We have officially lived in our home for three years. Memorial Day every year marks the anniversary for us. We have updated many things inside. The paint is still fresh, the carpet is nice, we have made the homey touches yet when I look around I still feel like we might be missing the mark somewhere. I go outside I see the siding is new, the roof is new, the landscaping has all been replaced and is growing in nicely but the windows are leaving something to be desired. It is time we look into replacement windows.
After having done many home repairs and renovations in the past we have learned that good things come from careful planning. Mainly finance savings but also exploring options could lead us to make wiser choices. For instance when buying a washer and dryer last year, spending only fifty dollars more per machine got us energy star appliance that were better on energy and tax deductible. This would save us money year after year. We knew the same would be true for windows.
The things we considered when buying our new windows were financial, climate, current construction, resources and styles available. We then looked at the option available and were able to prioritize them. I knew nothing about windows with blinds inside the glass however found this option incredibly convenient. I was able to then switch modes and strictly look at window companies that offered that option. The blinds between the glass became my focus because I knew I loved the way they looked and the convenience they offered.
Financially – Of course blinds between the glass were a bit more expensive than traditional replacement windows. I priced compared several companies to find the company offering the best deals taking into consideration tax credits, installation charges and the extras involved financially with any home improvement project.
Climate – Our home is in Michigan. We experience four seasons; nasty cold winters with snow and ice, spring that brings humidity and storms, summer with its hot temperatures and fall the season of bliss. We needed the replacement windows with blinds between the glass to fit the bill for all four.
Current Construction – I did not want to make changes to the window sizes so they replacement windows with blinds between the glass had to fit within the space already provided by my home.
Resources – The material did not really matter to me. The choices were vast and our home is very neutral so any of the materials would look okay. My spouse though did not like the maintenance that would be needed for wood windows, thought aluminum looked cheap and was convinced fiberglass and vinyl were the two best choices.
Style – I just wanted them to be easy to clean so style needed to revolve around that factor. I did not like cranks because it becomes too time consuming to open all the windows. I was going for ease of maintaining that is why I liked the blinds between the glass replacement windows so much.
In the end the purchase of replacement windows was not all that bad. I ended up with stylish, easy to use and clean windows that have already paid for themselves with the increase in value they brought to our home. I could not be happier with my new windows with the blinds encased within the glass.