Window Replacement: A Step-by-Step Guide to Enhancing Your Home’s Comfort and Energy Efficiency (While Making Fun of Your Old Windows)

February 2, 2023 By windowschicago

Energy Efficient Windows

You know your windows are old when you can hear the wind whistling through the cracks, and your energy bills are higher than the GDP of a small island nation. It’s time to take matters into your own hands and replace those rickety old windows with some brand spanking new ones. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll take you through the process of enhancing your home’s comfort and energy efficiency while making fun of your old windows. Buckle up and get ready for a wild ride, folks!

Step 1: Measure Your Windows

The first step in replacing your windows is to measure the openings for each one. This way, you’ll know exactly how big the replacement windows need to be. To measure your windows, grab a tape measure and start taking some measurements. You’ll want to measure the width and the height of the opening, but don’t forget to measure the depth, too! Otherwise, you’ll end up with windows that are too shallow to open or close properly.

Step 2: Choose Your New Windows

Once you have the measurements, it’s time to choose your new windows. There are several different styles to choose from, including casement, bay, sliding, awning, and double hung. But let’s be real, you’re only going to choose one of two styles: double hung or casement. We recommend casement windows because they look fancy, but double hung windows are a classic for a reason. Choose wisely, my friend.

Step 3: Say Goodbye to Your Old Windows

It’s time to say goodbye to your old windows. This is the part where you get to make fun of your old windows for being so drafty and inefficient. You could say something like, “Goodbye old windows, you won’t be missed. You were like a screen door on a submarine.” Or, “Goodbye old windows, you were more leaky than a sieve. We’ll miss the way you let in more cold air than a meat locker.” Feel free to get creative!

Step 4: Install Your New Windows

It’s finally time to install your new windows! This is the step where you’ll need a professional contractor to help you out. Unless, of course, you’re a handy person who can install windows with your eyes closed and one hand tied behind your back. In that case, go ahead and skip this step. The rest of us will just sit back and admire your handy work.

Step 5: Enjoy Your New Windows

Finally, it’s time to sit back and enjoy your new windows. You’ll be amazed at how much more comfortable your home is now that the wind isn’t whistling through the cracks. Your energy bills will be lower, too, because your new windows are so energy efficient. You’ll be able to sit back and enjoy the view without feeling like you’re in a freezer. Congratulations, you’ve just made your home a better place!

Replacing your windows is a great way to enhance your home’s comfort and energy efficiency. It’s also a great excuse to make fun of your old windows. With this step-by-step guide, you’ll be able to replace your windows with ease and enjoy the benefits for years to come. Just remember, it’s important to choose the right style and material, measure your windows accurately, and choose a professional contractor. And most importantly, don’t forget to make fun of your old windows!

Isn’t It Too Cold to Replace My Windows in the Winter?

November 6, 2018 By windowschicago

winter time replacement window installation

If you are a fan of Game of Thrones you know what “Winter is Coming” means!! And if you have lived in Chicago more than 5 minutes you know that winter is truly coming. Not to start this post on a negative but can’t you just image the dry wind cracking at the skin on your face? Or how about trying to shovel snow while the small flakes get into your jacket and onto your neck? Or my favorite, getting into an un-warmed car with leather seats that makes your butt cheeks feel like two slabs of frozen hamburger meat? Winter!

More relevant to our business is how the cold effects your home, specifically those old windows you have been meaning to replace but just didn’t quite get around to last fall. Of course window replacement is a project that is best planned out. The average time from purchase to manufacturing to installation for a custom replacement window is 4-6 weeks so some forethought is necessary. If you were to order windows as of the date of this blog post, you would be getting your new windows smack dab right in the middle of the winter. You may be asking yourself, “Self (because that is what you call you, right?), is this the best thing to do and is it even possible to install new replacement windows during that time of the year??

Well, you are in luck, because I am here to tell you that it is absolutely possible to install windows and doors in the winter. And in fact, I am going to tell you exactly, “Why Winter is the Perfect Time to Replace Your Old Windows”.

