When buying a window, “value” is defined as R-value which means “Resistance to heat” flow; and money, that would be greenbacks, cash, etc.

Rule 1) COST PER R – there is a formula and a scale for buying a window; it is investment (money) divided by R-Value. So an excellent price would be $120 to $135/R, a fair price would be $130 to $155 per R and a not so good deal would be anything over $150/R.

Simply put, it is that simple! “After all a window is a window! Isn’t it?” I hear this comment every single day, because my company sells and installs windows, every single day.

OK, so buying a window is more complicated than most people think, and most people outsmart themselves when buying a window. But the aforementioned rule is still an excellent rule to follow. So let me explain the preliminaries because that’s where the real knowledge is, inside the details!

All windows come with an R-Value rating and a U-Value rating. You can check them out at NFRC.ORG – Product directory.

Rule 2) CENTER OF GLASS VS. ENTIRE WINDOW – It can be confusing, but make sure you locate the R-value for the entire window, not the center of glass. Most tricky salespeople and manufactures will disclose the center of glass R- value, because the entire window R-value would make any slightly educated consumer look at other manufactures. You want the entire window’s R-Value.

Rule 3) U-VALUE VS. R-VALUE – It can be confusing, when looking for R-value you have to know that R-Value and U-Value are different sides of the same coin! U-Value is a measure of heat transfer, while R-Value is a measure of resistance to heat transfer. To convert a U-Value into an R-Value just divide one by the U-Value. (e.g. 1/.32 U= 3.125 R) A good R-Value is 7. (Read Rule 3 for buying a window to learn why!)

Rule 4) HOW TO EVALUATE R-VALUE AND U-VALUE – the lower the U-value the better, and the higher the R-value the better.

This article is one of a series of article on windows by Glenn Hughes of AAA Quality Home Improvement, LLC. The second article in this series is “The Number 2 Rule for Buying a Window” – “What is the Right R-Value for me?”

For more information you can contact Glenn Hughes directly at 703-707-0334 or on his website www.tripleaquality.com or e-mail him direct at glenn.hughes@tripleaquality.com