Deciding between new construction windows vs. replacement windows for your home can be a complicated decision. In fact, do you really know how the two vary from one another? Find out the difference between new construction and replacement windows, so you make the right purchase for your needs. What are New Construction Windows? New construction windows are designed to be put into new homes or home additions. Unlike replacement windows, new construction windows are intended to be installed on the framing directly, through the use of a nail fin frame. Only after the windows are installed is the home’s exterior completed. While new construction windows can be used during home renovations, the contractor must first expose the home’s frame by removing the exterior siding. Only then can the new construction window be put into place. If your home is made of stone or brick, it may be impossible for you to use new construction windows since the exterior of the home cannot be remove
Vinyl Replacement Windows Basics It wasn't too long ago that vinyl windows were considered less-than-ideal choice for replacement windows. But advances in design plus improvements in the formulation of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) have made vinyl windows a high-quality product that competes favorably with wood. Vinyl windows have always had some advantages over aluminum and steel. Metal is a highly efficient heat conductor - a great property when it comes to pots and pans, but not so slick when you're talking about window frames. As window glazing has improved, the difference in insulating value between the glass and the frame of a metal window became greater and greater. PVC, on the other hand, is a non-conductor of heat. It doesn't truly insulate like wood, but the design of a vinyl window adds greatly to the frame's insulating value. The primary reason that insulating glass works is because there is a pocket of trapped air, called dead air space, between the in