Installation Importance

The installation crew and the quality of their work is one of the most important factors when deciding to purchase new windows for your home. You can purchase the best windows on the market, but a poor installation will cause problems down the road.

At Park Place Doors & Windows, we have company-trained installers that only specialize in windows and doors. Our installation crews take great pride in their work. 12 years later, it continues to show by our increasing list of satisfied customers.

The installation process starts from taking down your window treatments and ends when we leave your home as clean as when we found it, in some cases cleaner! Our installers have been with Park Place for many years. We have four separate crews that have been on our team for over 5 years. The company as a whole does not have a high turnover rate in any position.

When you are shopping for a good, reputable company please remember how important the installation process is to the entire project. Ask questions about the installers, the process, procedures, etc. You can never ask too many questions! When you make the investment it should be a one-time deal. You want your windows installed properly and “done right” the first time!

My Spin on the Window Investment

Inefficient windows make up the majority of energy loss in most homes.  Unfortunately, the cost of new windows can sometimes cause the project to be put on hold until times are better, or just put the kibosh on the whole idea permanently.   The problem with postponing the window job is that the homeowner is throwing money away every month.  High utility bills only get higher.  When was the last time you saw energy costs go down? Fighting back at the energy companies is the only chance of putting a dent in that utility bill.  

Windows are an investment, meaning, THEY WILL SAVE and MAKE YOU MONEY!  It’s no secret that you will notice an instant drop in your utility bills once the windows are installed, but don’t forget that all that money you invested on the front end will be paid right back once it is time to sell the home!  I think of it as a high yielding savings account.  Let’s say your new windows will cost you about $6000.  A normal savings account might earn $6 per year in interest on that account.  Now, take that $6000 and invest it in new windows.  You will instantly put a significant dent in your utility bill (I save an average of $60 per month on my 1350 sq ft home.) And when it’s time to sell you will tack on more than that $6k to the price of your house! 

Replacing windows is really a no-brainer for a homeowner, but I understand all too well how hard it is to let go of a chunk of money like that!  Just remember, It is an investment and you are not “spending” that money on new windows…  Your saving it!

Although ParkPlace Doors and Windows only services North Texas, please don’t hesitate to call or email with your questions regarding energy efficient windows and doors.  We are here to help, so don’t be shy!

Why Buy Replacement Windows?

Let's begin with this, I do not know much about windows.  I am an accountant, not a window salesman or installer.  I know nothing about all the crazy acronyms that float around the window industry - just as they do in any other industry.  I am a numbers man!

The best thing about being an accountant in the window business is that I can relate with the end user much better than I can relate to the vultures out there trying to sell you windows.  Of course, I'm not talking about the fine sales staff over here at Park Place Doors and Windows, I'm talking about the competition. Go figure, right?

Now, I could go on and on about windows and drip caps and double glazing, but then you would know that I'm lying, so I won't.  What I can tell you is

this: I replaced my residential windows with some vinyl, thermal, super-windows from Park Place and the only reason I did it was because of my employee discount.  As a first-time homeowner, replacing the windows in the house was not the first thing on my to-do list, it was not even on the list.

I mean, come on, the house came with windows!  Why would I want to replace them?  They were "new to me" anyway!  Besides, I needed to build a fence, build a deck, and buy some furniture!  I had no time for a bunch of silly windows.  Anyway, Aimee finally talked me into it.  She spit out all the acronyms and options that come with windows and I was not fazed until she got to the part about how much cash I would be saving on my electric bill (Remember? Accountant!)  I also got a killer tax credit from the IRS, not a deduction, a tax CREDIT, big difference!  The government paid for 30% of my windows.  So, I got the employee discount, Uncle Sam covered 30%, and my utility bills got whacked by 38% on average, and my house is worth more than it was when I bought it!  I feel like one of those extreme couponers!  After my windows were installed I realized it was a no-brainer and was glad I made the investment.

I'm not going to go into how much better the house looks and how much quieter it is inside, that is a whole other blog!

How much energy will I save with new windows?

The most common question asked by people wanting new windows is, "How much will I save on my electric bill?"  An exact percentage is difficult to provide due to the different factors from house to house.

Here are a few of those factors:
1. How many windows and doors are in the home?
2. Is the home shaded by trees?
3. What direction does the home face?

These are just a few things to consider when attempting to calculate the savings.  You will definitely see a decrease in dollars that can vary from 15%-50%. Some customers have seen small savings all the way up to an incredible amount.

When windows and doors are replaced, the house is sealed up providing a reduction in electricity (or gas) consumption.  Also, a drastic increase in comfort is felt throughout the home. No more melting in the west-facing kitchen during the summer.  No more feeling the draft from leaky doors or windows while sitting on the couch watching a movie. The air conditioner will not cycle as often and the home will be much quieter. 

