Although the specifics of the law vary by state, homeowners generally have specific rights when they sign a contract to have windows replaced in their home. One of the most important is the right of cancellation. This is a lot like the “lemon law” that applies to car sales. Basically, if a window manufacturer or installer comes to your home and convinces you to sign an agreement to have your windows replaced, you have 3 business days to cancel the contract. There can be no penalty or other charge assessed against you for doing this.

The salesperson making the presentation in your home is usually required by law to inform you both verbally and in writing of your right of cancellation. He or she must also provide you with a form to use in case you change your mind. If the salesperson fails to do this, the time period for your right to cancel may be extended.

To actually cancel a contract, you would need to call the company you signed the contract with to notify them of your intent. Then, you would send them the completed cancellation form or letter within the 3 day window. The company is then required to return any signed copies of the contract to you.

Pros and Cons of Cancellation

It isn’t uncommon for a homeowner to get “cold feet” about a home improvement project as extensive as window replacement. If the monthly payments are truly outside your ability to pay, it may be best to wait until your budget isn’t so tight. That way, you won’t fall behind and damage your credit history.

However, bear in mind that high-quality replacement windows can add over $10,000 to the value of a home. Plus, energy efficient windows begin delivering utility savings immediately upon installation. This can offset some of the cost of payments on an installment plan. They also make the home more attractive from the outside and more comfortable on the inside. You miss out on all these benefits when you cancel a contract to have your windows replaced.

The use of double pane windows has become standard for today’s energy efficient houses. Argon or other inert gases are used to fill the space between the inner and outer panes. The gas doesn’t conduct differences in temperature very effectively.

This means heat isn’t as likely to be lost through your windows in the winter. It also means hot weather in the summer won’t tend to warm up the interior of your home quite as much. This translates to a lower electricity bill when compared to single pane windows.

Should You Go Triple?

In the world of residential replacement windows, more is not always better. Well-designed triple pane windows do a better job of retaining heat in your home and preventing cold from penetrating. However, unless you live in an area with severe winters the difference will likely be irrelevant.

For example, if you live in Florida you won’t recapture the extra expense of installing triple pane windows. A UV blocking tint on a double pane window would be a cheaper and more effective way to keep your cooling costs low. But, if your house is in Fargo, North Dakota the extra insulating capacity could be important for both comfort and energy savings during the harsh winters.

Is there a south facing wall above your kitchen sink? This is the ideal place for a garden window. This type of window extends 1-1.5 feet past the exterior wall of your home. It usually features a large, fixed pane on the front and two single-hung side panes that are screened for venting. The overhead pane of glass is sloped downward away from the house to allow rain and condensation to run off.

Grow A Kitchen Garden

The inner sill of a garden window provides a perfect place to grow potted plants or an indoor herb garden. You have water from the sink readily available for the plants. Plus, you don’t have to worry about spills or dirt getting on your carpet. The inside ledge can even be tiled to match your countertops. Just make sure the underside of the window box is well supported with brackets to handle the extra weight.

Material Considerations

A garden window frame can be made of wood, aluminum, or vinyl. Of these three materials, vinyl is the most energy efficient and requires the least maintenance. Using double pane glass in this type of application is fine. However, you should avoid glass that is coated to block UV radiation. Plants need the full spectrum of sunlight to grow.

Does your bathroom have one or more walls that look out on the outside world? This gives you a perfect opportunity to let in some natural light. Of course, you also want to retain privacy in this room. Heavy drapes make a small space look cramped and gauzy sheer curtains won’t give you enough opacity. However, there are plenty of window options that will let the sun in while keeping out prying eyes.

Location Specific

Consider placing casement (awning style) windows close to the ceiling. These let in the daylight and can even be opened to air out the bathroom and keep humidity low. They are too high for passersby or neighbors to peer through. If you prefer a window that doesn’t open, consider a nautical style round window.

Partially Opaque

Frosted panes are a good option for bathrooms if you want a large picture window. Just make sure the etching is consistent enough to provide your desired amount of coverage. For smaller windows, consider decorative stained glass. These work best in a bathroom that is painted a neutral ivory or white color to really show off the colored light from the artful window panes.

Bend The Light

Glass Block Window

Glass block windows (made of cubes of thick glass) are another choice that provides a “distorted” view of the outside while letting in the sun. Some installers can even build shower stalls out of this type of material allowing you to carry the motif from the window to the rest of the bathroom.

