Getting a new, clear view

Most homeowners look through the windows in their home just about every day.

But maybe they should take a closer look at their windows. Windows can be letting cold air in and warm air out in the winter. And they can be eyesores, both inside and outside the home.

Replacing windows could be a fine investment in your home. But before you grab the crowbar, here are some tips:

Materials

If your house has ugly, older aluminum, steel or cheap wood windows, vinyl replacements can be a great choice. You may have noticed that most builders have switched to vinyl. Their justifications can be yours, too: Vinyl windows are quick and easy to install, require almost no maintenance and they save big bucks in energy costs year-round.

Shopping

The replacement-window business is highly competitive. That means you can get a good deal by doing some careful shopping. Interview two or three dealers on your own turf, and ask them to provide the names of several recent customers whom you can call for feedback.

Extras

Low-e glass is a reflective metallic film on the inside of one glass pane that mirrors heat into the house in the winter and helps keep glare and the sun's heat out in the summer.

Another choice is an inert gas - such as argon — that conducts less heat than the typical dry air inside the double panes.

Glass rating

Make sure your new windows are Energy Star rated. That designation means that the units have been tested by the NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council - an industry group) and certified to meet the latest government regulations for overall window efficiency — that is heat loss and heat gain.

Most manufacturers' basic, low-end windows meet the standards, and most also have two or three lines that exceed the standards by 10 to 40 percent.

Of course, as energy efficiency increases, so does the price. As with all energy upgrades, do the math and figure out how long it will take to recapture the extra expense — after which time you'll start saving money.

There are new regulations pending at the Department of Energy that will tighten the standards to a considerable degree.

Doing it yourself

You could buy new windows at a lumberyard or home center and arrange installation yourself, but you may be asking for trouble. You need to know who'll be responsible for measuring errors and whether a separate, unsupervised (by the retailer) installation affects the warranty on the units.

Another do-it-yourself-issue — demolition.

If you could snap your fingers and have your old windows in the trash can, this would be a piece of cake. Unfortunately, the hard part is removing the existing units. It's tricky — and dangerous — as the old glass can "explode" when strain is applied to collapse the old frames.

Weatherproofing and repairing wall surfaces, inside and out, is part of this, too. So it's a job best left to folks with the right tools and expertise.

Bottom line: Avoid the pain and plan on buying the windows and installation as a package, whether from a dealer/manufacturer or a retailer.

Warranties

There are transferable warranties that come with most new vinyl window packages.

Look for one that includes a lifetime glass-breakage guarantee.

Incidentally, most of them require reregistration with the dealer each time the house is sold.

Cost

You're going to spend $300 to $500 per opening for new basic windows — more for fancier configurations such as bays, bows, octagons and picture windows. Savings

You can figure on recapturing most, if not all, of the cost in energy savings, but it will take the better part of 10 heating seasons or so.

If you leave earlier than that, you may or may not be able to pass on the unamortized portion to the next buyer.

However, some benefits aren't quantifiable - including your personal comfort and the remarkable face-lift that new windows give an older home.

Window Shopping Basics

• Low-e: Low-emissivity window technology emerged a couple of decades ago as a way to save additional energy, beyond double glazing. A thin, reflective, invisible metallic coating - like zinc oxide - is applied inside the window panes.

• Sash: The combination of glass and a frame - metal or wood - into a single fixed or movable assembly.

• Double hung: A window with upper and lower sashes that both slide to provide a top and bottom opening.

• Single hung: A window with a fixed upper sash.

• Slider: A window that slides sideways rather than up and down.

• Casement: A window hinged on one side that swings out. Awning: A window hinged on top that swings out at the bottom.

• Double glazing: An assembly of two window panes, separated by a spacer bar. Desiccated (very dry) air is usually sealed inside.

• Bay: A window assembly consisting of three panels fixed together at an angle, which protrudes from the exterior wall.

• Bow: Same as a bay, but with multiple facets.