The Window Connection Blog

What kind of windows do I need for my home in Dallas?

 

Vinyl, Aluminum, Wood and Fiberglass (Fibrex) type materials make up most of availible options..  Which is best for your home?

 

Vinyl is used in more than 90% of applications in Dallas Texas. It is durable, often lifetime warrantied and stands up to the Texas sun.

 

Fiberglass and Fibrex have great public relations but the cost doesn't really provide better performance overall and the frames tend to be fatter causing less glass and light.

 

Wood is a must have in Historical Districts and upscale homes all around Dallas.  Modern wood windows have heat reflective glass and aluminum clad exteriors. Some homes just need the aesthetic of a true wood window but they are costly.

 

Aluminum Windows are still used in some multi-family applications up to 6 floors tall but aren't used in most residential applications due to being non compliant with National Energy Code.    

 

 

Understanding NT Window Base Models - The Presidential and the Energy Master platforms

 

While their website shows more than two models due to rebranding, the NT Window is produced in two distinct model platforms.   

 

The Presidential is also rebranded as the Traditions and The Energy Master is rebranded as the Executive. These may have different options but they are built with the same glass and frame.

 

The Presidential is the only model that can have the Sandstone color and is also the only NT Window Product that can be painted black on both sides. The Energy Master is paintable on the exterior. The painting process from NT Window is called Vivid Color.

 

NT Window also has a casement line as well as a sunroom wall division.  All NT Windows use Cardinal 452 glass stock in all Low E windows.  

 

Low E Glass colors versus clear glass.  Understanding what the color means and does.

Clear Glass was the norm for decades.  The 30's through the 80's used it.   

 

Modern double paned glass has color to it.  The heavy green is usually Cardinal 366.  The Blue grey is usually Cardinal 452.   The hard blue is Cardinal 340.   Lighter  tints  might be a PPG or Guardian Glass, or the Cardinal 280.  

 

Modern Energy Star Code Compliance usually dictates use of Low E Glass to some degree in single family residential applications in most North Texas cities. Sometimes we can be creative to get clear in some applications such as hail damage and needing to match others for instance. This is called "like and kind" in insurance circles. It's a grey area that is worked through case by case.

 

The green of the 366 was pretty harsh, the 452 has a much softer grey overtone.  That color is the metal Low E Coating on the inside of the outside pane of glass.  Most modern windows do have Argon Gas between the two panes of glass. 

 

Understanding why some vendors charge $650 per window and some charge $4000.

Most window companies fall into one of two business models. The cheap guys and the well advertised guys. The cheap guy will use the cheapest window, the cheapest labor and the cheapest sealants and trim solutions.

 

The well advertised guy has so much money invested in TV and radio ads, print ads and mailers that his actual cost to generate the lead is astronomical. That company needs to have a big showroom, well paid commission based sales representatives, money to pay fees on "free interest and financing" claims.  That's a lot of money needed that isn't labor or windows on your home. 

 

As a consumer you pay for that one way or another. There are no banks that are "free for six months" and window companies don't have millions in payments due in 18 months.

 

Our Competitors page has actual bids from other vendors like Renewal and Window Nation

 

 

Understanding why aluminum windows get so hot in the summer and cold in the winter

 

Aluminum is a conductor of temperature.  When it's in direct sunlight on a 93 degree day, the frame itself can be 113 degrees on the inside of the metal frame, not to mention the sheetrock and sill at 109.

 

This kind of hot metal is inside your home and doing battle against a little air conditioning vent.  The hot frame will win, especially when the glass is allowing 87% of the heat through as well.  It's not a window, it's a conduit for heat and cold directly inside your home.        

 

Even top of the line aluminum windows cannot achieve a U Value under a .45.  Energy Star requires a .30 or lower.     

 

Aluminum Thermally Broken windows are still used in multi-family applications but not in single family homes.  

 

Aluminum can be grandfathered in some cases and jurisdictions.  This is often the case in hail damage situations.  

 

Thermal Break aluminum can be produced as black or dark brown inside and out.   

 

There are currently two well known manufacturers of aluminum windows in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.   NT Window has their Royal line of aluminum windows and Don Young Company produces aluminum single and double hung aluminum windows. 

 

 

 

Sound Proofing in modern windows.  What makes a window quieter?

 

A standard modern double strength glass package in a modern window will lower noise infiltration about 10 decibels.  That's a massive change 

 

For enhanced noise blocking, some applications will use "offset glass" and employ 3/16" glass over double strength and that can block another 3 to 5 decibels 

 

The next step up in noise abatement would include a laminated glass layer with a double strength interior glass.  Laminated is two pieces of glass with a plastic layer between the two pieces.  This is much like the windshield of a car.  It essentially gives us three panes of glass and a sheet of plastic that is .030/100 of an inch thick   

 

Check out our in depth study of glass packages and STC and OITC Ratings for Replacement Windows by clicking below.

 

How to check and understand window reviews.

 

Almost all the cheapest window companies and the cheapest window manufacturers have terrible reviews.  Do your google search for a product followed by "reviews" to really get a picture of what people are saying about that window.

 

Pella actually has hundreds of reviews and an average of 2.5 of five stars.  It's on their website.  That's not a huge confidence builder.

 

Window World has an average of 1.7 stars out of five.  The truth is, the cheapest stuff is cheap for a reason and most people don't need cheap, low quality windows or installation. 

 

Also, be discerning.  Look at who wrote the review.  If they post reviews all over the country, it's likely that they are a marketing company, not actual users of the product.   Also note that most bad reviews are installation related more so than product oriented.    

 

What should I expect to pay for windows in Dallas?

 

The four thousand dollar window.  What makes that happen?  Renewal Fibrex double hung is $3750 each for a 24 by 72 window.   That's a lot of money for a single window.

 

Renewal spends about $250 per year marketing to every house.  They do it to you too.  That cost includes the ads on the news networks that run 20 times a day, the big full-page newspaper ads, the Nextdoor ads, the “Your Home” magazine in the mail, the Valpak coupons, and more.  All this adds up to a huge cost per customer in lead acquisition costs.  The big price tag has to cover all that and more.

 

That big showroom and the lovely staff cost tens of thosands of dollars a month.  That salesman has to be amazing and amazing salesmen make big commissions.    None of this brings value to your windows, installation or your home.

 

 

What are acceptable glass flaws?

 

How perfect is glass able to be and how do I inspect for flaws.

 

As much as I wish building materials were perfect, they are not.

 

This is the place to find the ASTM Standards for Glass Manufacturers. Obviously it is also the driving force for replacement windows.

 

The real story is that since glass is essentially molten sand that has cooled, it has natural waves, inconsistencies and flaws that are unavoidable. This was true when it was hand poured and it is still true in spite of amazing machinery and automated processes designed to maximize cleanliness and minimize human error.

 

Click here to see our page on criteria for this subject.