Contrary to popular believe and perhaps even common sense, window replacement is something that can be done all year round. Our guys want to work all year and actually don’t mind working in cold weather. Obviously if it is negative 10 degrees with a 20 degree wind chill they won’t be working. But generally weather above about 20 degrees is workable.

The obvious thing that comes to mind is, “won’t my house be cold when you take out my old window before you put my new ones in?” The answer is simply, “yes”. Taking your old window out will leave a whole in your wall for about 15 minutes until the guys get your new window in. So depending on how many windows you are having replaced, certain rooms in your house will get a little cold. But, “did you die?” Nope, just got a little cold and maybe your furnace runs a little more for a few hours.

So now that you know it is possible, let me explain to you why it may actually be a great idea to replace windows in the dead of the cold.

There are actually three distinct advantages to doing this home improvement when the snow is flying and jack frost is nipping at your nose…

It is easier to discover problems with your old windows in the winter. Because of the temperature difference between the outside and inside of your home you can feel drafts and in many cases can see them when the wind outside blows your curtains on the inside. You can even pinpoint where drafts are coming from by holding a candle by the window. Drafts will make the candle flicker.
You can usually get a better price on windows in the winter. All contractors slow down in the winter. So unless they are smart and are laying on a beach in Florida, they are looking for creative ways of getting more business. Fortunately for homeowners, contractors are not very original and most try to create more work by lowering their prices during slow times. A win for your pocket book!
Window contractors are usually more flexible with installation dates in the winter. Like I mentioned above, contractors slow down in the winter. To be honest, this isn’t usually by choice but because homeowners don’t want the work done during this time or because they don’t know that it can be done in the cold winter months. Contractors of course want to get the work done as soon as possible but are generally very flexible with installation scheduling. And if you ultimately chicken out and decide you really don’t want your windows installed in the winter, contractors are usually open to pushing the installation until the spring. With a deposit, they will store the windows and install them whenever you want. Easy Peasy.

So now that you know that you can get those new windows in the winter and now that you know that there are some pretty cool advantages to doing so, what are you waiting for? Let’s get some new windows!

The Truth About Vinyl Windows

December 11, 2013 By windowschicago

I thought Vinyl Replacement Windows were the Best Choice forWindows Until…

I Stumbled On This Exciting New Window Product!

Hello, my Name is Rhett Wilborn and I am the owner of Innovative Home concepts. I am a second generation Chicago home improvement contractor. So you can say, I’ve been in this business pretty much my whole life.

Like every other contractor out there I thought there were only two choices when it came to window replacement, vinyl replacement windows or wood windows…boy was I wrong.

For years we’ve sold top quality vinyl windows to Chicago Area homeowners. Our windows were from a leading name brand manufacturer that had been making windows for over 50 years.

But over the years we started noticed a pattern of failure with the vinyl windows that we had installed. Like most folks, I assumed that was just how it was supposed to be…after all everyone was selling vinyl windows just like us. Again, I was wrong!

What are Vinyl Windows?

Vinyl is another word for Plastic. So a vinyl window is actually a plastic window. Window manufacturers don’t use the name plastic windows because no one would buy plastic windows for their home because everyone knows that plastic is cheap, usually unattractive, and structurally weak. So why are windows made from plastic? Why else, it’s CHEAP.

Even the Best Vinyl Windows Fail

All vinyl windows, no matter how fancy they are, how much plastic they put into them, or how much they cost, are ultimately made of plastic so they are all suseptible to the physics and natural weaknesses inherit to vinyl plastic products.

They are very sensative to temperature
They expand and warp under heat
They contract and become brittle and crack under cold
They expand and contract in an opening that does not do the same
They are negatively effected and weakened by weather
They fade and become yellowed in direct sunlight
They become caulky and brittle over time when exposed to the elements

If you really think about it, does vinyl sound like the best material to make an exterior home improvement product that will have the sun beating on it all day long, be exposed to the elements 365 days a year, be heated up in the summer and frozen in the winter, and be exposed to and hit by hail, snow, and rain?

