofing to your home at a fair price.