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Seattle Replacement Windows
Posted by: | CommentsWindow Upgrades Help Keep You From Throwing Money Away
Most homeowners are careful when spending money improving their homes. They want to get the best return on their investment. Whether you’re working to increase the resale value of a home you want to sell or you plan to stay put in your current home indefinitely, there are a number of improvements that can be made. But how do you choose? A home is generally a person’s largest investment, so saving money in and on your home is a great first step to avoid throwing money out the window! With the federal tax credits there hasn’t been a better time to replace your windows with new energy efficient windows. Not every window has the qualities to qualify for the federal rebate so make sure your supplier knows if that is a criteria for your Seattle replacement window package.
Consider Seattle Replacement Windows
Upgrading old windows with new Seattle replacement windows is a great home improvement option. Windows are one of the most important areas in your home for energy conservation. A bad window is like having a big hole in your wall that lets the heat out and the cold in. Older Seattle windows can often be worn out, leak air, and not function or operate well. Seattle Replacement windows can solve any or all of these problems.
Some of the most important areas in your home for energy conservation are your windows. Evaluating what you have in place will help as you decide how and when to install Seattle replacement windows. Older windows are often single paned which doesn’t help contain energy in your home. They leak air and don’t provide a good protective barrier to the heat and cold that’s outside your home. They let in the cold and out the heat in the winter and the other way around in the warmer months. Replacing single pane windows will make your home more energy efficient because new windows are more energy efficient. They prevent air leaks and are more durable than older single pane windows. They are also low maintenance, and are easier to operate than the windows installed in the home when it was new.
Choosing the Right Seattle Replacement Windows
A wide array of window materials is available for your home. Here are some of the more common window materials and feature choices.
- Vinyl Windows
Vinyl windows are low maintenance and low cost. They are very common but don’t come in a huge range of colors.
- Composite Windows
Composite Seattle replacement windows are stronger than vinyl as well as being lighter and more stable. Composite materials aren’t as vulnerable to heat and cold as vinyl and won’t twist or warp. They also retain their shape and color, resisting denting and fading, offering long-term durability.
- Aluminum Frames
New aluminum frames are “thermally broken”. Unlike the older frames that are not thermally broken new aluminum sash windows do not “sweat” and are a good Seattle replacement window choice. Although aluminum is not as energy efficient of a frame it offers great durability, low maintenance and can lend itself to a more modern look.
- Wood Frames
Wood is thought to be the most beautiful window frame material. They do, however, require more maintenance in that they need to be painted or stained periodically. They are also more expensive than vinyl, composite or aluminum. Some manufacturers will encase the wood in a composite material that maintains the look and feel of the wood while reducing the maintenance.
Know Your Glass!
Buying new windows can be confusing enough without having to worry about the technicalities of the glass and how it works. There is some basic information you should know, however, about the types of glass available for your Seattle replacement windows that will give you the most for your money when trying to conserve energy.
- U-value
U-value measures how insulating windows are. The more insulating the window is the lower the U-Value, making it more effective at keeping out the cold and heat and therefore making it more energy efficient.
- Low-E
Low-E, or Low Emissivity, is glass that is coated with a glaze that reduces the heat transfer back through the glass. This helps keep warm air in during cold weather and hot air out during the warmer seasons. This will improve the thermal performance of the Seattle replacement windows you choose.
- Gas Fills
Energy efficient replacement windows are generally either double or triple paned, meaning two or three pieces of glass sandwiched together. These windows have gas between the panes to increase thermal performance, making them more energy efficient. There are two types of gases used for this, argon and krypton. Krypton is more expensive than argon but is more effective at resisting heat flow than argon.
- Performance Ratings
One performance rating for Seattle replacement windows is called the U-Factor. This indicates how much non-solar heat can pass through the glass. The lower the U-Factor is, the more energy efficient the window.
Finally, air leakage is another way of measuring the energy efficiency of Seattle replacement windows. This is a measurement of how much air can leak through a window. The lower the air leakage rating the more efficient the replacement window is.
