McCann Window Northbrook Chicago IL

847-562-1212 | 3375 Commercial Ave. | Northbrook, IL 60062

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Will Energy-Efficient Windows Save You Money?

 

Facts vs. Fiction on Energy-Efficient Windows

Fall’s coming. That makes it a great time to think about home improvements that will keep you and your family cozy in the months ahead.

It’s a fact that windows play an important role in the snugness of your home. They can account for 25-30% of your home energy costs. But it’s a fiction that windows are your greatest source of heat loss and that you should rush to replace them. You lose far more heat through two other parts of your house.

The Top Heat Thief in Your Home
The biggest culprit for wasting warmth on cold days? That’s your roof, which can leak 35-50% of your heating energy, depending on your insulation. The next biggest heat thief is walls, which lose warmth through cracks, gaps around ductwork, electrical outlets, recessed lighting, and more. In fact, windows only account for about one-fifth of the heat escaping from your home.

Yet if windows aren’t the least energy-efficient feature of your home, does it still pay to be “energy smart” about them? It does. And there are some simple things you can do to be energy-efficient AND cost-efficient this winter.

One “fact” you might see out there is that new windows pay for themselves through savings on your fuel bills. They might—if you own your home long enough. But let’s look at the data first.

Weighing Costs vs. Savings
New windows will definitely make your home feel snugger, particularly if you have an older home with single-pane glass windows. Well-installed replacement windows will fit tightly, look great and be easier to operate and maintain.

But it obviously costs something to replace your windows. My wife may yell at me for telling you this, but the money you save on fuel bills from installing new, energy-efficient windows is not going to cover the cost of those windows near term. So it’s a fact that new windows can help cut your fuel bills, but it’s a fiction that they do it cost-effectively AND quickly.

If your windows are in decent shape, the most penny-wise thing you can do is improve their weather-worthiness. Caulking or weather stripping can go a long way toward eliminating drafts through cracks in the frame. Some folks also put up a layer of plastic film to help hold in warm air. All that helps.

R U Energy Wise?
If you’re still thinking about replacing your windows with more energy-efficient ones, there are several factors to weigh. Different glazing options offer different energy benefits—double pane, triple pane, reflective glass, gas-filled, and so on. The window frame material also makes a big difference. Wood, fiberglass, and vinyl frames all offer greater thermal resistance than aluminum, for example. We can walk you through the options.

If you want to do your own research on a product’s energy efficiency, look for information from these sources:
ENERGY STAR is a government-backed program of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To be labeled an ENERGY STAR, a product has to pass certain energy efficiency requirements. Learn more here: https://www.energystar.gov/products/how-product-earns-energy-star-label

The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) is a nonprofit that’s established independent criteria for evaluating the energy performance of door, window, and skylight products. Learn more here: http://www.nfrc.org

Simply, the ENERGY STAR label says a product has been tested and deemed energy-efficient. The NFRC label then helps you dig deeper by comparing performance across certain criteria, so you can evaluate products against each other.

There are two more ratings to know: If you see an “R-value” on a product, that “R” is for “resistance.” It measures how resistant a glass product is to heat flow, or losing heat. A higher R-value indicates good insulating properties. Another number is “U-factor” or “U-value.” U-factor measures how quickly a glass product transmits heat between the interior and exterior spaces. A lower U-factor also indicates good insulating qualities. Simply, you want windows with high “R” numbers and low “U” numbers.

We Can Help
Like so many other projects around your home, the quality of the contractor you hire makes a huge difference in your experience. Bad window installations can leak, cause drafts, and lead to moisture damage. A great installation will add to the value, appearance, and comfort of your home while minimizing disruption to your life.

At McCann Windows & Exteriors, we believe in guaranteeing your satisfaction. And that’s a fact! Please give us a call with any questions. We’re ready to serve you and estimates are free. Just visit https://mccannwindow.com or call 847-852-4513.

Happy fall!

Kevin McCann

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Rehabbing a house with McCann – one room at a time for 20 years

It’s like night and day. Our house is beautiful…like a new house. It was a magical transformation.

—Lourdes Ryczak, Chicago

The Ryczek family, longtime customers | Rehabbing a house with McCann.

Find out what a real homeowner like yourself says about working with McCann Window

Second in a Series: We don’t like to brag. Yes, we can talk all day about the benefits of choosing McCann to replace windows or doors. However, we would rather have real clients share real stories about what it’s like to work with us.

Choosing the Right Window

Lourdes Ryczek of Chicago first learned about McCann Windows 23 years ago in Evanston at the World’s Largest Garage Sale. “I was looking for a specific window manufacturer, which Kevin (McCann) happened to represent in his display,” she says. “We started talking to him about our needs as homeowners with our rehabbing projects. He explained how he could make what we want to happen.”

They met for a consultation and hired McCann to install several windows. Then when it came to replacing the dining room window, Kevin helped them choose a window that was not on their original list. “He helped us choose a more aesthetically pleasing window than I originally picked,” Lourdes says.