And at the end of the day, the window has to open and close smoothly, lock properly, maintain its shape for maximum tightness against air infiltration, hold its glass unit in place so the seals don’t fail, tilt in effortlessly for easy cleaning, and look good for the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of your family. Maybe this all happens the day the window is installed (if the install is perfect) but how about 1 year down the line? How about 2 years? How about 10 years???

3 Reasons Why Home Owners Have VinylReplacement Window Complaints

#1 Warping and Distorted Shape under high temperatures.

Although temperatures in Chicago rarely reach more than 100 degrees, it does get hot. In fact, the highest temperature ever recorded in Chicago is anunofficial 109 °F.

On sunny elevations of a house, temperatures can be higher than the air temperature. When you draw the shades or curtains you create an area of convection between the curtain and the window that can reach temperature much higher than the outside temperature. In some case this hot box can reach 130 to 140 degrees or even higher.

These high temperatures warp vinyl and in some cases even melt it. Physically, vinyl doesn’t have a memory, which means when it distorts it doesn’t go back to its original shape… so any damage is permanent damage to a vinyl window.

Warping is frustrating to a homeowner because these windows are

Difficult or impossible to open and close
Allow cold air into the home because warped areas no longer meet properly
Cloudy or have condensation between in the glass because of seal failure in double and triple pane glass units
Unattractive and represent wasted money
Unsafe because locking mechanisms no longer function properly

Warped Vinyl Window Sash

Sagging Vinyl Window Sash

warped window vinyl

Warped Vinyl Window Frame

Vinyl when heated expands. A vinyl window frame in a tight wood opening will expand and can easily crack when heated. Along the same lines, vinyl window sashs that expands can cause the seal between a thermal (double pane) window to fail, releasing the energy efficient gas that is between the glass and allowing moisture in between the panes of glass. Also a warped frame can pull away from the capping and caulking around the perimeter, allowing moisture into the wall cavity.

Warped windows pulling away from exterior capping

Deformed Window Frame causing seperation between window and aluminum capping

Leaking Vinyl window does damage to siding

Vinyl Windows Leaks and Does Damage to Wall Below

Heated plastic will also distort and in extreme cases actually melt. Distorted vinyl has no memory and will stay in the warped, distorted form. When the movable pieces of a window warp it makes the weather stripping worthless and allows outside air to infiltrate your home.

air infiltrating a vinyl window sash

Seperation between frame and sash due to warping making weather stripping worthless

Warped Vinyl Casement window

Warped Vinyl Casement Window that No Longer Closes Properly

Warped sashes can also make the locking mechanism of the window not work properly as evident in the picture below.

Warped vinyl for windows causing lock not to function properly

Lock Mechanism no longer functioning properly due to warping of sashes

#2 Vinyl Becomes Brittle and Cracks in Cold Temperatures

Everyone in Chicago has had some experience with plastic cracking in the cold winter. Maybe a plastic chipped vinyl window frame snow shovel or ice scraper cracking on a frigid morning?

The coldest temperature ever recorded in Chicago was −27 °F.

When vinyl or plastic gets cold it becomes brittle and if it’s hit the right away, it cracks into pieces. Since vinyl windows are plastic, the same thing can happen to them.

We’ve seen this first had. In fact, one customer of ours was snow shoveling his deck in January and hit the outside of his vinyl window. The blow caused a piece of plastic about 1 1/2″ round to fall off the outside of the window frame. This unfortunately was not covered under his window warranty and he had to pay out of pocket to have the window replaced.

cracked vinyl double hung window sill

Cracked Vinyl Double Hung Window Sill

Vinyl window sashes found in casement windows, double hung windows, and slider windows that contract and expand due to natural seasonal temperature fluctuations can cause seal failure in double and triple pane glass units.

