The Primary Benefits of Custom Built Home Windows

Are you considering custom built home windows versus pre-built standard windows for your upcoming replacement? Here are some things you should consider.

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You are unique, an individual, why not allow yourself the opportunity to design your own custom windows which will reflect who you are and provide you with a significant cost savings. Custom windows have really kept up with all the advancements in technology and offer you the opportunities to really customize your windows in various ways, from functional options such as control noise or for security, to more decorative options such as patterned glass, divided lite patterns, and intricate shapes, to various degrees of tinting and glazing.

When you choose custom built home windows over pre-built or stock home windows you will experience a higher quality window, built by a craftsman who specializes in the manufacturing of these windows. The windows can be custom made to your design and most importantly, to the exact specifications of the needs in your home thereby reducing drafts and loss of heat and increasing your homes overall energy efficiency. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the cost savings when the utility bill comes and you’ve continued to maintain the level of comfort you desire all year long. In fact, replacing single-pane glass windows with ENERGY STAR® qualified custom built products can save you $125 to $450 on energy costs annually.

You will also be doing the environment a favor by using less resources to meet your same heating and cooling needs. When you choose custom windows, the windows will be carefully made to the exact needs of your climate to ensure efficiency. This also gives you a unique opportunity to change the size or shape of your entire room for example by adding differing sizes of windows, or one big bow window.

You can never undervalue the importance of personalized service and installation. It’s best to work with the custom window builder allowing them to measure and install the window, as they will ensure its proper fit and efficiency. You don’t want to take a chance on wasting all the money you would have been saving, by skimping on the installation resulting in improper fits and drafts. Also, you don’t want to compromise the windows warranty by not having it properly installed by the professionals.
With custom built windows, you avoid the pitfalls of stock windows which always require some patching and filling, and likely even some trimming to get the windows to just ‘fit’. You also avoid having to purchase additional seals, insulation, caulking, dealing with gaps, and drafts, and additional costs of additional visits to remedy the problems. Relieve yourself of these additional complications and headaches and have the custom built window professionals complete the job.

Statistics have been reporting that most homeowners save up to 40% annually on their energy expenses after replacing their homes windows. Now is the best time to decide on custom built windows. The cost savings and customization options are well worth the initial costs for custom windows and you may also qualify for certain tax rebates for home improvements. Make the choice to enhance your home’s value and aesthetics as well as investing in future cost savings.

The Average Cost of New Replacement Windows for Your Home

Even before the economy took a nosedive, homeowners were looking for ways to save money. Home improvements can improve your property’s value while increasing energy efficiency. If you’re looking to replace some or all of your home’s windows, here’s what you can expect to pay. We have laid out the average cost of new home replacement windows.

New Home Windows Best Case Scenario
You will save a lot of money if your existing window frames are in good condition. If the frames are free of major defects, you can replace just the windows and save up to half of the cost of replacement windows.

Only a certified contractor or other window installer should remove the old window and inspect the frame for any damage. That same contractor will be able to repair a salvageable frame or remove a damaged one, but any additional work will end up costing you money. Most contractors work for about $100 an hour, and frame replacement can easily add another $200 to your total bill.
After you have the measurements, you have enough information to order the replacement windows. The window size is fixed unless you want to enlarge the opening. For load bearing walls, that process is both time consuming and expensive, and you should expect additional labor to cost another $200-$300.

Average Window Materials and Prices
The windows themselves come in a variety of materials. Vinyl is relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain, but it usually doesn’t come in too many colors. Unfortunately, most paints will quickly fade and crack on vinyl after a few years. However, paint manufacturers like Benjamin Moore have begun selling paint specifically designed for vinyl surfaces.

Energy Efficient Vinyl Windows Being Installed Other common materials include wood, aluminum, and fiberglass. Wood is an excellent insulator but is expensive compared to vinyl. It also holds up poorly in humid regions and can rot over time especially if rainwater is allowed to accumulate.

Aluminum is a lightweight metal that won’t corrode like iron. Many homeowners go with aluminum clad windows that encase the exterior surface in aluminum but leave the interior window wood for a beautiful appearance. Aluminum clad windows cost more but offer excellent weather resistance and insulation.

Fiberglass is a relatively new window material, and it offers a number of advantages over vinyl, wood, and aluminum. Like aluminum, it won’t corrode, rust, or rot. It can hold paint well, and it will insulate better than the other materials. Fiberglass contracts and expands with the temperature at roughly the same rate as glass, so it won’t leak as much air during the winter and summer months. By filling frame cavities with foam insulation, fiberglass windows offer the best insulation out of any type of window.

An average standard home window can cost as little as $300 for vinyl but 2-3 times as much for fiberglass. Wood and aluminum clad windows typically cost about $500-$700, and they offer a good compromise between cost and energy efficiency.

Triple-pane windows will also drive the cost up over double-pane windows, but they offer superior insulation. Insulating gas between the panes will also increase the overall cost but help save money on heating and cooling bills. Have a damaged frame? A new one will increase the cost by 50-100 percent including the additional labor required to tear out the old frame and install the new one.

Bottom Line
At a minimum, expect to pay on average at least $300 for materials and $100 for labor per window. If your home has 10 windows and you’re replacing all of them, the job will cost at least $4,000.

Once you add in extras like triple-pane windows or fiberglass frames, the material costs can increase up to about $1,000 for a standard window. That same 10 window home will cost about $11,000 instead.

Every frame that needs to be replaced will cost another $200-$700. With all of the bells and whistles for each window, you’re looking at anywhere from $1,000-$1,500 per window. Larger windows and additional work can add several thousand dollars more to the eventual cost.