Michael Holigan: If your home has a lot of windows, is there any way to enjoy the view without the costly cooling bills? Our project house has 33 windows, so that means a lot of light will be filtering into the home. Since it's located in sunny north Texas, we'll be dealing with high temperatures in the summer, so energy-efficient windows are a must.
We found what we were looking for with these double-hung windows from Pella. According to Pella's Kristine Christiansen, there are a lot of different factors to consider when choosing windows.
Kristine Christiansen: Things that a homeowner or contractor should consider when they're choosing windows for their home is going to be, first of all, choose a great company to get your windows from. Another thing to consider is going to be energy performance. Believe it or not, windows can help the energy performance of a home. Just by choosing the appropriate glazing option in whatever area you're in, you can meet that Energy Star rating. And finally, people are going to definitely want to choose it based on different styles of windows that are available. People are going to great lengths personalizing the exterior and the interior of their homes.
Michael Holigan: To personalize the project house, we chose windows from Pella's Designer Series. Every part of these windows are designed to be durable and customized, including the exterior.
Kristine Christiansen: The exterior of these Designer Series Pella windows are actually aluminum cladding, which is a virtually maintenance-free exterior for the home. They do come in several standard color options, and custom colors are also available.
Michael Holigan: The windows also feature a wood interior which allows us to give the project house a classic and custom look. Well, Kristine, this is a beautiful wood window. I know it's got some really special features. Tell us a little bit about it.
Kristine Christiansen: Yeah, this is actually a Designer Series window from Pella. Designer Series is available in both windows and patio doors. As you can see, it's a really great innovative feature where you have your window treatments, your window fashions, and your grill behind panes of glass, so it's kind of a sealed system.
Michael Holigan: So they never collect dirt because they're actually behind the pane of glass?
Kristine Christiansen: Yeah, that's correct because you don't have your window treatments room side, there's no place for dust to build up on, you don't have to clean them, which is a very dreaded household chore for people as well.
Michael Holigan: Yeah. I'd see, then if you have allergies, big plus there?
Kristine Christiansen: Absolutely. People that have allergies, when you raise and lower your window treatments, that dust goes flying.
Michael Holigan: Well, how do you actually open and close the blinds, because I don't see any cords?
Kristine Christiansen: Yeah. The lack of cords is actually a great safety feature for anyone that does have pets or small children. But the way to operate it, there's just one operator, which will raise and lower your shade.
Michael Holigan: Wow. Easy to use. So the kids, the dogs, the cats, they're not yanking on the cords or anything like that?
Kristine Christiansen: Exactly, yeah.
Michael Holigan: How about if you need to get into the blinds for any reason, how do you do that?
Kristine Christiansen: Sure. You simply --
Michael Holigan: Let it pop?
Kristine Christiansen: Slide this across and it will pop towards you.
Michael Holigan: Okay. Wow!
Kristine Christiansen: And just like that, it's open. Now people are going to want to get into the system, say if they want to change out from a Slimshade to maybe a fabric cellular shade. You can snap that right into the system within seconds, have a totally different look to your room.
Michael Holigan: That is very cool. So if you change colors in your room, you could change this to fabric or to just a different color blind?
Kristine Christiansen: Exactly.
Michael Holigan: Okay. And then I would expect another pane of glass because we always go with double pane, but I actually see two panes of glass here. Tell me about that?
Kristine Christiansen: Yeah, so it's actually a total three pane glass system. The exterior's going to be like a sealed IG or a sealed insulated glass system with low-e inside, and then you have your third pane. By having those three panes of glass, the homeowner can experience some great energy efficiency out of their windows. They can reduce their energy bills up to 28% and they can also as an added benefit, reduce the sound up to 85%.
Michael Holigan: Wow! So if there's any traffic or a lawnmower noise or anything like that, it's going to cut it out?
Kristine Christiansen: You bet.
Michael Holigan: But if you're saving that much on your utility bills, these windows would really pay for themselves then in a short amount of time?
Kristine Christiansen: Absolutely.
Michael Holigan: Pella not only provided the windows for our project home, but also this stylish patio door. Our patio door, like the windows, features blinds between the glass, and they can be lowered, raised, and adjusted with a flick of the wrist.
Since the front of the home will be the first thing that guests will see, we wanted to make a good impression with the entryway, so we installed a front door that features a beveled glass centerpiece and hardware with a satin nickel finish.
Kristine, we've covered a lot about windows and I know that you do patio doors, but I'm kind of surprised about the front entry doors. Tell me a little bit about it.
Kristine Christiansen: Yeah. This entry door is actually a fiberglass entry door with a wood grain, so a homeowner can get a nice look of wood, but have the benefits of the fiberglass. Some of those benefits they can expect is the fact that it will resist dents. It will also resist rust and corrosion.
Michael Holigan: Yeah. And since it's fiberglass, we're not going to have to paint or stain it as often as we would with like a steel door or wood door.
Kristine Christiansen: Absolutely.
Michael Holigan: Throughout the home, energy-efficient windows and doors are a way to beat the heat and cut utility costs, while giving your new house a personal sense of style.
For more information on energy efficient windows and doors or if you like to see the rest of the project house, visit us on the internet at micahelholigan.com.
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