Wood vs. Aluminum vs. Vinyl

You decide to replace your windows and find out there are several different options to choose from. For example one question that might come up is which type of window do I want? Wood, aluminum or Vinyl? Here are a few pros and cons for each of them to help make that decision easier.

A major source of heating/cooling lost are windows and vinyl is a better insulator than wood or aluminum. Aluminum conducts heat and cold removing these from your home giving you the opposite effect of what you are trying to establish.

Vinyl is maintenance free, it never needs painting and won't show scratches. Aluminum window colors are sprayed on which can lead to scratches, flaking and peeling. Wood windows expand and shrink with the weather causing the paint to also flake and fall off.

Vinyl is resistant to condensation, while aluminum supports condensation and can frost in the cold weather.

Vinyl solid construction provides long lasting beauty and structural integrity while aluminum and wood windows are more prone to impact damage, denting and scratching.

These are a few of the most important difference between these windows. There are other differences and something else to consider is your personal taste. If you have a home with wood windows and you love the look and style of your windows then that may be your choice. All these windows come in several sizes and colors of your choice as well. You will pay more in price for the wood and aluminum than the vinyl but you will sleep better knowing you picked the windows you wanted and not the windows you were told to pick. 75% of replacement windows are vinyl today which leads you to believe they are the best windows for the best price. Just make sure to do you own research first.

Caulking Maintenance

With the coming of fall it is a great time to walk around your home and do some caulking maintenance. Caulking is one of the easiest home maintenance tasks that should be done twice a year. Once in the fall right before the cold and wet weather comes and then again in the spring before the hot summer months. Caulking is also very inexpensive and can be completed in an afternoon’s time if done regularly.

Caulking is important in helping to prevent water intrusion, increase energy efficiency and prevent insects from crawling through cracks into your home. Take a walk around your home and inspect the caulking for gaps or separations around all windows, doors, between the foundation and the siding and at corners and angles between siding materials.

Follow these easy steps to caulk the exterior of your home.

1) Remove the old caulking completely using a scraper or putty knife.

2) Apply new caulking where the two surfaces meet holding the caulking gun at a 45 degree angle. Be sure to caulk in one continuous stream to avoid cracks, bubbles or missed areas in the caulking.

3) Moisten the tip of your finger to compress the caulking in and wipe any excess caulking away.

4) Let it dry.

These 4 easy steps can help lower repair costs down the road. For more tips and information visit our website at http://www.hinessiding.com/.