If you are looking for replacement windows in fairly standard sizes, one of the most common styles you will find is the double-hung window. These feature two panes of glass – each in a separate frame or sash. With a true double-hung window, the bottom pane and top pane can both slide up or down independently of one another.

Some cheaper models only allow movement of the bottom pane. In these cases, there is generally only a screen on the bottom half of the window. Either style works equally well to ventilate your home with fresh air and reduce the accumulation of indoor air pollutants.

These windows may be placed on either side of a larger “picture” window that doesn’t open. That way, the room has a view and plenty of sunlight along with a nice breeze. Double hung windows that open easily may also play a role in an emergency fire exit strategy.

Compression weather-stripping, springs, or counterweights are used to hold the open sash firmly in the desired position. If these components become worn or damaged, they need to be repaired or replaced. Otherwise, the open window sash may slide down into the sill forcefully enough to cause the pane to shatter.

Double hung windows can be purchased with vinyl, wood or metal frames. Energy efficient styles often feature double paned glass and UV radiation protection. Installing replacement windows that are the same size as your current windows is relatively easy. However, making sure the seal around the jambs and sill is airtight takes some attention to detail. Always read the manufacturer’s warranty before attempting a DIY window replacement to make sure you aren’t voiding your coverage.

Replacement windows are only as good as the warranty that backs them up. Limited warranties are just that – they restrict what a company will do to make things right if things go wrong. Look for manufacturers who offer products with at least a 20 year warranty period. Make sure you understand which components are covered and what circumstances might void your warranty.

Going with a name brand product may not be cheap. However, you may be stuck with a worthless agreement if you buy from a company that goes out of business or is sold after you purchase your windows. When this happens, you are likely to get the run around on who is actually responsible for honoring your claim.

That’s also something to take into consideration when it comes to the installation warranty (which is a separate agreement). There are plenty of fly-by-night home improvement “professionals” who will be long gone by the time the defects in their work become apparent. Choose an established installation company that has a reputation to uphold.

A full lifetime warranty that covers your windows for as long as you own your home is ideal. This type of guarantee generally means you can’t be charged any service or repair fees for fixing a defective product. In addition, the warrantor must actually correct the problem and can’t simply refund your purchase price and walk away without your consent.

Read the Fine Print!

Some manufacturers may offer to transfer the warranty when you sell your home to a new owner. That’s an additional perk that can increase the value of your investment in replacement windows. Always store your warranties for home improvements with your mortgage documents so everything is in one place when you need it.

Windows can bring a lot of cheerful sunshine into your home. However, a perfectly clear pane of glass can sometimes be a “pain”. If you’ve ever had a child run into a sliding glass door or a bird fly into a window, you know this all too well. Fortunately, there are solutions that are both attractive and practical.

Celtic Window Decal

Frosted vinyl decals are available in sizes for every window and glass door. These can feature palm trees, lighthouses, frolicking dolphins, or other pleasant images. You can place decals on just the borders/corners or choose a large design for the center of the glass for greatest visibility. For kid’s rooms, decorative stickers that represent favorite cartoon characters or other interests may be appropriate.

Full color “stained glass” decals or intricately etched film can be applied in sheets if privacy is preferable to having a view. For best results, choose a product that is removable. That way, if you make a mistake during installation you can peel it off and start over.

If you want to maintain the clear appearance of your windows while keeping your feathered friends safe, consider bird decals. WindowAlert stickers are transparent to the human eye. However, they contain a substance that reflects UV light. Birds can see colors in the ultraviolet spectrum and will be able to avoid flying into the glass.

Elliptical Round Top Window

Round top windows can be used anywhere on the exterior of your house. However, they provide the most impact when used on the front of your home. You can install a small half round over your door or use a large, single paned model as a picture window. Round tops are also often used as part of multi-window assemblies with several rectangular panes crowned by an arched piece. Locating a curved window under the peak of a roof can soften the harsh angle and make your home look more inviting.

Types of Round Tops

The arched upper edge of this type of window can be based on a segment of a perfect circle (this is called a true radius). Or, it can be elliptical or oval if you need a shallower curve. For an arc that doesn’t round off at the side edges, choose the “eyebrow” style. Gothic windows are another option. These are pointed at the top like the windows you might find in a cathedral. This imposing look often works best on larger homes with a historical motif.

