The Good, the Bad and now the Ugly. Aluminium Windows.

Starting in the late 1950's, many builders began using all aluminium windows-especially for less expensive housing (not necessarily cheap though). This type of window offered up many attractive advantages over wood and steel windows. First off they were very inexpensive and easy to make. And, they were durable as all get out. There are a lot of homes around today, built before the energy crisis of the 1970's that still have their original single pane, aluminum windows. And it is no uncommon for them to be in very reasonable working condition. My neighborhood in Hillandale, MD has a lot of  ramblers, split foyers and split level style homes that were built in the 1960s. It is not uncommon to see aluminium windows in this style of home. My older Hillandale home has the old triple track aluminum storm windows over the original wood sash windows. I am guessing that they are over 40 years old. They are not too pretty but still effective as storm windows.

The real problem with aluminum widows is that they were made out of aluminum. And aluminium is known to be a great conductor of heat and cold. So if you have the old simple single pane aluminium windows or worse yet, sliding glass doors, you are losing a lot of energy. It just can't be helped. In addition, you have to admit that those windows are pretty darn ugly. So if you got em then by all means think of replacing them. You won't harm the architectural value of your home one bit by replacing those ugly old things, and it is one window replacement job where it probably will be cost effective over time as both an energy saver and as a means of increasing the value of your home.

The real issue is what to replace them with. There are a lot of good replacement windows out there including some new efficient aluminum windows. Just remember, that with windows it is true that you are going to get what you pay for. Don't go too cheap on the windows. Do your research and look for windows with solid long term warranties. And pay attention to the types of windows that might cause you problems. Lately some of the vinyl and aluminum clad wood windows (including some made by very reputable companies such as Pella and Anderson) have come under fire for defects. Below is an interesting video on the subject. So make sure that you are getting proven technology and look for quality windows that fit the look and style of your home.

Replace your window? Part Deux: Steel Casement Windows

In my last post I railed about needlessly replacing your old windows. However, there are times when window replacement does make sense. Some original windows are pretty crappy-especially those that are made of metal such as steel and aluminium. Steel casement windows were considered stylish, easy to maitain and inexpensive back in their day. There are some fine homes where the design was well integrated and the steel casement windows fit the home. Many old deco style homes were built with metal casement windows.

 A perfect example would be John  Joseph Earley's famous Polychrome homes located in the Four Corners area of Silver Spring. It would be criminal for a home owner to consider replacing the casement windows in an historic property. In many cases the windows are protected by local historical preservation laws. The problem is that these windows in their original form were poor insulators to begin with and tend to get worse as they age. In an historical home or even a home where they fit the architectural style of the property the key is to restore the windows-not to replace them. However, in some homes mostly built post World War II s it is just probably a better idea to replace them. A small brick track rambler in Silver Spring is not going to look any worse if the old casement windows are replaced by something different. The good news is that there are plenty of good replacement window options. If you have the desire you can opt not to use the standard vanilla vinyl sash windows as there are some attractive casement style replacement windows out there. I sold a home in Woodmoor some years ago and the new owners replaced the metal casement windows with some very good vinyl casement windows. In this case, the appearance of the home was actually improved. My point is that you need to try preserve your home's original look when replacing windows. Doing this should give you the best value when you go to sell your home.