With rising heating and cooling costs for our homes and with no sign of relief in the future, it’s no wonder why many homeowners are always continuously looking for cost effective ways to reduce the energy efficiency of their homes. Now, having this in mind, one of the most cost effective and long-lasting ways to do this is by replacing your old drafty worn out windows, with new vinyl replacement windows. Having vinyl replacement windows installed in your home, will help considerably in producing the maximum benefit of reducing your homes heating and cooling bills. To

I know replacing your windows may sound costly, but it really isn’t! In fact, one of the biggest advantages to having vinyl replacement windows installed in your home is their low cost. A typical window installation here in Massachusetts, can run you between 300-550.00 installed, plus the cost of the window itself. Most of these windows can save you up to 40% in your homes heating and cooling bills. So for example, the average cost to replace windows for a typical home is roughly 7,000 to 8,500 including the cost of the windows with window installation. With these numbers in mind, let’s do some math..

8,500 x .40 =3,400.00 right? 3,400 dollars will be your savings in your heating and cooling bills over a period of time.  So how long will it take to recoup the cost of replacing your windows? Let’s see, here in New England where we can have some crazy cold weather, our heating and cooling costs can range from 300 – 500 monthly, depending on the size of your home. So let’s take the amount of replacement windows savings and calculate the time it would take to recoup the replacement windows cost..

500.00 x .40 =200.00 right? 200.00 x12 =2,400 per year in savings, not too shabby huh? But, we want to know when we will recoup the final cost? So let’s take the 2,400 number in annual replacement windows savings and see what we come up with.

2,400 x 3.5 = 8,400 ! So you see, you can recoup the cost of replacing your windows in roughly three and half years. That doesn’t seem to long to wait! And in the mean time, you’ll see savings of 2,400 dollars per year! I know what I could do with an extra 2,400 bucks…

But how do you know that it’s time to replace your windows?

As a replacement window contractor in Massachusetts, I know many ways I can determine when it’s time to replace your windows, and what will give your home the best looking, and highest performance for a replacement window. There are many tell tale signs that are visible from the interior and exterior view of your windows frame. Many of which are:

• Failed seals around your windows, creating a steamed look to your window, or a foggy look;
• Lack of insulation around the window;
• Caulking around the windows interior and exterior cracking and pulling apart;
• Single pane glass, having single pane glass is a dead give away. If you have single pane glass windows, it’s time to replace them –enough said!

I realize that it can be hard trying to choose what type of replacement window to choose from, I’ll do my best to make your vinyl replacement choice an easy one. Replacement windows do come in a wide variety of colors and styles, as well as pricing, so take into consideration the style and decor of your home. Having a replacement window contractor install these windows for you can take away the daunting task of shopping around for a window. In most cases, your windows can be installed in a single day, in return you won’t have window installers at your home for weeks.
Below are a few top rated replacement window manufactures, because of their energy efficiency and ease of maintenance and durability. More and more homeowners are choosing these vinyl windows brands when it comes to comparing replacement windows in their homes. Vinyl replacement windows are proving to be the top choice in the window replacement market today – for clearly obvious reasons.

We will start off with Harvey replacement windows

Harvey Vinyl Replacement Windows

Harvey vinyl replacement windows are known for their high unsurpassed performance. Having Harvey windows installed in your home and like many that I’ve done in the past as a window contractor, have offered reliability, energy efficiency and beauty. Harvey’s windows feature quality window craftsmanship, multi-chamber construction, 100% virgin vinyl that will offer a true through and though everlasting white color, that if scratched, wouldn’t be visible. Harvey replacement windows also offers the top of the line block and tackle balances, that never need adjustment and the convenience of tilt-in sashes for easy cleaning and maintenance.

Classic Vinyl Double Hung Windows

The Harvey classic double hung windows offers the homeowner with a wide variety of colors, styles, options, and performance to choose from. The classic double hung window is what you see in many homes across New England, whether it’s a ranch, cottage, or a historical victorian home, a double hung window from Harvey is a great choice.

The classic double hung window comes with a sleek clean look with welded seems for superior window frame performance, with an unmatched air tight seal to keep wind and water where it belongs –outside!