A seal failure allows moisture in between the glass panes causing fogging and condensation on the inside of the unit. It also allows the energy efficient inert gases to escape, negating any positive effects this gas on the efficiency of your windows.

bad vinyl casement windows

Seal Failure in a Vinyl Window Glass Unit

Broken Seal in a Vinyl Bay Window Unit

#3 Vinyl Breaks Down over Time

Vinyl windows are exposed to the elements 365 days a year. As you know the Chicago area has some pretty significant weather extremes. Rain, high temps, low temps, sunshine, hail, snow, etc. Plastic is a product that breaks down over time. It yellows and becomes caulky in direct sunlight and degrades and begins to breakdown when exposed to extreme temperatures and the elements.

vinyl window sill degradation

Vinyl Window Sill discoloring and degrading

dirty vinyl windows

Vinyl Windows Frame Stained beyond Repair

So Why Would Anyone Buy Vinyl Windows?

People mainly choose a vinyl replacement window installation because that is all they are shown by vinyl window salesmen and what they see advertised in there local coupon magazines. There is very little information on the internet about the downside of this product but lots of advertising, because the big players, the manufacturers, involved are very large and there is a lot of money being made selling vinyl windows.

And hey, what do they care, if the windows fail in 5 years or less and you have to buy new ones…better for their business….Unfortunately, it’s bad for you!

Why Haven’t I Heard about These Problems with Vinyl Windows?

I once interviewed a sales guy (who by the way I didn’t hire) that when I asked him what the best replacement window was, replacement windows ad he answered… “the one I have in my car”. That is pretty much the sentiment of the home improvement industry. Vinyl windows are sold because everyone is selling them.

Some older folks may remember when wood was the only choice for window replacement. Then a new product came along that didn’t need painting and wouldn’t rot like a wood window… You guessed it, Aluminum! The picture on the right is actually an old Alcoa aluminum window advertisement from the 1940’s.

For years the latest and greatest window replacement product was made of aluminum. The biggest problem with aluminum windows is that they are terribly inefficient when it comes to energy conservation because it conducts heat and cold like crazy. But everyone was selling them… until, of course, vinyl windows came along.

Now no one sells aluminum replacement windows and everyone sells vinyl windows until….

Something Better Comes Along!

Fill Out the Form Below and Submit it for a FREE no obligation InnoMaxx Window Consultation and Price Quote.

Also receive an ONLINE ONLY $100 off Rebate for each window purchased*

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888-356-9020

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815-356-9020

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773-295-0038

* Minimum of 4 windows purchases. Available on new sales only, previous sales are excluded. Can not be combined with any other offers.

So If Vinyl is Junk, What is Better?

Please Keep Reading…

Innovative Home Concepts Introduces the Next Generation of Replacement Windows…

All of the Benefits of Vinyl Windows PLUS None of the Problems!

The InnoMaxx Replacement Window System is a next generation product. It is not a vinyl window but rather made of expanded polymer composite (EPC) materials. While EPC is relatively new to the American windows industry, it has been around for decades.

EPC has its beginnings in the construction business where light weight shapes, that were very strong, were needed. EPC was ideal because in addition to its innate strength, it is virtually imprevious to weather or sunshine. And although new to the North American Market, this material has been used in window manufacturering in Europe and Asia for many years.

Through a stroke of luck and a whole lot of research, Innovative Home Concepts discovered one of the only EPC window manufactures in the United States. Knowing a great thing when we see it, we immediately reserved exclusive rights to offer this amazing window product to Chicago homeowners.

We are proud to introduce the InnoMaxx Replacement Windows System to the Chciago Market

And Vinyl Doesn’t Stand a Chance Because InnoMaxx is…

400% Stronger than Vinyl

212% More Energy Efficient than Vinyl

62% Better Insulating Value than Wood

117% More Resistant to Bowing and Bending than Vinyl

No Painting or Staining is Required

Easy to Keep Clean

Impact Resistant

50 Year Non Proration Warranty

Comparably Priced with Weaker, Less Efficient Vinyl Windows

Available in Double and Triple Pane

Rated Superior for Air Filtration and R-Value

Sound absorbent materials for peace and quiet

The Perfect Blend of Beauty, Strength, and Energy Efficiency

Top 5 Reasons to Choose the InnoMaxx Window

#1 Strength

InnoMaxx windows are 400% stronger than normal hollow core vinyl windows. You can immediately feel the difference in weight and how solid the material feels just by handling a piece of vinyl extrusion compared to a piece of the InnoMaxx EPC extrusion. This added weight and strength becomes even more apparent when you operate the window. An InnoMaxx window has a significantly more substantial, well constructed feel to it.

