Helpful Glass Tips for New Windows

Sealed Units

If condensation has formed between the two panes of your sealed window, the panes can fog up and stain. Etching can even occur within the glass. This means that the seal within your window has failed.

Whether it is a broken pane or a failed seal, the efficiency of the glass has been compromised. In most cases, the window frame itself has not been damaged, in which case it is still sound and will continue to serve you well for many years. The sealed unit is the only thing that needs to be replaced, and it is unnecessary to do a full frame replacement. We would like to see our customers consider restoring their windows rather than replacing them, whenever possible. An onsite inspection and review of the job will help us to find you the most cost effective solution.

Windows

South Country Glass Ltd offers the finest replacement windows on the market, and our qualified installers and service technicians get each job done right, the first time around.

Why Renovate? – Investing in New Windows and Doors

Replacing old windows and doors in your home with new, attractive, energy-efficient varieties can pay immediate dividends through increased market value as well as reduced energy and maintenance costs. These findings resulted from two major surveys conducted in Canada and the United States and give added impetus to the trend among homeowners to upgrade their windows and doors, whether they intend to sell their homes or not.

The Appraisal Institute of Canada – the organization representing many appraisers working for mortgage companies, real estate firms and similar organizations – recently conducted a survey in Canada to determine what home improvement projects provided the greatest return in increased market value to homeowners. Window and door replacement ranked in the top ten and was estimated to return, on average, 57 percent of the dollars spent.

On another study carried out in the United States by NFO WorldGroup, 2,000 consumers were asked to estimate home prices based on the exterior appearance. The consumers were shown pictures of homes and asked to estimate how much the home was worth. One group of consumers was shown photos of homes with old-style doors, while the others were shown photos of the same homes following the installation of an upgraded front door system.

On average, the consumers estimated the value of the homes with the upgraded front door to be worth 5.3 percent more than the same home prior to the upgrade. Based on a home valued at $200,000, this adds in excess of $10,000 in market value.

In addition to increased market values, an investment in replacement windows and doors can improve a home’s energy efficiency by up to 20 percent, resulting in a marked decrease in energy bills. On average, it costs $1,200 per year to heat a home, and of that, industry standards suggest that about 30 percent is due to window related heat loss. Industry experts estimate that, over the past three years, Canadians have saved almost $2.5 million in energy costs just by installing energy efficient windows.

Finally, homeowners who install new maintenance free windows realize substantial savings as a result of reduced maintenance costs. In Calgary’s climate, most wood windows require painting every two to three years.

Rock Chips

Even the smallest of cracks and chips within your windshield can lead to dangerous driving conditions. Over time, these cracks can lengthen and weaken your windshield leading to situations where the windshield can either block the driver’s view or shatter completely. To learn about quick windshield fixes, give us a call.