Getting new windows can be pricey, especially if you’re getting authentic, Florida Building Code (FBC) compliant windows put in by experts who know how to do the job properly. So, you might be wondering if putting money into a big exterior window replacement job is worth the cost.
Call us biased, but, as a company, we here at Karoly Windows & Doors feel that replacing all of your home’s outdoor-facing windows with new impact windows is definitely worth the time and money it takes! Especially if you have older windows that aren’t impact-rated or have issues like drafts, difficulty opening or closing, or visible wear and tear.
But, what are the benefits that make performing whole home exterior window replacements worth the cost?
Here are a few of the potential benefits of exterior window replacements for your home here in Tampa Bay:
Exterior Window Replacement Benefit #1: Improved Energy Efficiency
The biggest benefit of performing a full replacement of all your home’s exterior windows is that it can help you save money for decades to come!
How? By making your home more energy efficient with improved insulation that keeps the Florida heat outside and the air-conditioning on the inside of your home.
Impact windows, especially vinyl-framed ones with low-e glass, often have excellent insulative properties to help keep indoor temperatures stable whether it’s hot or cold outside.
The biggest energy efficiency gain, however, requires whole home exterior window replacement. That’s because the more windows you can change over to energy efficient impact windows, the fewer points of entry there will be for the Florida heat to get in your home.
How much could you save by switching to energy efficient windows? The amount varies depending on your home’s cooling system, your home’s total size in cubic feet, and just how good (or bad) your current windows are at insulating your home, but data from ENERGY STAR shows that the average home in a southern region like Florida moving from single-pane clear windows to ENERGY STAR v7.0-compliant windows can save an average of 12% on their energy bills.
So, if you spent $150 a month on energy bills (or $1,800/year), you could save $216 a year. The bigger your energy bill is, the more you’ll save. Especially if your home’s air conditioning takes up the majority of your bill.
Exterior Window Replacement Benefit #2: Security
One of the biggest reasons to put in impact windows for your home’s exterior window openings is that it can be a massive improvement for your home’s security.
The problem with non-impact windows is that they’re all too easy to break. A child with a rock can easily shatter a fragile non-impact window in seconds. A determined intruder with a weapon could smash it in so quickly that you have no time to notice the attack before it happens.
However, with impact windows, would-be intruders have a much more difficult challenge in front of them.
In one incident caught on home surveillance footage, a group of would-be burglars attempted to break into a home, but couldn’t get past the impact-rated doors and windows, despite shooting them with a gun.
While damaged and in need of replacement after the incident, the exterior impact windows and doors prevented the break-in, safeguarding the homeowner’s property from the attack.
The knowledge that your irreplaceable memorabilia and your family are protected from casual attacks by common crooks is priceless for any homeowner.
Exterior Window Replacement Benefit #3: Improved Curb Appeal
Styles and preferences change all the time. What was trendy in 1963 might not be so hip now. Replacing your old, outdated windows with new windows can do a lot to enhance your home’s curb appeal and bring it in line with more modern styles.
With custom exterior window replacements, you can even alter the look of your home’s windows, changing the frame, hardware, and tint to match what you personally prefer so you get more enjoyment out of looking at your home.
And, if you ever decide to resell your home, having new windows can help you raise your home’s value.
Exterior Window Replacement Benefit #4: Insurance Premium Discounts
Did you know that replacing old, outdated windows that aren’t up to the current version of the Florida Building Code with new, impact-rated windows can actually earn you a discount on your homeowners insurance?
Well, it can!
Insurers operating in Florida are required to provide insurance discounts to homeowners who make approved wind mitigation improvements to their homes. Installing impact windows can be a qualifying home improvement under this regulation.
As noted by Comegys Insurance Agency, “insurers are generally required under Florida law to file and make available actuarially supported wind-mitigation discounts to homeowners who harden their homes against windstorms.”
The amount of the discount may vary based on the insurer. However, Comegys also notes that “to get the opening protection credit, ALL openings must be protected – every window, skylight, glass block, side door, etc.… But if your home has complete opening protection, that’s a big win on the inspection report and can yield substantial discounts.”