What’s the Next Step?
Once you decide to install replacement windows in your home, it’s time to hire a good Seattle area window contractor. They can take you through the process from pricing to installation. And they can show you a variety of choices that will work for your project. Seattle Replacement windows are available in a huge assortment of materials and styles. From a small bathroom window to a beautiful bay window, there is a Seattle replacement window for any room.
Replacement windows can improve the overall appearance of your home and will make your home more energy efficient. So stop throwing money out the window! Invest in replacement windows for your home.
Cool plank siding tool for siding Seattle
Posted by: | CommentsAny tool to make Seattle siding more efficient and less expensive is a good thing. We actually make our own tools to handle challenging Seattle siding projects. Getting the job done efficiently and right is A#1 priority.
Many choices for Siding Seattle
Posted by: | Comments
Everyone knows Seattle and the Puget Sound Region can be a very wet environment. The siding used for residential building and commercial building envelopes are of paramount importance to the longevity of the building. There are many different siding styles, materials and systems that can be deployed successfully to give owners the look they want and the protection they need. A good way to get a feel for the different siding products and systems is to tour the siding Seattle has to offer in it’s many architecturally diverse neighborhoods. I will speak to some of the options available below. This article will stick to traditional Seattle siding systems and will not go into the Seattle rain screen systems like those made by Ceraclad and other manufactures.
Probably the most ubiquitous siding in the Seattle / Puget Sound Region is horizontal cedar plank siding. This is also known as clap board siding. Much of this Seattle siding is made
from cedar. Cedar is a great exterior wood product in that it is naturally resistant to rot and pests. When sustainably harvested cedar can be a good green option. Fiber cement is another popular Seattle horizontal siding product that has largely replaced the use of cedar over the last several years. Some of the advantages of Fiber Cement plank siding are: low cost, material is stable (not prone to cupping or warping like wood), accepts paint well and very durable. Fiber cement Seattle siding is very popular for larger projects in that the durability of the material lends itself to lower commercial building maintenance.
Another wood seattle siding material that is seen in our area is sidewall shingle siding. Just as with the plank siding there are material options for shingle siding. Cedar wood shingles are probably the most common. There are different grades of wood shingles that can be used. The grade of the shingles determines the cost, application and look of the siding. Seattle Siding shingles can also be purchased as fiber cement which has the same advantages I illuminated in the previous paragraph. Probably the biggest reason to use wood shingle siding is when you want the natural wood siding look and are using a stain rather than paint for your siding finish.
There are also several vertical siding options. Board and batten and channel siding are classic vertical siding systems. Board and batten consists of 8-11″ wide planks applied to the wall vertically with smaller (1.5″-3.5″) battens applied at the joints. Channel siding is a milled wood product that is applied vertically on the wall. Each piece overlaps the one before it and because of the profile milled into the cedar there is a vertical channel created. There are fiber cement Seattle siding options for these systems as well.
This is by no means a complete list of Seattle siding options but some of the more traditional systems you’ll see while looking at siding in Seattle. Some other materials that I will discuss in future posts are: EIFS, stucco, metal, fiber cement panels (ie: hardie panel) and whatever else catches my eye between now and then. Of course all of these systems can be mixed and matched to create a rich exterior texture for any given building.
Rain Screen Siding Seattle
Posted by: | CommentsSimple and eye catching Seattle siding.
I’ve seen this narrow plank open joint rain-screen siding before but usually on commercial buildings. I was struck by the look of this new house as I walked out of a coffee shop meeting in Seattle. There are some obvious benefits to this rain screen Seattle siding system. New aesthetic possibilities, low maintenance and the ability to breath like a skin.
This house exemplifies the possibilities that exist with using a rain screen Seattle siding system. From a distance the house looks like any other house with horizontal siding. As you get closer you notice the shadow lines that are the open joints between the siding planks. You will also notice the corner detail is not your typical corner batten but a piece of galvanized flashing. There are many ways to use the rain screen seattle siding system to develop different siding looks.
