Combining Tax Credits with Style and Comfort

This is the perfect time to utilize the year-end energy tax credits and update your home. If you install replacement window or storm door windows and doors in your principal home by December 31, you can claim a federal tax credit of 30% of the cost – excluding installation. You can claim up to $1,000 for the years 2009 through 2010 combined.

Should you replace?

It all comes down to the age of your home and how well your windows have resisted moisture.

• If the original framing is sound and reasonably square, you can install a replacement window into the original opening, replacing the side jams and trim.

• If the original frame is rotted or significantly out of square a new window must be installed, which can cost 50% to 100% more than a replacement window.

Prospective buyers should calculate the payback of installing new windows. It’s not just about adding new style but insulating a leaky home. When replacing windows your energy bill should show an immediate savings.

Choosing the right windows

Are you familiar with the lingo? Double-hung windows may be opened from top and bottom. Casements open with a crank and make the window easy to operate. This is especially handy in those hard to reach places.

Double-pane windows are two pieces of glass that may have inert gas in between to better insulate the home. Tilt-out windows allow you to clean the exterior glass from the inside.

Comparing Window Energy Efficiency

You need to know two critical factors when choosing your windows based on energy efficiency;

• You choose based on the Ufactor and the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient; the lower the Ufactor number the better the window insulates and the greater the energy savings. The range is 0.25 to 1.25, however, to qualify for the federal energy tax credit the Ufactor rating must be less than or equal to 0.30

• The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) is rated based on how well the window blocks heat.

Windows are no longer that element to enhance the facade of your home; it’s the critical element that shields the sun and cold and insulates your comfort.