WINDOWS
Installing a skylight or sun tunnel is an energy-efficient way to add extra light and a dramatic effect to your home. A professional installer can help you take advantage of the natural beauty and energy savings in almost any room in your home, including bathrooms, hallways, or even walk-in closets.

Lifetime vinyl replacement windows have an easy-to-clean design and are both durable and efficient. These windows have been tested to withstand whatever the weather may bring. By meeting the Energy Star™ standards, these windows provide maximum efficiency and can help you save money on energy bills.

SIDING
The exterior of your home is the shield that protects your family and the contents of your home from severe storms and seasonal weather patterns. That is why it is important to use only quality siding with highly trained and experienced technicians.

Low maintenance vinyl siding provides superior protection, is highly durable, and energy efficient. Vinyl is available in many different profiles and colors. Combined with vinyl soffitt, wrapped trim, and facia boards will eliminate any future painting costs.

ROOFING
GAF 5-Part Weather Stopper Roofing System is highly recommended when replacing your roof. This process has proven to be the best protection against the elements, and offers the highest quality installation. Below list some of the features of this system.

1. Leak Barrier. Using a special material designed specifically for use around eaves, rakes, valleys, chimneys, skylights, and surrounding all roof penetrations gives your roof added stability and protection.

2. Roof Deck Protection. A synthetic underlayment lays flat with less wrinkles, helps protect against leaks, and allows attic moisture to breath through it.

3. Quality Shingles. Shingles of all types are offered to compliment your home and fit your budget.

4. Effective Attic Ventilation. Insures proper air circulation to prevent condensation, mold, and deterioration of roof sheathing.

5. Hip or Ridge Cap. Gives your shingled roof the finishing touch.

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