InnoMaxx Composite Windows System vs. Vinyl Replacement Windows

Photo Taken in our Crystal Lake, IL showroom of window corner cut-outs of an unnamed, popular brand named, vinyl window product and the InnoMaxx EPS composite window system. The difference is obvious!

The only way to really understand the difference is by experiencing it. Operate an InnoMaxx window than operate a plastic window and you’ll never go back!

#2 Energy Efficiency

Rated as one of the most energy efficient windows in production today, InnoMaxx Windows are setting new standards for energy efficiency.

What makes a material energy efficient? An energy efficient window material cuts down on heat and cold temperature transference. EPC, the material that makes up the sash and main frame units of the InnoMaxx window is more energy efficient than any other available window production material used today.

most energy efficient replacement windows in Chicago market

triple pane glass in InnoMaxx window Naperville, Park Ridge, and Chicago Not only is the material the windows are made of more energy efficient than any other window manufacturing material, InnoMaxx also has one of the most technologically advanced glass units on the market.

InnoMaxx offers a double or ungraded triple pane window glass options.

Triple pane windows are more energy efficient, make your home quieter from outside noise, and protect your family better. If you haven’t explored triple pane, now is the time!

#3 Ease of Use

easy to use house window It’s the little things that mean a lot…and the InnoMaxx window has a lot… a lot of little features that make it easier to use and a delight to operate.

From the secure night latches and locking upper sashes on our double hung windows, to the easy open sash tilt levers and standard tilt-in sash feature of our slider windows, to the fold in crack on our casement windows and easy slide patio doors…

You will immediately notice the engineering, forethought, and quality that goes into every InnoMaxx Replacement Window System.

#4 Beauty

InnoMaxx vinyl windows

InnoMaxx windows are more than custom-made to size, they are custom made to your style as well. We provide a palette of frame and glass options – you provide the inspiration. Mix and match frame colors to complement the interior and exterior of your home.

InnoMaxx bow window Our windows and patio doors are available in eight exterior colors, three woodgrain and white interior natural looking finishes. And to best fit the docor of your home, InnoMaxx windows can be manufactured in any combination of interior and exterior colors.

You can also select from a variety of decorative glass options ranging from distinctive to dramatic as well as a full range of grid optons to fit all tastes and styles.

After all, this is your home and your new windows… How do you see them?

#5 Value

InnoMaxx windows will not only save you money over and over again by lowering your monthly Chicago vinyl windows energy bills with their ultra energy efficient features, they will add value to your home too.

Every year Remodeling magazine publishes its Cost vs. Value Report which compares the average cost for 35 popular remodeling projects with the value those projects retain at resale.

According to the report, a Quality Window Replacement has a return on Investment of…

60-65% R.O.I.

Click on the graphic to the left to See the last data on Window Replacement in the Chicago Market

That means for every dollar invested in new windows in your home, your home value should increase by 60-65 cents! Put another way, a $10,000 window installation pays back $6000 to $6500 when you sell your home.

InnoMaxx windows will virtually pay for themselves in less time than you’d think!

Add Value to Your Home with InnoMaxx EPC windows and…

Lower Your Utility Bills
Less Wear and Tear on Your Furnace and Air Conditioner
Increases Your Home’s Value- smart return on investment
Built to Last- 50 year non-prorated warranty
Keeps your Home Looking and Operating Correctly for Years to Come

And Best of All, the cost of InnoMaxx Windows are comparable to the cost of vinyl replacement windows…and you get a whole lot more!

Don’t Make the Mistake of Being Sold Vinyl Windows!

Take the InnoMaxx Challenge Today

Have a trained Innovative Consult show you first hand the differences between Plastic windows and the Ultra Strong, Super Energy Efficient, and Tremendously Attractive InnoMaxx EPC Windows System.

Join the thousands of homeowners nationwide that have chosen the superior quality of an EPC window over cheap, junky, hollow core vinyl windows.