Rehabbing a house with McCann. house siding exterior
The new siding was “like night and day” for the Ryczek’s home.

One Rehabbed Room A Year for 23 Years

The Ryczek family continued to hire McCann for about 20 years, rehabbing about one room each year. Throughout the years, they got the window installation process down to a science.

“My husband would have the window framed,” Lourdes says. “Then Kevin and his crew removed the old window, put in the new window, and then insulate it. My husband would finish the job on the inside, and McCann would clad the window on the outside.” (Editor’s Note: When you hire McCann to replace your windows, you don’t have to do ANY of the work. In Ryczek’s case, they chose to do some of the work because of the ongoing rehab in their home.)

Time for an Exterior Makeover

Four years ago, a hail storm damaged the siding on the Ryczek’s house. This was actually a good thing.

“We had been waiting 20 years to replace the most hideous green siding we’ve ever seen in our lives,” Lourdes says. “Because we had such a successful relationship with Kevin, we called him to give us an estimate for the siding. We also got other estimates, but we were confident that even if his price wasn’t the lowest, we knew we could trust him and he would provide us with a good job.”

ugly green siding pre siding project
Lourdes Ryczek says the house used to have “the most hideous green siding we’ve ever seen in our lives.”

Lourdes and her husband hired McCann for the siding project, and Kevin and his crew did not disappoint. For starters, Kevin offered a lot of useful information to help Lourdes and her husband choose the best siding. He recommended websites where they could look at ideas, and he suggested looking around the neighborhood for inspiration. His advice was: “When you’re driving somewhere, pay attention to what you like and don’t like on a house exterior. He said it was important to take pictures, so we could show him the ideas we wanted to use for our own home.”

Kevin also recommended molded millwork above the upstairs windows to give the home a bit of an architectural accent. “This was a piece that I never thought I would need or want,” Lourdes says. “But aesthetically, it added more color and more dimension to the job.”

The Work Begins

House ready for new vinyl siding | McCann Window
Preparing the house for the new siding.

When it came time to begin the work, Kevin’s crew removed the green aluminum siding and took it away for recycling, which “was a big deal for me,” Lourdes says.

Underneath the aluminum siding, the house was covered in thick, wooden shingles, which also had to be removed. The final preparation step was to insulate the house before “the real artistry began.”

“Kevin’s workers came and didn’t just side at will. They set up scaffolding. They were as responsible as could be.” Lourdes says. “We had put on a deck before that process began, and they had to go around the deck. They were able to make that job look flawless like it had all been done together. That was good for us because it looks like it was well orchestrated.”

The end result? “It’s like night and day,” Lourdes says. “Our house is beautiful…It was like a new house. It was like a magical transformation.”

Thank you for the Referrals

At some point in every rehab, you’re sort of done with the work, Lourdes points out. “I don’t have any more windows to replace, no more siding to do. But we’ve had several friends we’ve recommended to McCann. We were really glad we could extend [what we knew] to friends who were taking on a big project. It’s a big expenditure and you don’t want the risk of not having any information about your contractor.”

What Did Lourdes Love about Working with McCann?

“Kevin is incredibly honest and decent and somebody that you can trust. He’s not trying to take advantage of us,” Lourdes says. “When we didn’t know something, Kevin would explain it to us. His team provides quality work and they do a good job.”

Schedule Your Free, 60-Minute Consultation

 

Read HGTV’s article on selecting new windows.

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Wondering Whether to go Through With Your Next Housing Update?

Deciding on a Home Improvement Update?

The housing market is in one of the best shapes it’s been in the past decade. If you are wondering whether or not to go through with your next home improvement update, now is the time to revitalize your home and help improve its curb appeal! Home remodeling spending will increase 8.6% by the end of 2016 and then further accelerate to 9.7% by the first quarter of next year, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Here are several possible improvements you can make to your home for a more modern and appealing look!Home Improvement Update. Window Installation

  • Windows – If your windows are hard to open, difficult to clean, or you feel like you are throwing money away when you pay your air conditioning bill this summer, it may be time for new windows.
  • Siding – Vinyl sidings can accurately replicate the look and feel of real wood without all the hassles of painting and upkeep. It’s a sound investment that pays for itself in 5-10 years and it’s designed to last a lifetime.
  • New Entry Doors – The doors of your house set up the design for both the exterior and interior of the home. Updating your home’s doors can make the house more attractive, secure, and energy-efficient entry doors.

If any of our services can help you successfully upgrade your home before this decline in availability, contact us today at!

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Custom Replacement Windows Transform Ranch Home

Window Replacement Case StudyWindow Replacement Case Study

Homeowners themselves can be the greatest sources of creativity when it comes to completely change the look of their homes. At McCann, we have often had homeowners give us drawings and photos cut from magazines as ideas for renewing the excitement they felt when they first moved in.

 

One such homeowner, a customer we worked for more than 10 years ago, recently came to us with one of those ideas that were so out of the box we started scratching our heads in wonder. For the Eagan residence, we replaced the entire side of their ranch-style home with custom Pella cottage-style windows and more than 20 feet of the floor-to-ceiling window wall.

