Let's talk about windows!

[blublood]

I realize that this is the most boring thread in the whole history of the world, the kind of thread that your grandmother might start, but I did kind of want to fish for perspective. :) About windows! See, our house is an older, 70's model house and it has these awful aluminum windows that allow us to heat or cool the entire neighborhood.

My personal opinion is that these windows are responsible for the out-of-sight A/C bills that we have each summer. (well, I mean, that and the 100 degree temperatures)

Now as many of you know, money is incredibly tight around our house right now. Ordinarily, there's no way I would even think of incurring a $500 expense... but on the other hand, I just can't bear the thought of going through another summer with $200 a month electric bills if there's a way to make the house more energy efficient.

Thoughts? Do you guys agree that the windows (and by this, I mean installing modern, e-coated, double-paned windows) would make a difference? Is it worth the expense? The other problem is that our A/C was made in 1981, probably in Soviet Russia, and there's no doubt that it's costing us, but replacing that is out of the question.

[colchar]

I realize that this is the most boring thread in the whole history of the world, the kind of thread that your grandmother might start,

Or my mother if she knew how to use a computer.

[BlueDevilBaby]

Replacing all of the windows (8) and french doors at the back of my townhouse has made a huge difference in my monthly heating/cooling bill. But a group of us went in together to get a discount.

[billybreen]

I prefer OS X! kthxbye.

(sorry, DA, you knew I had to do it :))

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I realize that this is the most boring thread in the whole history of the world, the kind of thread that your grandmother might start, but I did kind of want to fish for perspective. :) About windows! See, our house is an older, 70's model house and it has these awful aluminum windows that allow us to heat or cool the entire neighborhood.

My personal opinion is that these windows are responsible for the out-of-sight A/C bills that we have each summer. (well, I mean, that and the 100 degree temperatures)

Now as many of you know, money is incredibly tight around our house right now. Ordinarily, there's no way I would even think of incurring a $500 expense... but on the other hand, I just can't bear the thought of going through another summer with $200 a month electric bills if there's a way to make the house more energy efficient.

Thoughts? Do you guys agree that the windows (and by this, I mean installing modern, e-coated, double-paned windows) would make a difference? Is it worth the expense? The other problem is that our A/C was made in 1981, probably in Soviet Russia, and there's no doubt that it's costing us, but replacing that is out of the question.
A few years ago I replaced the original windows in my house (built in the early 80's when the mortgage rates were 18%) with vinyl double glazed energy efficient windows and loved the result. My utility bills decreased and the condensation on some of the original windows was gone. Don't know where you live, but if it's in the Durham area I can recommend an excellent company to do the work. As for the cost, one effective strategy for paying for such work is to use a home equity loan. If you are a member or can become a member of a credit union, you may be able to get better rates and lower processing fees than from a conventional bank. You may have some tax advantages to using a home equity loan to pay for this update. You may even find you can afford to replace the HVAC system in the same loan. I can also recommend a good company for this work.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I sent you a PM. Please read it and respond!

[blublood]

As for the cost, one effective strategy for paying for such work is to use a home equity loan. If you are a member or can become a member of a credit union, you may be able to get better rates and lower processing fees than from a conventional bank. You may have some tax advantages to using a home equity loan to pay for this update. You may even find you can afford to replace the HVAC system in the same loan. I can also recommend a good company for this work.

Hmmmm... I don't know if we can/should do this as we already have one equity loan out on the house which was a part of the original purchase. However, I didn't think about bundling the whole thing into one "home improvement" loan - what might the tax advantages be? Also, would this still be a good idea since our house is appreciating very slowly in value due to the rotten market?

Unfortunately, we're not in Durham or North Carolina, but my husband's uncle is a contractor so presumably, he would do a good job, or else hear about it from Mr. blublood's mom for the rest of his life.

BlueDevilBaby: Cool! Now when you say "huge" what do you mean - $50/mo? $100/mo?