Call for a FREE Consultation and Price Quotation Today

Window Installation in Crystal Lake

August 4, 2013 By windowschicago

Replacing an Improperly Installed Window in a Bathroom Tub Area

Crystal Lake Window Installation

Some homes have windows installed in a bath or shower area. This application requires some special techniques and product upgrades to meet code requirements and to reassure long term usage of the window.

We normally don’t take on one window projects. Not that we don’t like helping these folks out, but the cost of travel and setting up for the job just doesn’t always make financial sense. We usually like to keep our minimum at 3 windows per installation. With that being said, we sometimes do one window installs. In this case, this customer has used us on several other projects so we obliged to install the one window.

This particular window installation brings up a few very important situations that occur when installing a window in a bathroom. Particularly installing a window in a shower or tub area.

The wet surface of a tub or shower can become very slippery. I think everyone at one time or another has slipped in the tub. Unfortunately these slips can be quite serious. Broken bones, back injuries, bruised muscles, and in worst case scenerios, head injuries can occur. When a window is present in the tub area a new danger presents itself. A slip can result in a body part going through the glass, breaking it, resulting in a razor sharp edge that will cut flesh to ribbons.

Most municipalities require tempered glass to be used in all windows found in bath or shower stall areas. If it is not code in your area, it is the moral obligation of your window contractor to install that window with tempered glass.

Wikipedia defines tempered glass as, a type of safety glass processed by controlled thermal or chemical treatments to increase its strength compared with normal glass. Tempering creates balanced internal stresses which cause the glass, when broken, to crumble into small granular chunks instead of splintering into jagged shards. The granular chunks are less likely to cause injury.

The window in this Crystal Lake home should have been made with tempered glass. It had been hit and cracked but luckily for the homeowner hadn’t been hit hard enough to break all the way through. The inside pane of glass had cracked from top to bottom of the sash. This window wasn’t just a safety hazard, when it cracked it released the inert gas in between the glass that works to insulate the inside of the home from outside temperature.

We replaced the old vinyl window with a new vinyl window that specifically had tempered glass in it for the safety of the homeowners family.

Another issue in this case was the casing. Painted wood casing (interior trim) was used when the window was last replaced, whichseemed to be about 5 years prior. The wood casing was rotting due to the moisture it is exposed to in the bath/shower area. Moisture was penetrating the trim through the seams and was getting into the wall cavity. The sill that holds the window wasn’t rotted, but it was moist, which tells us it had probably not been occuring for very long, but if left unfixed it could have lead to a rotted sill, weakened wall integrity, and possible mold growth.

When we replaced the window, we used PVC trim instead of wood. The PVC trim looks like wood but will not rot like wood and is perfect for moist, even wet areas. Our window installers also made sure that the seams, nail holes, and areas where moisture could get behind the trim where caulked well to prevent moisture damage around the new window.

All in all the new vinyl window we installed worked better than the old one. Vinyl windows have a tendency to warp slightly with age due to temperature fluctuations. Most window installation companies won’t tell you this, but we see it every day. This window was only about 5 years old, but you could tell it wasn’t opening and closing as smoothly as it should. Even though vinyl technology is better now than in years past, the truth is, vinyl is plastic and is effected by temperature. This homeowner was told this and decided to go with vinyl windows because they cost a little less. We normally recommend our InnoMaxx Composite Window, but in this case we installed a Certainteed Vinyl Window to save the homeowner a few bucks.

The final issue in a bathroom is privacy. A clear window allows the neighbors and/or passers by to peer in on your private time. Luckily windows can be manufactured with obscure glass. This is glass that has a pattern to it that lets light in but can not be seen through. Good news, folks on the outside can’t see you… bad news, you can’t out unless you open the window. But in the long haul it’s worth it to avoid any neighborhood spectacles that may occur.

Now it’s Your turn! Do you have windows that stick, are cold in the winter and hot in the summer, that don’t lock properly, or are just plane ugly and old?? Give us a call for a Free price Quote and Consultation on New windows for your home…

Get a FREE Quote Today! (888) 356-9020