Apex Exterior Home Improvements in Chicago
Money-saving Apex exterior home improvements come in all shapes and sizes. From switching your front door for an energy-efficient model to having insulation installed in your loft to conserve heat – there are plenty of ways to cut costs!
When exploring the best money-saving exterior improvements, windows and siding are often considered. The two exterior components form a large percentage of a property exterior, so they’re great places to start when improving your home.
Both improvements will save you money each month and help to drastically increase your curb-appeal, yet for the ultimate money-saving improvement, which is best? It’s time to look at which one of these highly-beneficial home improvements will actually save you the most money.
Windows Replacement Vs Siding Replacement in Chicago
Window Replacement: The Expected Savings
It’s difficult to comprehend the full benefits of window replacement until you’ve experienced the transformation first-hand. While it’s certainly true that windows don’t cover as much of a property exterior as siding does, there’s something particularly special about the effect that sleek and modern or traditionally-crafted windows can have on a home.
The beauty of new windows will help to boost your curb-appeal and improve your chances of a sale if you decide to put your home on the market. This will lead to long-term financial gain, but you can also reap the rewards of new windows a lot sooner.
The design of modern windows, from the frames to the glazing, make them significantly more energy-efficient than older models. The chill of the outside will be kept at bay, and heat from the interior of your home is not going to escape anywhere near as easily, which translates to some nice savings on your energy bills.
Putting an exact number on the savings is difficult, as how dramatically energy-efficiency will improve depends on the quality of your existing windows and the quality of the new windows. Replacing very old single-glazed windows with modern energy-efficient windows will provide significant savings, whilst replacing slightly newer double-glazing will deliver moderate savings.
You can expect the total energy-bill savings to be somewhere in the region of 12% to 33%, which shows just how drastically window quality can impact savings. Many people find that the savings are up to about 15%.
Siding Replacement: The Expected Savings
No matter which type of siding you choose, your home is going to look very different after the installation. With siding you can make your home look modern or traditional. You can also make it seamlessly blend into its environment or make it stand out, the potential is limitless!
Siding replacement savings can be looked at in a number of ways. First, there’s the long-term savings: just like windows, siding will boost your curb-appeal and go a long way to making your home more appealing to potential buyers. Siding also provides significant exterior property protection, reducing the risk of serious problems occurring due to bad weather or physical damage.
You’ll also get the benefit of regular savings when you choose an energy-efficient siding material. Amongst many other things, siding is essentially an added layer of insulation. Quality siding will boost the overall thermal resistance of your property, so heat isn’t going to pass through the walls easily.
Depending on the quality of the siding, how well it’s installed, and what it’s replacing, you can expect an energy-efficient siding to save you around 20% to 30% on your energy bills – a very nice saving each month!
Window Vs Siding Replacement: Which Improvement Should You Choose?
Siding looks like the clear winner when it comes down to potential savings, but that doesn’t necessarily make it the best improvement to go for first. A lot really depends on how badly each component needs replacing.
If your home has outdated single-glazing, then it should be a top priority to replace the windows. Equally, if your home has seriously worn siding, then it could be much more beneficial to get that improvement out of the way first.
Both home improvements are quite big. If you’re in a position to do them together, then the savings could be even more substantial. This is in part due to having two energy-efficient products installed at once, and in part due to the fact that it can be much easier to install both at the same time.
If you have siding installed first, then it’ll likely be damaged when the windows are installed, as a moisture barrier will need to be added during the window installation. You may also need to have your windows recapped. Installing the windows and siding at the same time will ensure that there’s no damage and your windows and siding will perfectly complement each other.
No matter which home improvement you start with, you’re guaranteed some nice savings on your energy bills, with a more beautiful home exterior and improved property protection – a winning scenario all-round!
Last Updated on February 1, 2019 by ApexRoofingServices
