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How to Shop for a Good Quality Replacement Window
When shopping for a good quality replacement window, one rule that will never change when buying things is that you get what you pay for. While a person can overpay for a high quality window, they will still own a high quality window. If you overpay for a builder grade window, it may fail quickly and you will not only own a builder grade window, but may have to replace it. Take careful note of what you want from your window purchase and find a window manufacturer that makes what you want. There are a lot of options in the market place.

Visual beauty can be very important to some people. The best looking replacement windows will have the same size frame all the way around the perimeter (for horizontal sliding designs especially). Many of the less attractive replacement windows have the front, left, and top sides of the frame wide, while the bottom is narrow. A quality replacement window with a beveled frame will look better than a basic box frame (which is the cheapest).

Sliding windows which have screens that remove to the inside are more attractive than the old fashioned designs, whereby the screens are removed to the outside leaving the open track to gather dust and debris. A good quality replacement window will offer superior performance ratings. It should feature a "U" Value of .30 or less for cold weather and a SHGC of .30 or less to keep the heat out in the summer.

Replacement Windows and the energy tax credit
A replacement window that meets the above criteria would qualify for Obama's 2009-2010 Energy Tax Credit (for full details, visit the Department of Energy's website). Most energy star rated windows on the market over the past few years will not meet this tough standard for the rebate. A replacement window that meets these specifications will offer tremendous summer and winter comfort and save you money on heating and cooling bills.

Replacement Windows of high quality have good seals
A good quality replacement window should have a "super spacer" type seal (multiple part seal system), or the good window ratings you get day one may fade away quickly as the gas leaks out between the glass panes. Many companies promote metal seal systems and come up with lots of fancy names for them, but in my experience, none of them are made to last. The intercept spacer (raw untreated steel bent in a "U" profile) was originally introduced to transport glass over mountain passes.

The "U" design bends inward, so as the air gets thinner going over a mountain pass and the glass flexes inward, the seals do not fail as often as a rigid box metal spacer. Additionally, it is quick and very cheap to manufacture.
Replacement Windows of high quality are multi-chambered
A quality replacement window (vinyl) frame should be multi-chambered. A general rule is that the fewer the chambers, the cheaper and weaker the window frame. Foam in a frame adds a bit of additional insulating value, but is not a substitute for multiple chambers as it adds nothing in terms of structural value. It is far cheaper for a window manufacturer to add some foam inserts to a weak frame than to build a multiple chambered window. A structural, multi-chambered window is harder and more expensive to manufacture.

A side note on how vinyl frame extrusions are made (the process is similar to the old Play Dough toys): Vinyl pellets are gravity fed into what appears to be a huge auger-fed meat grinder. The high pressure created when the pellets are compressed melts the vinyl, which is then pushed through a series of metal dies. Each machined metal die is more precise than the preceding one until a nice even vinyl extrusion emerges. This vinyl extrusion is then floated out onto a long water trough to cool and cut into sections. The more complex the extrusion dies are, the more costly they are to manufacture and maintain and the more complex the extrusion, the greater the amount of vinyl material required to manufacture it.

The best replacement windows will have multiple chambers with foam inserts. In a wet area like the Northwest, it is not a bad idea to have a frame design that is sloped internally for water drainage. A window frame with a sloped internal drainage plane and foam chambering on all four sides is being developed to meet the special needs of the wet Pacific Northwest area. A sloped surface drains quicker than a flat one. A window with a thick outer wall is good also because a lot of the weight of the glass can be placed on the outer wall of a vinyl frame. An 80 mil. double strength outer wall is a nice option for long term stability and strength if a window is installed without a nailing flange. Finally, the actual vinyl material should be virgin vinyl. Vinyl can be recycled, which is good for the environment, but it can also be combined (diluted) with materials like chalk, which causes problems over time.

Replacement Windows of high quality are fusion welded
A good quality replacement window will feature fusion welded corners. Welders range in cost from a couple hundred dollars to a million dollars or more. The million dollar welder does things the cheaper welders cannot do. Hydraulics simultaneously line up all four corners precisely and the automated welder welds through the entire frame, effectively welding the internal chambers as well. This type of structural welder increases the longevity and strength of the window. Regular welders often only weld the outer edges that you see, not the internal structure.

A good quality replacement window will offer features not found in builder grade windows. Some popular features include: "invisible" screens for homes with a view, removable window tracks for easy cleaning, multi lock systems such as 4 point locks on sliding doors, self cleaning glass, a performance rating like the one listed above, covered weep holes to keep out bugs and wind, stainless hardware where needed (such as near salt water), and tilt options where applicable (note: some tilt ins will not have a high performance rating because the exposed tracks tend to let wind through, which hurts the "U" Value ratings in the simulation testing).

Edge Spacers
Energy efficient windows often employ super spacers having "warm edge technology". (Spacers refer to the material used to keep the two panes of glass apart while also providing an air tight seal.) "Super Spacers" keep the windows warmer around the edges where condensation often occurs. By eliminating aluminum which transmits heat rapidly (1416 BTU's per hour) and replacing it with a foam insulator, dramatic improvements are made, both in energy performance and in reducing condensation along the glass perimeter.

The best windows use less conductive materials such as foam and rubber. Some companies employ a double sealing technique whereby the foam seal is used to provide the highest insulating value and then a secondary rubber or polymer sealant is applied over that to prevent gas escaping and seals from breaking. Warm edge spacers can improve the U-value of a window by 10% and boost the edge temperature, thereby reducing condensation.

Replacement Windows of high quality have good warranties
A good quality replacement window will have an excellent warranty. The rule here is that the big print giveth, while the small print taketh away. A comparison of window manufacturers' warranties will give you a good idea of how long the manufacturer believes their windows will last and what will fail. Warranties vary widely. I hope this article offers an insight into what components go into making a good quality replacement window. The next challenge is finding a company that does quality installations.