The siding system on the house pictured is a “rain screen” system. It consists of weather resistant barrier (WRB) applied over the wall sheathing, vertical furring strips (typically 1/2?-3/4? thick) and pre colored horizontal fiber cement plank siding. Using the pre-colored fiber cement seattle siding makes for a faster installation and lends itself to lower maintenance as factory paint is usually more robust than those applied on site.
The rain screen siding system also allows the building envelope to “breath”. Since the system is relatively open water can not get trapped and is allowed to be eliminated naturally through drainage, evaporation etc. The biggest problem in water intrusion events is the water can not escape and rot develops and insects move in causing damage. With the rain screen siding design a professional WRB installation is paramount to its effectiveness.
Siding can be done correctly or incorrectly as a traditional system or a rainscreen system. Each system has its place as an appropriate building envelope depending on the project. This house caught my eye because of the interesting textures at play on the exterior, the low maintenance implications of the design and the use of the rain screen sding design.
Seattle Siding -Reuse Recycle or New?
Posted by: | CommentsReuse can save $ and cost $, it depends.
In these lean economic times reusing building components can help save money and the environment but there are a few things to think about first. Will any savings of your reuse recycle efforts be offset by having to protect, augment or remove and reset those components. Who’s responsibility is it for warrantying those reused items? Has your desire to recycle and reuse caused you to make concessions to some of the end results of your construction?
Many times when an item is designated in a construction project to be saved and reused that item becomes one of the most expensive pieces of the project. This is usually because the salvaged Seattle siding or whatever it may be needs to be taken down during construction, stored, reinstalled and in some cases augmented to work in its new environment. With extra handling comes more opportunities for damage to the salvaged Seattle siding or item. It always makes sense to look at the costs of reusing something before making that decision.
Another pit fall of reuse is that if for example you wish to reuse the old Seattle windows on your building, and after they are re installed they start to leak and the owner or tenant has priceless piece of art water damaged. Assuming the Seattle siding and old windows were installed properly, there is nobody to warranty the problem and the owner is left with the responsibility to figure out if the Seattle siding install was bad or if the window is just a leaker. Not to mention the owner already paid to remove/re install the siding and windows and will now have to pay to install a new Seattle siding and windows. In the same example if the contractor had supplied new windows, the contractor would be responsible for correcting the problem and determining the cause of the leak whether Seattle siding or the window. This is not to say arrangements can’t be worked out to clearly define who warranties what in a situation of reuse but that would of course need to happen at the beginning of the project.
Reusing and recycling components is on the face of it a good thing. However if you’re a building owner that is trying to renovate your building to find higher end tenants, chances are there will be very little that should not be upgraded. If the original components don’t lend themselves to the design then by all means recycle them by donating to Habitat for Humanity or other building material recycling companies. However don’t let your desire to reuse force you to compromise your construction goals.
Reuse is something everyone should try to do when renovating an existing building. However it’s not as cut and dry as it may sound. Making sure you are not sacrificing your design, paying attention to the possible added costs for reuse and determining the level of warranties for reused items need to be taken into account. If it can’t be reused on your site it surely it will be valuable in another project and can find its way there through the companies that recycle building materials.
Recycling resources: Habitat for Humanity – Second Use building materials
This post was inspired by an article written by Bill Disanto of Englewood Construction. Click the link to go to his article.
Synapse Construction
Siding Seattle
Goodbye Brick Infill, Hello Seattle siding Rainscreen.
Posted by: | CommentsRain-screen Seattle Siding.
This 1929 4 story concrete building in Seattle, was being rehabilitated and converted to a mixed use apartment building. Three of the exterior walls were concrete with the South elevation being concrete post and beam construction infilled with brick and no siding. The problems posed by the differing construction on the south elevation:
- What to do about a giant wow in the concrete structure on the south elevation.
- What exterior Seattle siding and window treatment to use that would not look out of place compared to the rest of the building.