So, if you’re going to replace your exterior windows with new, impact-rated ones, it’s best to do them all at once to get the insurance premium credit!
Exterior Window Replacement Benefit #5: Protection from Hurricane Damage
Speaking of wind mitigation, one of the biggest reasons any homeowner in Tampa Bay should get an exterior window replacement service is because impact windows can help to protect your home from damage. The insurance discount is nice, but being able to sleep through a major hurricane without having to worry that a random rock will shatter your windows and let wind, rain, street debris, pests, and more into your home is priceless.
Just how much of a difference can having hurricane windows make during a storm?
It can literally make the difference between having minimal exterior damage to your home and total structural collapse during a severe Category 5 hurricane. This is because of how wind pressure acts on the inside of your home.
When a window is broken or left open and hurricane-force winds come inside, it creates a massive pressure spike that pushes up against the underside of your ceiling and roof. This makes it much easier for the storm to lift your roof off your home entirely, compromising its structural integrity to the point where total collapse becomes much more likely.
That can be tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars of damage. Worse, if you don’t have impact windows, some insurers may refuse to cover the cost of rebuilding your home and replacing your storm-damaged property.
By installing impact windows that won’t break at the first sign of harsh weather, you can massively reduce your risk of catastrophic home damage.
I Don’t Have the Money to Replace All of My Exterior Windows at Once. What Should I Do?
As mentioned earlier, exterior window replacement, especially if you’re upgrading to impact-rated windows, can be costly. The more windows you have, and the larger those windows are, the more you can expect to spend.
So, what should you do if you don’t have the money to replace all of your windows at once out of pocket (or just don’t want to tie up that much money on a window payment before the windows are actually installed)?
There are a few things you can do:
- Break the installation into several smaller, easier to afford projects. If you can’t secure funding to do all of your windows at once, then doing a few windows at a time could work. This also lets you check an installer’s quality and service without making a huge commitment for whole home replacement. However, it can also drag out the window replacement process.
- Seek alternative funding through government programs. You may be able to get help paying for your new windows through programs like the Florida PACE program or the My Safe Florida Home program. This helps make exterior window replacement more affordable, but these programs may have eligibility requirements that make it more difficult to secure this funding.
- Leverage window financing programs. Some window installation companies work with financial institutions to provide financing options that help reduce the financial burden of doing a total home impact window replacement. The challenge here is finding the right financing plan for your needs. For example, there are plans that let you get your windows with no down payment, others with long introductory interest rates where you have low or no interest accruing for a set amount of time, or ones where you don’t even have to pay installments on your financing plan for a year. Each plan has its own unique characteristics that might make it a good or poor fit for your needs, so it’s important to compare plans thoroughly before making a decision.
Any of these could help you make your whole home window replacement project easier to afford. Sometimes, homeowners use multiple strategies to make replacing their windows more affordable.
For example, some homeowners get financing with a lender to cover the cost of their window installation, then use the My Safe Florida Home program grant to pay off a large part of the loan once the program check clears. Using this strategy, they can take up to $10,000 off the cost of their window installation and greatly reduce the interest they may end up paying for financing their windows.
Some homeowners with great credit and plenty of cash on hand have opted for the $0 down, 0% interest, and no payments for a year financing option from Greensky to get their windows installed without tying up their liquid assets, then paid off the loan in full once their window installation was finished.
Need Exterior Window Replacements? Contact an Installer You Can Count On!
Thinking about getting a full home exterior window replacement done? Reach out to Karoly WIndows & Doors to schedule a free in-home window replacement consultation!
We’ll go over to your home to assess your window needs, provide advice on what kinds of windows would be the best fit for your needs and preferences, then give you a quote for service that not only gives you a total of what replacing your windows will cost, but break it down so you know exactly how much each window should cost for parts, labor, permits, and all other related expenses. That way, there are no surprises on your final bill.
Karoly Windows has decades of experience at installing impact windows. We’re so confident in the quality of the windows we put in and the craftsmanship of our in-house installers that we back every installation with a lifetime warranty covering labor for 25 years and materials for 50 years!
Reach out today to request a free in-home consultation and get started on your whole home exterior window replacement project.