Cottage Style

A cottage window is a double-hung window — i.e., a window with two sashes sliding up and down hung with one atop the other in the same frame — in which the upper sash is smaller (shorter) than the lower one.

Double Hung Windows From Pella

A double-hung window can be raised from the bottom or lowered from the top with two sashes that move independently. The two sashes are stacked and meet in the middle with a latch that locks the window shut. Double-hung windows are simple to clean as both sashes tilt inward for easy access to the interior and exterior glass surfaces. Because double-hung windows ventilate without protruding inwards or outwards, they maximize both interior and exterior space, making them popular choices in entertainment spaces like patios and porches. Double-hung windows are common choices in traditional and farmhouse homes. Adding a simple grille pattern furthers the traditional aesthetic, bringing modest detail and charm.

Our role was to go back and forth with the manufacturer to make sure Mrs. Eagan realized her vision. We think the transformation in their home speaks for itself.

Have a Custom Project? Get Started with a Free Consultation

Our McCann Window & Exteriors team has been proud to install energy-efficient windows all over Chicagoland and its north suburbs for many years now. We can recommend an energy-efficient or custom solution that best fits your home and budget. If this is something that you’re considering for your home, give us a call today or fill out the online form for your free consultation.

 

Pella cottage-style windows

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An Old House Becomes a New Home with New Windows and Exterior Remodeling

Old House Becomes a New Home

For many people, an older home in an older Chicago suburb can have an almost romantic appeal.

The exterior reality of a home in the 70-year age range, however, can be at odds with the interior’s beautiful patina of aged oak finishes. So how can an old house become a new home?

A Glen Ellyn couple recently called on Todd to give their home some exterior love. What they didn’t expect is that the interior would feel more comfortable as a result.

Getting Rid of a Draft

First off, the couple has a newborn. They realized that drafty windows in the nursery would not do, and plastic interior sheeting would be an eyesore in the winter. So we replaced all the windows with modern, energy-efficient Alside windows that fit the historic period of the home, leading to exterior beauty, interior comfort, and cost savings.

Then there was the siding

When the wood looked beat years ago, it was covered over with aluminum. In recent years, that aluminum became bent and dented, drawing unwanted attention in a neighborhood in which many of the other older homes have been torn down and replaced by large new ones.

McCann replaced the siding with James Hardie fiber siding, again maintaining the period look of the home but providing additional energy savings in a nearly maintenance-free exterior. All in all, it took only two weeks to complete.

Energy-efficient

The energy savings can be greater when we replace both windows and siding on a home. Our crew can do a more complete insulation job when the windows and siding are off at the same time, as they can get more insulation around the window openings.

A total exterior remodel is also a great investment in the resale value of a home, especially in this soft housing market. Updating a home’s windows and siding helps it stand out (in a good way) in the neighborhood and makes it much easier to sell, should the owners ever decide to.

For further reading about the benefits of external remodeling, I suggest you read Bankrate’s article, “Best renovations for adding value.”

Or Rachel Koning Beals’s article, “Remodeling choices that add value.” In it, she writes, “Construction experts emphasize the importance of attending to the shell first, including fresh paint, low-maintenance siding or a new roof. … Curb appeal, both structural and decorative, is vital to increasing homebuyer foot traffic and to closing the deal.”

 

Get Started with a Free Consultation

Our McCann Window & Exteriors team has been proud to install energy-efficient windows all over Chicagoland and its north suburbs for many years now. We can recommend an energy-efficient solution that best fits your home and budget. If this is something that you’re considering for your home, give us a call today or fill out the online form for your free consultation.

 

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Replacement Casement Windows Bring the Outside In

Casement windows that accentuated the classic architecture of the home

Don Delves had a grand idea of opening up the back of his North Shore Evanston Chicago house, drawing his classically landscaped backyard into the home. He built a deck across the back and sought replacement windows to bring the sunlight and yard into the back porch.

Oftentimes, we visit classic North Shore homes and help them plan how new windows can bring in light or keep out cold. We suggest styles and colors match an existing home.

Replacement Casement Windows Bring the Outside InIn the case of the Delves home, we worked with the homeowner to fit it into his plan. We found a way to enhance the effect he wanted.

We suggested wooden replacement casement windows that accentuated the classic architecture of the home while still brightening the room with plenty of natural light. The windows open up effortlessly to draw in lots of air, a particularly stunning effect as the garden blooms throughout the summer. Take a look at what Pella has to offer in traditional wood casement windows.

At Don’s request, we made sure the color scheme remained flexible. For an older home, wooden windows are often the best choice. We used primed wood, rather than a complete finish, so the homeowner could select a custom color.

Our flexibility in product and willingness to enhance an existing plan really improved upon an already beautiful space for the Delves family.

Schedule a Free Consultation

Schedule a convenient, informative consultation for your window, door or siding project. Consultations are Free. Fill out the consultation form.