- What Seattle siding and window products could be used that would provide the same low maintenance as the original concrete walls.
The solutions:
A laser rotary laser level capable of shooting vertically was used to map the wow on the south elevation of the building. After determining the furthest out points it was decided to use 2×8 framing so the infilled framed sections of walls could be hung out past the concrete frame at varying depths to making up for the wow. This also allowed us to get 2″ of rigid foam insulation on the concrete posts and beams before cdx plywood sheathing was applied and we ended up with a smooth flat surface ready for Seattle siding and window installation.
The owner chose a rain-screen siding product made in Japan called Ceraclad. Ceraclad rain-screen siding offers both vertical and horizontal siding that is mounted to clips that hold the siding away from the wall 5/8″. The nice thing about Ceraclad is it is a complete rainscreen system. The owner liked the Seattle siding profile that was made to look like stucco as it blended in well with the existing concrete walls on the other three sides of the building.
Aesthetically the Ceraclad rain-screen siding system worked with the rest of the building and did not look out of place. Maintenance was the other big factor for the owner. The rain-screen siding panels were pre-finished and very durable. Once the rain-screen siding was on there was no painting necessary and should be maintenance free for 15 years. With the rain-screen siding design the structure is protected as it can dry out if water were to work its way in.
With a little time spent researching Seattle siding and window products and methods for dealing with the differing wall the results speak for themselves. The owner has a building with a consistent look, low maintenance and durable protection. What was done here won’t work for every project but illustrates that taking the time to learn about different Seattle siding and window products and methods can make the difference when confronted with a difficult building situation.
Synapse Construction
Siding Seattle
What no sheeting behind the old Seattle siding?
Posted by: | CommentsIf your Seattle siding and window project isn’t working with your budget be flexible.
We are currently involved in a Seattle siding and window, condominium repair project. The scope of work includes removing existing stucco, wood siding, windows and doors. The original design called for replacing the siding with hardie siding panels and corrugated metal siding. As demolition commenced we discovered the structure had no structural sheeting (plywood) and was sheeted with gyp board throughout. This made the original siding design problematic as without plywood sheeting you must nail the fiber cement panel siding to the studs which eliminates any chance for siding panel alignment and decorative screw patterns.
Re skinning the building with plywood was not within the budget so the design was changed to horizontal hardie plank siding. To create an interesting texture in keeping with the original design different exposures of the horizontal cement plank siding are being used on various elevations with paint color variations . Additional work was still needed to add studs at inside corners and wall ends to allow for vertical siding trim and a nailer for the end of the plank siding. This approach was more cost effective than re sheeting the entire building but still resulted in a cost increase.
The lesson here is if you have an older building (in this case circa 1970s) it pays to do some destructive investigation to determine the wall assemblies or what is behind the old Seattle siding, as the original drawings for the building indicated plywood sheeting. Times were tough during the time the building was constructed and the siding and windows installed, corners were cut and materials downgraded to lower costs. Knowing the existing construction deficiencies and defects would have been helpful during the siding and window design and budgeting phase. Fortunately we have a responsive Seattle siding and construction team (Architect, HOA, and GC) and have been able to quickly implement the appropriate siding changes to provide for a cost effective siding solution without sacrificing the design intent.
Synapse Construction
Siding and windows in and around Seattle, WA
We’re Blogging about Seattle Siding & Windows.
Posted by: | CommentsThank you for visiting Synapse Construction.com. We will be blogging periodically on the finer details of Seattle siding and window installation. The building envelope is possibly the most important part of any project whether it be an addition, remodel, or new home or commercial building. The integrity of the building envelope (siding and windows) will largely determine the useful life of a structure and that is especially true in Seattle and the northwest. Seattle Siding installation and waterproofing in general are constantly evolving and we at Synapse are committed to staying abreast of the latest siding and window technologies so that we may provide a superior building envelope service in and around Seattle.
Kyle
Synapse Construction LLC
Siding Seattle
President