Ozzie: Thanks! Will get back with you tomorrow.

[DevilAlumna]

Now that we've got the furnace replaced, windows are next on our list. Sounds like we have the same type, Blublood -- 1970's, single pane, aluminum, stops heat from leaking out like a sieve stops water.

I'd be interested in hearing how your process goes, and good luck.

[YmoBeThere]

I prefer OS X! kthxbye.

(sorry, DA, you knew I had to do it :))

No Vistas for me, I'm an XP fan...

[Reisen]

When you say "a" $500 expense, you realize how expensive new windows are, right? I want to say like $500-$1000 EACH. Our townhouse has 11 windows and a sliding door that would need replacing, and I think we were looking at like $12-$14 grand. With me being a grad student, there's zippy chance we can afford that right now.

So I'm going to be replacing the sliding door myself, and depending on how that goes, I'm considering replacing the ground-level windows myself as well. Then, I might pay someone to do the third story ones that require a really tall ladder to get to...

[Jim3k]

You should certainly shop vinyl windows. They can be expensive, but the $300 range ought to be do-able. I've done it piecemeal, but with first floor windows you should do it all at once.

Once I got a great deal from one of the warehouse stores which had a special. Another time I just shopped it until I got the price I thought was fair. A third time (skylights), we paid what Home Depot wanted, but had a neighborhood contractor install them.

I can say that they have contributed greatly to the energy efficiency in the house. The BTU's are definitely down (but the price of gas went up, so...)

[Jim3k]

Now that we've got the furnace replaced, windows are next on our list. Sounds like we have the same type, Blublood -- 1970's, single pane, aluminum, stops heat from leaking out like a sieve stops water.

I'd be interested in hearing how your process goes, and good luck.

What did you finally install? And how did the negotiations go?

[blublood]

When you say "a" $500 expense, you realize how expensive new windows are, right? I want to say like $500-$1000 EACH. Our townhouse has 11 windows and a sliding door that would need replacing, and I think we were looking at like $12-$14 grand. With me being a grad student, there's zippy chance we can afford that right now.

So I'm going to be replacing the sliding door myself, and depending on how that goes, I'm considering replacing the ground-level windows myself as well. Then, I might pay someone to do the third story ones that require a really tall ladder to get to...

Mmmmmm.... Home Depot is listing them for about $200 max. Mr. blublood has promised that he can install them himself, so that cuts out any installation fees. Am I missing something?

Edit: When I say "them", I actually mean "it". $200 per window and the biggest offenders are the 2 windows in the bedroom, hence my $500 estimate with tax, tools, etc.

[Shammrog]

Two good energy saving tips that we just implemented; not related to windows, but much cheaper:

1. Replace as many light bulbs as you can find with the energy-saving flourescent ones. These provide great light, and use about a fifth of the energy. They also last like 7 years. Since my wife has a BAD habit of leaving on as many lights as possible for as long as possible, I get a double-barreled benefit of energy savings and not changing the damn things all the time.
2. For about 30 bucks, get a hot water heater blanket. Simple, cheap, and great savings on your utilities!

Signed, Shammrog the Environmentalist. (Really! I am!)

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Hmmmm... I don't know if we can/should do this as we already have one equity loan out on the house which was a part of the original purchase. However, I didn't think about bundling the whole thing into one "home improvement" loan - what might the tax advantages be? Also, would this still be a good idea since our house is appreciating very slowly in value due to the rotten market?

I'm no tax expert, but I consult a good CPA regarding such questions. When I did a home equity loan to pay for the window replacement and some other projects, I was able to deduct the interest and closing costs on my personal tax filing.... a good sized deduction on my itemized return. It never hurts to talk to a bank or two to see what they can offer you in a home equity loan. If you belong to a credit union or are eligible to join one, the credit union should be your first top to research what's available. As to whether this is a good idea right in view of the current housing market, that depends on how long you plan to be in this house and where the house is located..... some markets will recover quicker than others.