Want to piss some money away? Why not replace your windows?

I know the title is somewhat inflammatory but it just drives me crazy when I show an older home in the DC Metro region to prospective buyers and the first thing I hear about is the need to replace the old windows. There are so many reasons that this is a bad idea and in my opinion a bad investment. My home was built in 1938 and it has the original double hung sash windows. I love them and they add to the charm and feel of the home. It is unfortunate that most things written about replacement windows are  the product of the same people who have a vested interest in getting you to drop a wad of bills on new windows. They tout the ease of use of new windows and the energy savings but when you look at the costs of new windows vs the benefits of keeping and repairing your old wood windows, then perhaps keeping the old will sound more attractive. Here are some of my reasons.

• No matter how expensive you go, your new windows will not be the same quality as your old windows. It is a fact, new windows cost a lot of money and they will never last as long as good quality older windows. Most replacement windows are vinyl and the quality can vary depending on the price. However vinyl eventually wears out and the average useful life of vinyl windows is about 20 years and you then will need to replace them again. Even high dollar (and good quality) wood replacement windows are not as good as old windows because older windows were made from high quality old growth wood that is not commercially available any more.
• Energy savings with new windows may not be as much as promised. The reason is only a small percentage of your energy losses is through your windows. Most energy loss in a home takes place in poorly insulated attics. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on new windows, you probably can spend less just upgrading your attic insulation and save more money in the end.
• Double pane vinyl windows are not necessarily better insulators that old wood windows. It is most important to understand that wood is a better insulator that plastic. A well maintained wood window with good storm windows may actually provide better insulation.  They now make decorator, low visibility storm  windows to replace the older exterior aluminum ones that do look pretty bad.
• As long as the old window is not totally rotted out, it can be repaired by a competent handy man. Some projects such as sash windows  that have been painted shut (quite common) will require a bit of restoration but broken sash cords, replacement window panes, glazing are all fairly simple jobs that either you or your handyman can do.
• I don't care what you say. Original windows just look better and will always complement the style and architecture of your home over any replacement window you can find. Simply put, these are the windows that the original builder intended your home to have. They reflect the era that your home was built. Street appeal adds value to your home and the wrong replacement windows can cost your value. 

Now there are times when you should replace those windows. Stay tuned for my next post.

Here is a nice simple video about old windows. I like the video because the old gent talking about them obviously knows his stuff. No slick sales pitch here.

I love old homes. If you are a fan and want to see values for older homes in Silver Spring or other areas pay to my web site.

Go Green With a Whole House Fan.

In my community of Hillandale, Maryland a lot of the homes were built in the 1950s and 1960s.  Back in those days air conditioning was not too common and considered an expensive luxury. Many homes instead had "whole house fans" installed. Typically you see a whole house fan installed in the ceiling between the upper level of a home and the attic. They are pretty big and when turned on the force of the fan opens up louvers in the ceiling and pulls fresh air into the house through open windows and vents it out through the attic. Not only does it cool the house with fresh outside air but the fan also pushes hot air out of the attic space. This actually benefits the home in two ways as an attic without ventilation can get very hot in the summer and force your cooling system to work harder. You really do not see whole house fans installed in newer homes and I can't figure out why. Even with a central air system in place, a whole house fan can save a homeowner a wad of cash. It is estimated that a modern whole house fan uses about 1/10th the electricity that a central air conditioner would. You can still run your AC in the hottest days but when the outside temperature is below 80 and the humidity low, a whole house fan will keep you house just as cool. Here is a nice little video that I found that explains the principal of whole house fans in a quick nutshell.

Whole house fans are not too expensive but if it is not in your budget you can get yourself a high quality window fan that can just about do as good of a job as a whole house fan. I have an "Air King" window fan that goes into my window in the spring and comes out in the fall when the weather cools. It is bit noisier than a installed whole house fan but it is a "brute" and does a great job of ventilating my home.

Going Green Redux-Refrigerators

(article written by my wife, Elizabeth)

In Montgomery County, approximately 1/3 of our greenhouse gas emissions come from our homes. Refrigerators use the most energy out of all home appliances. If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, pay close attention to your refrigerator. According to Pepco, a refrigerator purchased prior to 1993 often uses more than twice the energy of a new ENERGY STAR qualified model. On average, a unit from that era costs over $50 MORE per year to operate than the latest efficient models. Models from 1980 and earlier are estimated to cost an ADDITIONAL $150 to operate annually!
Excess use of energy and the wear and tear on your wallet can really add up. Utilities in some parts of the US and in other countries are actually paying customers to get rid of these old refrigerators. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any references to this kind of “cash for clunkers” in Maryland. However, many new refrigerators do qualify for special energy star rebates.
If you are keeping that extra refrigerator or freezer around simply for convenience, think this through very carefully. We all really do not to be paying attention to how much energy we use. And take a close look at Pepco’s Home Energy Savings details to determine what you should do about the refrigerator in your kitchen. Go to http://homeenergysavings.pepco.com/md/faq#refrigerator .
Your neighbor is not going to peek into your home to see what you are doing – and neither will this editor. But all of your neighbors will benefit when we all take steps to reduce our impact on our fair planet. AND – KEEP THAT REFRIGERATOR DOOR CLOSED!