Just remember, although it is almost impossible to figure how much you will save on energy bills, three things you will definitely enjoy are the energy savings, a quieter, more comfortable home, and increased curb appeal!

We know you have a lot more questions when it comes to a replacement window investment, so please dont hesitate to give us a call at 214.827.2810 with whatever you questions you have! If your the shy type, just drop us an email and we will return it as soon as possible!

Energy-Efficient Window Vocabulary

New windows can be just as attractive as a beautifully landscaped yard. Sometimes consumers do not understand all the window jargon that goes along with making the best decision for your home. It can be confusing and frustrating to try and understand all the terms, but have no fear! I’m here to help! No longer do you have to be an engineer to make important decision for your updated home!

Ever see windows that are made with Low-E Glass? Low-E, or Low-emissivity, is a special glazing put on glass to control the heat transfer. The Low-E coating decreases the infrared radiation from a warm pane of glass to a cooler pane.

What’s the U-Factor of my windows? U-Factor is the rate at which a window conducts non-solar heat flow. Heat loss is one of the most important reasons to replace your windows. This rate is significantly lessened with Low-E glass. The lower the U-Factor, the better the window!

SHGC Factor- SHGC measures how well a window blocks heat from sunlight. The SHGC is the fraction of the heat from the sun that enters through a window. SHGC is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower a window’s SHGC, the less solar heat it transmits.

These are just a few of the important terms to know when attempting to make your home more energy-efficient! Keep these in mind along with PARK PLACE DOORS & WINDOWS when you’re ready to update your home!

How To Clean Your Windows

I remember the days growing up when my mom would clean the windows with some Glass Plus® and newspaper.  She did a pretty good job on them, but it created a lot of trash after she was done with all the windows in the house. 

When I was in high school I got a job washing cars at a prestigious country club in North Dallas.  I was taught to wash cars by the best!  Peter Nguyen could increase the value of your car by 30% with a $20 car wash!  Not really, but still… 

Here is the secret to cleaning windows:  USE WATER!  Don’t waste time and money using some glass cleaner or soap.  You need to go spend $10 on a chamois at Wally World and find the oldest crustiest (but clean) towel you have.  The towel is key!  Peter used to go to garage sales looking for old dingy towels to clean cars.  Nice, new, clean, puffy towels just don’t work.  You want the towels that would rub the skin off your back if you dried yourself off with it. 

Soak the clean chamois in water and wipe the window down.  Get in there with your finger nails on the stuff that’s really stuck.  After wiping every square inch of the glass take the towel to it.  Wipe either horizontal OR vertical.  Don’t go both ways until the window is completely dry.  And put some muscle into it for Pete’s sake.  Wipe it hard until the window is dry and move on to the next.  If your arms don’t hurt when you are done you didn’t do it right! 

Your windows will be clean and streak-free until next time! 

I am regretfully proud to say that my clean windows have killed more birds than I can count.  How many birds have your residential windows killed?

The Replacement Window Salesman

I bought my first house in 2005.  It had old aluminum, single pane windows that rattled when cars drove by.  The glass was permanently dirty and no amount of glass cleaner, water, soap, or any other solution would get them clean.

 So, my step dad has this energy-efficient replacement window company. .. Wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let’s start off by saying I have a profound disliking for any kind of salesperson.  I don’t care who you are, when you start giving me that salesman bologna I start to get fired up.  Anyway, he proceeds to tell me that the windows in my house are junk.  Unfortunately, after purchasing the house and having to take care of a few other household issues I just didn’t have the coin to replace the windows.  And I really didn’t see the value in it anyway.  I have been accused of being frugal from time to time.  I can only imagine the names I have been called when I’m not present.

So, a few months down the road my step dad is still hounding me about these magical windows that are supposed to cut out the road noise, lower my energy bills, increase the value of my house, blah blah blah…  I didn’t care about any of those qualities, I just wanted clean windows!  He would spit his salesman game about the tempered safety glass, double and triple panes, Low E, and argon gas.  He might as well have been speaking Mandarin Chinese.  I didn’t know, nor did I care about what he was talking about.   I finally broke down and ordered windows.  It took a few weeks from order to installation because they had to custom create the windows.  I was at work the whole day during the installation.  It was cool, when I left for work I had old dingy aluminum windows and when I got home I had the brand new, heavy duty-looking windows!  Man, they look like they are bullet proof compared to my old windows. And boy, were they CLEAN! 

Now, he told me there would be significant savings on my electric bill. Of course, at the time I thought he was just doing his salesman thing.  I almost fell over when I got the second electric bill.  I’m saving about $1200 per year on my new windows.  Its insane.

I do feel a little guilty about my attitude towards salesmen when it comes to my step dad.  It turns out he just wanted me to have good windows and save money on my electricity.  After the windows were installed I asked him what the total bill was and he said, “Happy Birthday.”