There is an interesting trend taking place as it relates to newer homes built during the last housing bubble. Replacement window sales are on the rise and increasing substantially. As those who live in them know, most production homes do not contain the best windows on the market. If the home was built before 2005, chances are very high that the windows do not utilize high performance glass (Low-E as it is commonly referred to). There is also a high probability the windows are starting to experience seal failures (moisture, fogging, hazing or discoloration between he panes). Quality control for glazing assemblies in the last housing boon was usually average at best. So whether you are experiencing cold windows or seal failures, it is important for you to know that you have some choices.First, let's deal with seal failures. In our market we are seeing large-scale failures and the prescribed remedy is frequently the total replacement of all of the windows in the home, often running the owners from $8K to $20K depending on the size of the home and the type of windows selected. In one case, a client had 7 seal failures and a quote for $8K to replace all of the windows in the home. They were generally happy with the windows and their operation, so they were not very excited about spending $8K on replacing them. Instead what they chose was to have only the bad thermal panes replaced, in other words, just the bad glass. $1400 later and the problem was solved.Second, let's deal with cold and drafty windows. There are two reasons a window can feel drafty. One reason is that it is in fact allowing higher than normal air incursion. There are ways to deal with this problem including replacing or augmenting the existing weather stripping. But sometimes there is no cure for a bad design. Understand however, that the most of the modern vinyl and aluminum windows on the market test well above the allowable air infiltration level of .30 cf/min per lf at 25 mph (ASTM E283), so you need to be careful where you place your expectations. The second possibility is that the thermal exchange rate at the glass is so high that the chilling of the air at the window is creating or enhancing the "drafty" feeling. If you are otherwise happy with the windows and don't care to have your house torn apart, then upgrading the glass to a high-performance glass is solution that most people do not know is available. A total house conversion will typically run about a 33% of the cost of a total window replacement package and the results can have a profound effect on your heating and cooling costs and also the overall comfort of your home. Some caveats apply; for instance wood windows are not very cost effective for glass replacements and neither are patio doors usually.So next time you are faced with one of these dilemmas, please know that the glass is an independent component of your home and that there are separate solutions specifically for glass. Scott Deem is President of Reliable Home Services Inc  http://reliable-home-services-inc.com ...read more

Dirty air ducts are one possible source of indoor air pollutants, along with cooking, smoking, cleaning and several others. While most of the dirt in air ducts adheres to the surfaces of the ducts and do not enter a home’s living space, there are instances when an air duct cleaning is worth serious consideration.  If you are experiencing any of the following, you may need to have your air ducts cleaned: You see a substantial amount of mold growth in your ducts or on other components of your heating and cooling system. There may be several other portions that you cannot see or access, so you should contact a service technician to check them out. If you have insulated air ducts and that insulation becomes wet or moldy, it cannot be cleaned and will need to be replaced. Also, if you do not correct the problems that allowed the mold to accumulate in the first place, it will only come back at a later time. Your ducts have become infested with vermin, such as insects or rodents. Your ducts have become clogged with an excessive amount of debris, dust or other particles, and these particles are being released into your home via your supply registers. If you are experiencing any of these conditions, they could have several underlying causes. If you do not correct them before having your ducts cleaned or replaced, these conditions will likely re-occur.  If you decide that your ducts need cleaning, you need to take the same kind of precautions as you would take with any sort of service need in order to ensure your service provider is competent and reliable. And whether or not you decide to have your air ducts cleaned, you still need to take the necessary steps to ensure that water and dirt do not enter your duct system. These will be addressed in a future article.   ...read more

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