• Factory calibrated block & tackle sash balances never need adjustment or lubrication
• Locking half screen with non-glare charcoal aluminum wire
• Insulated double hung windows with 7/8″ PPG Intercept® warm edge spacer system provides 10% warmer indoor glass temperature
• Interlock at meeting rail and double weather stripping for a triple seal
• Ventilation limit latches keep top or bottom sash partially open
• ENERGY STAR® qualified with optional Low-E/Argon glazing
• Available in an acoustical double hung window to reduce unwanted noise

Marvin Replacement Windows
Marvin replacement windows makes an aluminum clad and wood interior window, that offers low-maintenance and high quality frame materials. Marvin replacement windows are made with strong and secure side rails and frames. They offer fair prices for their window lines in my opinion. They also carry the “ultimate double hung window” which is their new product line, and one of my favorites as well.
At (MBM) Construction, we recommend Marvin wood interiors for the following reasons:

• Marvin windows are solid. Marvin windows are more stable and heavy duty than most other window manufactures. Their frames are built well to exceed most expectations and uses.
• Marvin windows are sleek and attractive, They come with a sleek decorative bead molding that surrounds the glass, giving their profile a smooth and clean appearance.
• The snap in grid system has a spring loaded pin that seats itself in the bead molding of the sashes. The snap in grids are reasonably priced and gives a sleek look to your window. Other options are divided lite mullins ( grids that give the appearance of divided panes of glass) they are available in many styles and variations to your liking.
• The exterior of  Marvin replacement windows also come in a unique variety of colors, 19 aluminum colors to be exact. The interior wood of the window, comes in a generous variety of wood species: Mahogany, Douglas fir, pine – primed or not primed.
• Marvin now offers a hidden tilt feature that enhances usability from their previous model — I like this feature a lot. It comes available in half or full screen models.

Andersen 200 Series Replacement Windows
Andersen Windows Double Hung Windows are a great way to add value and visual appeal to your home. Andersen Windows Double Hung Windows are functional with great design to give you the best of both worlds. Andersen Windows Double Hung Windows are a great investment. You’ll want to make sure you are choosing the right replacement windows for your home and your budget.
Narroline Double Hung Window
Andersen Windows Narroline Double Hung Windows are a great way to add value and visual appeal to your home. We have provided you with a list of some of the benefits of Andersen Windows 200 Series Narroline Double Hung Windows.

• Neat and trim line design.
• Larger glass area lets in more light.
• Andersen Windows Narroline Double Hung Windows feature natural wood interiors.
• Attractive low maintenance Perma-Shield® exteriors.
• Low-E or dual-pane insulating glass for optimum temperature control.
• High-tech weather-stripping.
• Wide range of sizes.
• Variety of grilles & insect screen options.
• Andersen Windows come with a renowned limited warranty.
• One of the largest service networks in the industry.

Tilt Wash Double Hung Windows
Andersen Windows Tilt-Wash Double Hung Windows are functional with great design to give you the best of both worlds. We have provided you with a list of some of the benefits of Andersen Windows 200 Series Tilt-Wash Double Hung Windows.

• Solid, dependable and efficient. Convenient tilt-in cleaning.
• Andersen Windows Tilt-Wash Double Hung Windows feature natural wood interiors.
• Attractive low maintenance Perma-Shield® exteriors.
• Andersen Windows Tilt-Wash Double Hung Windows come with either low-e or dual-pane insulating glass for optimum temperature control.
• High-tech weatherstripping.
• Wide range of sizes.
• Variety of grilles & insect screen options.
• Andersen Windows come with a renowned limited warranty.
• One of the largest service networks in the industry.

The federal tax credit of up to 1,500 in energy efficiency

All of these window manufacture’s listed above sell windows that meet and exceed the requirements to receive your federal tax credit rebate of up to 1,500.
To get your $1,500 tax credit, you need to shop smart. Many windows and doors out there don’t meet the new requirements—even some high-end brands you’ve heard of. A lot of companies haven’t processed or don’t even know about the new tax credit. There’s a lot of confusion about this right now—you don’t want to be left empty-handed.
Here’s what you need to do: Make sure that any replacement window or door you buy has a U-Factor and SHGC of .30 or less. If the window company won’t show you the NFRC sticker certifying the ratings, walk away. If you’re unsure or suspicious, visit the NFRC at www.nfrc.org. You can verify ratings in the product directory or contact them directly.

If you are looking for a professional Massachusetts replacement windows company, then please call us today at 781-856-2001 or complete our “>online request form.