There's a lot of green home renovation advice out there about replacing your existing windows with newer, more energy-efficient models. Is this really the best solution or an ingenious marketing campaign launched by window manufacturers? Before you spend thousands of dollars to "upgrade" your home, consider whether replacing your windows is the greenest move.
Vinyl Replacement Windows
It's almost impossible to watch TV without seeing a commercial for vinyl windows. "Replace your old windows with our product," yells the enthusiastic representative, "and you'll cut your energy bill in HALF!" While these windows may have decent insulating properties and are probably the most affordable replacement option, you must weigh those benefit against their not-so-green qualities.
Manufacturing vinyl windows, which are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), releases greenhouse gases and other harmful-to-inhale by-products. The manufacturing process also consumes a lot of energy, and you better pray your house never catches fire, as fumes from burning vinyl can be lethal.
Vinyl windows may have a lifespan of only 15-20 years, after which it's extremely unlikely they will be recycled. While wood window frames are a much more attractive and environmentally friendly alternative, they are also prohibitively expensive for the average homeowner. It's pretty hard to convince someone to pay more than twice as much for an eco-friendly product when vinyl insulates quite well.
But there is another option: don't replace your existing windows; keep them out of the landfill.
Historic Window Replacement
If you own a historic home with its original windows, you should really think hard about replacing them. You've heard the saying, "they don't make 'em like they used to;" this certainly applies to windows. Most likely, your historic home features double-hung, solid wood frame windows and possibly that highly-sought after wavy glass. However, this single pane of glass doesn't provide much insulation against the cold, and lots of air seeps through gaps and cracks in your beautiful old trim.
Rather than replace your historic windows with vinyl ones, which could compromise the historical integrity and resale value of your home, there are a couple of relatively simple fixes that can help to reduce your energy bills. An inexpensive, do-it-yourself fix is installing weather-stripping and caulking. By filling in the gaps, you can prevent a good portion of the air leakage. Another easy fix is hanging blinds or another type of window covering to reduce solar heat gain. Increase the insulative value of your single pane historic windows by covering them with storm windows, which are eligible for a 2010 home improvement tax credit.
So, the bottom line: if you can make energy-efficiency improvements to your existing windows, preserving them is a much cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative than starting from scratch. However, if your current windows are the result of an ill-advised replacement job from years ago, it may be time to exchange them for more attractive, energy-efficient models. While vinyl windows are very insulating, their manufacturing process and content leave much to be desired. If you can't afford wood, at least consider vinyl or composite windows that contain recycled content.