The title to this article is a question I get asked all the time. In the words of my good friend David the financial planner, “It depends”. Now this answer might seem overly simple, but there are truly a lot of factors that go into making the correct decision.
The first questions you must ask yourself are: Why? What? and How? Why are you replacing your windows? What do you hope to accomplish by replacing them? How is it going to be done and how are you going to pay for it?
Let’s look at why. Are your windows falling apart? Do they not function properly? Do they whistle Dixie every time the wind blows? Do you think that replacing them will make your home more energy efficient and comfortable? If you answered “Yes” to any of the first three questions, then you may need new windows. If you answered “Yes” to the last question, I simply ask, how do you know they will make your home more efficient or comfortable?
What do you hope to accomplish by replacing your windows? If the answer is to have windows that actually open and stay open or even to add value to your home, then you may need new windows. If it’s to make my house more energy efficient, comfortable and less drafty, how do you know that replacing your windows will actually accomplish it? If the answer is because the window contractor told me it would, I have some magic beans I’d like to sell you. They really do work, I promise!
Finally, we come to How. This is a huge one because it deals with the actual replacement process and money. There are a lot of window replacement companies out there that simply pull the guts out of the old window frames and pop new units right inside the old window frames. They do it because it is the cheaper route and it’s easier. Unfortunately this method will keep you from accomplishing the goal you were looking for in the first place.
Tune into my next article and I will explain why. You can also contact me directly if you have further questions or go HERE to read a series of articles I previously wrote on this subject. As always….Don’t throw money at your problems, throw knowledge, it’s a lot cheaper!
