My wife and I purchased a 2500 ft2 Colonial home in suburban Detroit, Michigan, two years ago. The home (and subdivision) was built in 1985, and faces north. When we purchased the home, we knew at some point we would need to replace the windows, as the original stock wood windows were in poor shape, with heavily damaged screens, some broken seals, a lot of sweating, some warped frames and many broken sash cords - so that the windows wouldn't stay open. That first winter we also noticed some heavy drafts.
Well, we were hoping to wait another year for windows, but we're in a financial position to make the investment now, and the weathermen have scared me to death with their "absurdly high cost of natural gas this winter" stories ... so we're looking to have our windows replaced in Dec or Jan. We've solicited several bids, and are now seriously considering going with a local vinyl replacement window company called Wallside Windows
In any event, I'm interested in any opinions or advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation on the following:
- Did replacing your 20+ year old windows make an appreciable difference in your heat / AC costs ?
- Are you satisfied with the decision to go with vinyl over composite or wood (it's significantly cheaper, and most new homes - some mill homes included - around here use vinyl from the start)
- Is there any potential problems I should be on the lookout for during installation ?
This is a sizeable investment for the wife and I, so I appreciate any insight that might put my mind at ease. We plan to be in the house until at least when our kids get out of school (another 12 years), though that's certainly not a guarantee.