Energy audit of my own home.

OK, after 20 years of hiding from my problem I decided to bite the bullet and have an energy audit of my house. Mind you my house was built in 1938 and is probably the poster child for wasted energy. It can get pretty drafty and cold in the winter and I have always been aware of a number of defect and leaks that have been costing me money. We invited Stephen Bloie of A to Z Energy Auditors (240-676-2091) if Clarksburg, MD to come out and evaluate our home. Stephen is a licensed home inspector and brings a lot of experience and knowledge to the table. As a realtor, I have been to a lot of home inspections over the past 25 years and know my way around houses pretty well. There is a lot about my home and its energy defects that I already know but Stephen's audit showed me that there are a lot of things I did not know about my home.

The audit process is very interesting to watch. Basically, he puts up a temporary nylon barrier that seals your front door. The barrier has a high speed fan that blows air out of your house and creates and vacuum inside of the home. Air from the outside then works into your home through any holes that you might have. By locating the most serious air leaks with a thermographic camera and a small smoke maker, and then sealing them up you can save significantly on your heating bills and pay for the cost of the inspection and repairs in about a year or two. Stephen's philosophy is that most homeowners need not pay for high end repairs and remediation but that by simply sealing the most obvious air leaks for a low cost, you can have the biggest impact.

And I did learn a lot. First and foremost was that my house was built with balloon framing. My impression was that balloon framing was only found in all-wood houses but apparently my solid brick home also has balloon framing. And, from an energy loss standpoint this is not a good thing as when balloon framing is present the whole house tends to act like a giant chimney-with the open wall framing causing air to flow through the house and every hole that might penetrate the walls, up into the attic. Typically balloon framing opens into the attic all around the perimeter of the house. This all needs to be sealed and will stop the most serious air leaks. In addition, my switch plate covers, heating duct vents, ceiling fans, light fixtures and a lot of other penetrations into my walls are places where cold air is entering the home (and in summer hot air) will need to be sealed off. I was amazed to see how many holes my house actually has.

Well, I recommend that everybody do an energy audit of their homes-even newer homes. There are three steps to making your home more energy efficient. The first consists of minor easy to do things like swapping out your light bulbs or turning down the thermostat. Second comes a simple energy audit to locate the places in your home where air is penetrating and then sealing off those holes with caulk and weather stripping. The third step involves high end investments in alternative energy solutions such as solar heating or high end insulation. I recommend that you at least do the first two steps as this will give you the most return for your money. I have to be realistic in that my house is an older home and will never really be a tight energy efficient home without a serious outlay of money. However, with an energy audit and a modest outlay of money, I will be able to greatly reduce my energy bills and carbon footprint.

Going green in Silver Spring (hey that rhymes)

Montgomery County homeowners should be aware of the new Energy Efficiency Disclosure law that went into effect on January 1, 2009. With a few exceptions all home sellers are required to comply with this new law. It applies to all sales contracts signed after that date. Even if your home was listed for sale prior to January 1, 2009, you will still have to comply with the law.

The bill as passed specifies that “before” signing a contract for a single family home the seller must provide the buyer with:

1. General educational information on energy-efficiency improvements and energy audits approved by the Department of Environmental Protection.
2. Copies of the electric, gas, and heating oil bills OR cost and usage history for the single family home for the immediate prior 12 months.

Although a bit of a nuisance and a little vague, I think the law is a good idea. As the seller of a home you are required to provide information about the utility costs and any energy efficient upgrades that have been done to your home. As a Realtor, I can tell you that more of my clients are concerned about the efficiency of the homes in which they have taken an interest..

Take note! This law is a reflection of a growing trend in real estate. You can expect the demand for energy efficiency in homes to grow in the coming years. It was a close call, but the bill that was just passed almost had a provision calling for energy audits to take place with each transaction involving a single family home. Somebody would have had to pay for this audit. In this current buyer’s market the burden for costs such as this are falling on the seller.

Although energy audits are not required at this date, you can expect to see purchasers requesting such an audit as part of the home inspection contingency portion of their purchase bids. This only makes sense as the gas and electric bills constitute a major portion of any homeowner’s monthly expenses and homebuyers want to know what they are getting into.

What does this mean for you? If your home has an older heating or cooling system, poor insulation, or older windows that have not been updated, there is a good chance that these factors will affect the value of your home. More important, a home with low energy efficiency might not attract any offers at all considering the large number of competing homes currently on the market. If you think you will be a home seller in the next few years, perhaps now is the time to have an energy audit done on your property. This way you will know in advance what the energy weak points are with your home and can lay out a plan for gradual improvements before you place your home on the market. Of course, making improvements now will allow you to gain the benefits of the lower utility costs while you are still living in your home.