How to Green Your Green #5 - Doors and Window Replacement

September 12, 2016

How to Green your Green? #5

Doors and windows

Making your property “green” can help you make more money when you rent and when you sell. When I first joined Bigger Pockets, I indicated that I would like to bring sustainable principles to my rental properties. Some Bigger Pockets members saw it as a good idea.

So, I could go on about doors and windows to the point of confusing you and then making you want to throw up, neither of which I want to do. But, doors and windows can be a tricky subject. As far as windows are concerned, if the property is less than 10 years old, chances are pretty good the windows are at least double pane windows – i.e. the window sash has 2 panes of glass in it. Which has been the standard for what the industry considers energy efficient construction. Within the last five years, more manufacturers are making triple glazed windows, but the extra energy efficiency appears to pay off in extreme climate conditions.

If a property is more than ten years old, it could be a crap shoot and will depend largely on where you live. California always seems to be ahead of the curve, but so are cold climate states on the east coast and upper Midwest (the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, New York, Vermont, etc). States with very warm weather, like California, Arizona and Texas are also concerned with better thermal efficiency.

You have to determine what type of windows you have (single, double or triple) and do some calculations (or have someone help you with them) to determine if the air infiltration is such that replacing the windows for better thermal coefficiency is worth the expense. If it is a buy and hold property, and you’re going to keep it for ten years or more, it might make sense, but it also might make sense to take off the window casings and stuff the framing with insulation. Chances are, more air is coming in around the opening than through the window itself. If you’re going to flip it, let the new buyer decide.

The type of window you buy has a lot to do with the appearance of the property, the size window you’re dealing with and the window location. Replacing all single pane windows with double pane makes sense, but you may want to do it in stages with the windows facing the street and/or windows facing the neighbors to have top priority. You don’t for instance, replace double hung windows with casements unless you do it everywhere, so if you’re going to replace in phases, stick with the same type of window, just better quality. Today there are as many window types, styles, finishes, glazing options (glass options) as there are houses. It is confusing. You might just get confused and throw up after all.

Doors are a little easier in terms of thermal efficiency, because that normally affects only the exterior doors and that efficiency definitely happens around the door rather than through it. So, weather stripping, sweeps on the door threshold and a square door frame fit is important. Most replacement doors come in a frame, especially for exterior doors, but interior doors also come that way. You can, of course, just buy the door, but then you have to mount the hinges which takes skill and experience.

Like windows, there are many different options and a solid wood door is more expensive than a hollow core door. A solid core door has less chance of warping, is heavier and not easily broken through. A solid core door is just as the name implies, solid wood or some other material all the way through from face to face. Hollow core doors just have enough framing to hold the door together. They function pretty much the same way, but hollow core doors warp more easily and it is not difficult to break through it or break it down.

So, doors and windows are not like painting or flooring or replacing appliances. Before you tackle either new doors or windows, consult a professional and get help unless you have installed either of these items before. Good quality doors and windows will make your property more energy efficient and can be reasonably built into the rent if you’re willing to take your payback over time.

In the following Blogs we will look at: KITCHEN CABINETS and BATHROOM VANITIES, ROOFING, AND INSULATION AND SIDING.

THANKS!