Looking Out at Windows

We were waiting for another window sales representative this morning when the phone rang. It was Keola, who we were expecting. Apparently he's come down with a horrible cold or flu and wanted to reschedule. Absolutely! We haven't gotten our flu shot yet.

Since he wasn't coming, Art said we should go down to Home Depot and price some vinyl windows there. That decision done, I started reading the comics.

Pearls Before Swine caught my eye.



We've gotten estimates for vinyl windows from two companies so far. The Company #1 fellow quoted $4,340.00 for Jeld Wen. Company #2 quoted nearly $8,000.00 for Anlin. The next windows we're looking at is called Makai.

Company #1 didn't have a sample of the windows, and didn't seem to know much about windows. He also gave some incorrect information which had us raising our eyebrows.

Company #2 was very knowledgeable and is a company of long standing. They also don't subcontract their labor. He said Company #3 does.

We're off to Home Depot now to check out their windows and hmmmm... maybe Lowes? That's our life for this week. We need to get this decision done quickly because we want to take advantage of the 30% off/up to $1,500. federal energy tax credit that expires this year.

Additional things to remember about getting the federal energy tax credits:

Requirements
U factor <=0.30
SHGC <=0.30

Tax Credit does NOT include installation costs.

SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient)
measures how well a window blocks heat from sunlight. The lower the SHGC, the lower the heat gain through a window. SHGC ranges from 0 to 1.

U-Factor
measures how well a window, door, or skylight prevents heat from escaping. It is similar to the R value for insulation. The lower the number, the more efficient the window. Ratings usually range from 0.20 to 1.20.