What is the purpose of this article?

• How to choose a replacement windows for your home?

• How and what to look for in a good window installation company?

Why replace windows?

• New windows are energy efficient and will save you money on your heating and electric bill.
• New windows are mostly maintenance free and easy to clean.
• New windows add value to your home because of the increased curb appeal.

Rules of buying

• Never buy windows without getting 2-3 estimates. But limit yourself to 3 estimates.
• Get referrals. Word of mouth is still the best way to find out who the best installer is for the money. Your friends or your neighbors probably done this already, and can tell you what company they liked or didn’t. Trust their judgement!
• Now that you got some advises, check them online. There are so many sources to check from. Google Reviews, HomeAdvisor, ThumbTack, or Yelp. Read the reviews and see what people say. People are more likely to leave a negative review than a positive one, so if the company has an above 4 out of 5 star rating, you should be OK to trust them.
• Never let a company talk you into signing a contract TODAY, because this deal is only good for TODAY. This is the oldest trick in the book, any special that is offered today, will still be good tomorrow or next week. The problem with these SIGN TODAY, or the SPECIAL PRICE will not be available tomorrow is that the prices these companies give you is so OVERINFLATED that they can easily give you 50% off and still make a huge profit on you. Do not fall for this.
• If the company cannot give you a rough estimate over the phone, do not sign with them. The reason is that they want to come and put on a “dog and pony” show for you. Sell you windows at 200%-400% profit.
• If you measured your windows and know what types of windows you want, you should be able to get prices without any sales people coming to your house. You should actually be able to do this online, like the Windows Pricing Calculator at discount-windows.com
• All you do is choose the brand name, the size, the options and you get a straight price. Sure, there might be some additional costs, depending on the type of house you have, if the windows frame is rotten and needs to be replaced, but the actual windows price is there for you to see. Discount Windows Inc is the only company that can provide this for you!
• The last rule you should follow – get all the details! Get everything in writing, once you do, a contractor cannot go back on his word. You are protected!

What type of glass should I have in my windows?

• At the least you should buy a double pane window, because the air in between the two panes of glass with help to insulate against cold temperatures.
• The prices between dual pane and triple pane glass are very minimal, so if you are installing new windows, spend an extra $50-$100 per window and get the latest technology. This will save you some money on the heating and electric bill in the years to come.
• Argon gas is what you should have between the two or three panes of the glass in your window, it works much better that the regular air, because it’s heavier. This is standard in all new windows. Some companies do offer krypton gas for even better insulation, check with us to see what window brands have that option available.
• Low E glass is an added layer of protection on the glass to block sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. In MN the standard is Low E2 layers, but it even depends where you live in MN, some northern or wooded areas where there is not a lot of sun a different option might work better, like E1. Or if you live on the lake and get to much sun, an E3 layer might be a better option.

Warranty

• All the of manufacturers Discount Windows works with offer a lifetime warranty on all parts of the window. Alside Windows even include accidental glass breakage warranty for all of their windows, free of charge. But the window has to be installed by a certified and licensed installer, like Discount Windows.
• Not all installers offer a lifetime warranty on labor, good news, Discount Windows offers free lifetime warranty on all its installations.

Enjoy your purchase

• Now that you invested in good replacement windows and they were properly installed, your home will become more beautiful and comfortable, and most important, more valuable.
• And the great part, newly added energy efficient windows will save you 15%-25% off your heating and cooling bills.