Additional Information

Installing a round top window requires more skill than putting in a simple rectangular pane. The basic steps are the same; but accuracy in measuring and cutting is absolutely critical. If the radius opening is off, the window will not fit or there will be gaps along the upper edge. If you have your window custom made rather than selecting a standard size, the molding may need to be pre-bent by a company with special equipment.

Windows and sliding glass patio doors on the first floor of a residence are among the most vulnerable home entry points. A determined thief can break the glass to get inside. However, most criminals don’t want to attract that much attention. There are many security strategies you can use to inconvenience, slow down, or call attention to a potential burglar.

Connect all windows and doors to a central alarm system. If a burglar decides to enter anyway, the time he has available to locate and carry out anything of value is greatly reduced. Place alarm company stickers on your windows as another disincentive.

Many standard patio door locking mechanisms are merely clasps. These simple contraptions can easily be forced with a screwdriver, pry bar, or even a butter knife. Simply placing a properly sized dowel rod or length of PVC pipe directly in the track of sliding patio door can discourage a would-be burglar. Removing the handles from casement windows is another quick fix

Install sturdier locking devices to serve as a backup. Track grips, pins, keyed sash locks and slide bolts, anti-sliding blocks/wedges, and specialty keyed locks are some of your available options. These are available at any home improvement store.

As a last resort, replace your windows with tempered or wired glass. Although this is an expensive solution, any attempt to break in through the glass will be extremely difficult and noisy. Burglar bars are another high-end solution.

Frosted glass is a favorite material for areas of the home where privacy is important. Bathrooms and bedrooms that have exterior windows are ideal locations to install frosted panels. If you have a home office, you could use this option to diffuse sunlight into your workspace and reduce glare.

You might also use this as a decorative concept in an entry way. The intention is to brighten an area without actually making it appear completely open. The soft glow of natural or artificial light through frosted glass creates a serene atmosphere.

Types of Frosting

Traditionally, frosted glass has been created at factories using sandblasting or acid etching processes. These panes can incorporate intricate designs such as falling leaves or geometric shapes.

Today, there are DIY kits you can use to apply a frosted appearance to your windows. These come in the form of films or sprays. With films, you must be careful not to get wrinkles in the material. For sprays, keeping the application even across the surface of the glass is the main challenge.

The newest and coolest type of frosted glass makes use of cutting edge technology. Switchable liquid crystal panes can be installed anywhere in your home. An electrical current is passed through the liquid crystal layer sandwiched between two panes of glass. The flick of a switch turns the window from transparent to opaque. You can use this type of material to block whatever type of light you choose, including a targeted spectrum of UV rays.

Homeowners frequently select vinyl window replacements because they do not require painting and they are easy to maintain. The better quality the window is made out of the higher the price for the windows. Some vinyl replacement windows are actually wood windows with vinyl cladding (the exterior of the window is coated in vinyl). Homeowners like these ones because you get the natural wood look on the inside, and the low maintenance features on the outside.

Wood replacement windows are also still very popular. They are much more affordable and the homeowners like the natural wood look. The downside of wood windows is do require you to maintain them and paint them. Also, over time the window sill splits.

Metal/Steel window replacements are also another good alternative. The only downside of these windows is that they can be dented resulting in permanent damage.

There are many different Skylight options out there today. You can get Skylights made out of many different materials, sizes and styles and can be operational or fixed. You can even get them with integrated screens to help block out the sun if you wish.

In the beginning, skylight windows were only available in single pane glass. But today, skylights are available in multi-pane Low-E glass and also tinted coatings to reflect the suns rays and radiation block. That will help keep the home cooler.

You can also get ventilated skylights if you choose. You can open them with hand cranks, switch controlled motors, or you can even have them installed with an automatic temperature sense that is self controlled to open up to allow warm air to be vented out of a room. They also are available with insect screens.

All windows come with a selection of ultra-violet ratings and insulation for you to choose from. Normally, the better the skylight the higher U-values and R-values they have and they usually come with a much higher price tag. However, it is your home and it is always a good investment to go with the better product for the future.

Skylights are a really good natural lighting option and accent piece. You can always add this to a new home or make it a great home addition to your existing home. They are easily retrofitted into the home. So I suggest when you are thinking about adding a little light or brightness to your home, look into skylights and see if that’s an option.