McCann Window Northbrook Chicago IL

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

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Are Replacement Windows a Good Investment?

replacement windows

When it comes to home renovation, not all projects are created equal.

The financially-smart homeowner, when considering remodels or renovations, is perhaps asking a few pointed questions:

  • Are replacement windows a renovation that will increase my home’s resale value?
  • Does replacing windows save me money in the short term?
  • Will this renovation improve my quality of life?

So how does home window replacement measure up? With more than a dozen things you could invest in around the house, is it a good financial move to replace your home windows?

Replacement windows can reap a return on investment.

The leading trade publication Remodeling Magazine agrees that home window replacement is one of the top return-on-investment projects in its 2021 trend report.

Window replacement follows the multi-year trend of exterior improvement projects. These curb appeal updates make the whole block look better and raise the value of your home for potential buyers.

Replacing your windows gives your home a makeover that the whole neighborhood will notice. You’ll get a higher selling price if you decide to put your home on the real estate market. New windows announce to the world that your home is well-maintained.

New windows will save you money every month.

Are you planning to stay in your home for a while? When you invest in home window replacement, there are short- and long-term benefits.

Installing new windows can give you a price break on heating and cooling costs. Old windows are oftenreplacement window drafty or leaky, meaning your heating efforts in the winter and cooling measures in the summer are less effective. New windows come with tight seals, and you can even invest further by upgrading to double or triple-paned glass. Today, there are several energy-efficient window and door options.

By making your home more energy-efficient, you’ll save money on utility bills every month and make your home more comfortable throughout the seasons. Home window replacement can help with the family budget and is good for the environment.

Transform your home with replacement windows.

If you’re stuck with leaky, unappealing single-pane windows from decades ago, window replacement will not only save you money — it can transform your living space.

Low morning light in your kitchen or a view from your living room? Consider switching from double-hung windows to a casement window for uninterrupted landscapes. A dark room? Installing a new specialty window can transform a room.

And, window replacement lets you bring your style and personality to your space. Whether vast, open-concept picture-frame windows, or cute farmhouse-style crisscrossing white frames, replacing your windows makes your home yours.

replacement doorIncrease joy and save money.

We know there are always plenty of home renovation projects you could take on. But home window replacement checks all the boxes — it’s a great way to increase your home’s future selling price, it will lower your monthly home energy bills, and it can add life and finesse to your day-to-day enjoyment of your home.

Updating your windows, doors, and siding increases your home’s curb appeal and helps reduce your energy bills. Make your home more energy-efficient and reduce harmful rays. With a wide variety of colors and styles, McCann Window & Exteriors will guide you to find the perfect fit for your home.

Would You Like a Free Consultation?

Schedule a convenient, informative consultation for your window, door or siding project. Schedule a Free in-home or virtual presentation.

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Update Historic Windows for Charm and Efficiency

Keep the Old Historic Windows or Replace them with New?

Replacement windows. What’s better? To replace old historic windows with new, low-emissivity windows and save energy? Or to keep the windows with their historic character and not save as much energy?

The debate rages between preservationists and designers-environmentalists. There is a middle ground: renovating a historic home’s windows for the same performance as new windows, and there’s a substantial argument for saving them.

The original windows add character that makes a house unique, and the those old windows are generally thicker and last longer than today’s windows, says the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Plus, as preservationists like to say, the greenest building (or window) is the one already built. No trips to the landfill. No new resources were used.

Take a look (gallery above from Houzz) at some of the ways that you can update your windows for energy efficiency, for a win-win situation.

Get Inspired!

Replace with Energy-efficient windows that maintain the integrity of the building. Check out a recent Driehaus Bungalow Award winner’s solution for updating the curb appeal of his home.

Some advice from the Oak Park Historic Preservation Commission Community Planning & Development Department “A preservation-friendly approach: Retain, repair, replace. Try to repair what you have. Investigate the historic windows to determine the problems and their causes. Only after weighing the aesthetic, performance, energy efficiency, cost and long-term durability aspects of the proposed work can an informed decision be made on whether to repair or replace windows. If you cannot feasibly repair it, replace it with the same thing. Consider the impact of the new windows on the appearance of the building. Replacement windows should match the historic windows in their materials, operation, and design. If you cannot replace it with the same thing, replace it with something that is similar in appearance. Wood windows are offered with aluminum or vinyl cladding on the exterior, which helps reduce maintenance.”

We are Here to Help You with Your Window Selection.

Let us help you figure that out by evaluating the fit and energy efficiency of your home’s windows and doors. We’re ready to serve you and estimates are free! Please just give us a call at (847) 892-4071 or contact us at https://mccannwindow.com/contact. We’ll be right over.

Warmly yours,

Kevin McCann

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

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.

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.

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.

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 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.”