Window Specialists in San Antonio, TX

San Antonio Window Replacement

While the rest of the country is worried about the harsh winters and their window casements, as a San Antonio homeowner you probably realize it's your air conditioning bill that's the big expense. What you may not realize is that replacement windows can help you cut your summer utility bills just as it can cut your winter heating bills. Energy-efficiency and insulating windows aren't just about a single measure or energy-saving mechanism. San Antonio window replacement can create a truly customized window installation that will save you money and improve the comfort level of your home.

Energy-Efficient Window Replacement
A window's U-factor will tell you how the window will perform during the winter. San Antonio home heating systems can be less efficient or have a lower capacity than homes in colder climates, making this factor important, but much of the advantage comes during the summer. The solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) will tell you how quickly the sun will heat your home's interior. For both the U-factor and the SHGC, lower numbers indicate better window performance. A NFRC label should be able to readily give these numbers for each window you're considering.

Other Options
Inert gas pumped between your window panes will also help increase your energy-efficiency. Condensation resistant windows will prevent your new efficient home from backfiring with increased humidity levels that can cause condensation to form on your windows. For San Antonio window replacement, however, one of the biggest advantages may be a low visible transmittance which can reduce the glare of the sun into your bedrooms and TV rooms.

Cost of Windows
The quality, size, and number of your replacement windows will determine the cost of your San Antonio window replacement project. Nationally, the average cost of a total window replacement project is just over $6,000. Our San Antonio data tells us that this average remains constant but will vary widely from project to project. We've seen homeowners choose San Antonio window replacements as low as $2,000 or more than $10,000. Somewhere between $200-$600 per window will also give you some idea of the cost of your project.

One thing that tends to be true about cost is that most homeowners suffer from sticker shock when they first receive bids. Unfortunately, much of this shock is coupled with mistrust that replacement windows really will make a difference. Here's what one San Antonio homeowner said about their replacement windows: "It is an investment, but well worth it. We see a difference in our heating and air conditioning bill already."

Project Length
It probably won't take forever to get your new windows installed. Total project lengths, though, tend to run around two to three weeks. It can take some time to talk to multiple San Antonio window installers and choose both the contractor and the windows that are right for your home. You can fast-track your project if you want and get this time down to a week or less, but you may be sacrificing quality and/or cost by doing this. One of the advantages of taking the time to talk to San Antonio window installers is that they can offer unbiased advice about the window manufacturer and design that's right for you.

San Antonio Solar Screens
Though there are many benefits of replacement windows, San Antonio is one city where going the extra mile can really pay off. Because of the extreme heat and copious amounts of direct sunlight in San Antonio, solar screens are an investment well worth making. These devices are typically quick and easy to have installed, and their relatively low cost makes them the perfect compliment to your replacement windows. San Antonio solar screens will keep that sweltering Texas heat at bay, but unlike tinting film, they can be easily rolled up to allow direct sunlight to enter during the wintertime. This means you can save on cooling costs throughout the year, but with a simple pull on a string (or flip of a switch, if you opt for automation), you'll pull in heat when the weather gets cold, saving you on heating costs, too!

Even if you aren't in the market for window replacement, San Antonio solar screens are effective and affordable tools to make your existing windows more efficient. Instead of spending several hundred dollars per replacement window, San Antonio solar screens are able to bring you many benefits of replacement windows at a fraction of the cost. Discussing this option with a specialist is always a good idea, as different windows produce different amounts of heat gain. By having a professional inspect your property and identify the windows that would benefit most from solar screens, San Antonio homeowners can make sure that they are spending their money as effectively as possible and not investing in screens that won't make a significant difference in their heating costs.