Are you looking to replace your home windows?

Are you looking for home windows with the best bang for the buck?

Do you want home windows that will last while also increasing your energy efficiency?

Then it’s a no brainer right? Vinyl it is. After all, everybody is doing it right?

Not so fast! Have you considered replacing your home windows with a good thermally broken aluminum product? These days, everyone is looking at vinyl when choosing home windows. They hear it’s the most energy efficient, and it’s what get’s all the attention so they default to vinyl. At the same time, we are all on a budget and home windows aren’t cheap (ones worth buying aren’t at least…more on that in a bit) so the search for a lower cost vinyl window is on.

This is a common scenario as I meet with folks looking to replace their home windows daily. At Ultra Windows we carry many products and my goal is to help them navigate the ton of information out their in regards to home windows and to cut through the hot air so they can find the RIGHT home windows for them. Time and again I’m told ‘we want good, solid, middle of the pack home windows that will serve us well and help with energy efficiency for a competitive price’. It often leads to me asking if they’ve thought about or considered thermally broken aluminum windows and then simply informing them about that option. When looking at the objective data the choice of home windows becomes clear for many.

Vinyl home windows, at the end of the day, are plastic! If you are going to go with vinyl home windows that will last and perform for you over the long haul the last thing you want to do is start bargain shopping vinyl home windows. There are a ton of low cost, low quality, flimsy vinyl home windows out there to choose from. You can find something to fit your budget, but the little you save now will cost you much more over the long haul. The lower you go in cost on vinyl home windows the less strength, less durability, and lower lifespan of the home windows you get. All of which lead to issues down the line.

On the other hand, the thermally broken aluminum home windows will price out comparable to the middle of the road vinyl home windows and they will give you incredible strength, longevity, durability, and lifespan. Thermally broken aluminum home windows will have the same solar heat gain if quoted correctly, they’ll have a superior air leakage rating (about 5x better), and they will have a much better design pressure rating.

So call Ultra Windows before you buy your home windows. Don’t be led (forced) into one product. We’ll look at all the options and help you choose the best home windows for you.

You owe it to yourself to give us a call if you are looking for home windows!

Contact us now for high quality home windows, with the installation you need, at a price you can afford!

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Getting new vinyl windows is the popular choice for replacement window projects these days. It is a large project that will effect the inside and outside of you home for decades so choosing the right vinyl windows is very important. You don’t want a widget in this situation, but that seems to be what we run up against a lot in the sales process. Clients who have had other companies out that are offering one option and pushing them toward their vinyl windows.

So what do you do as a homeowner? Here at Ultra Windows we want to help you choose the right vinyl windows so you don’t regret it down the line. We’ll help you look at your budget, and the windows you have, color choices, sizes of your windows, shading, etc. to determine the right vinyl windows for you. We carry many different options so we can sell you the right vinyl windows for your home instead of pushing you into one brand.

Here in south Texas especially, the climate will punish you for making the wrong choice. You can go with the lower half of the spectrum of vinyl windows and save a little money on your purchase up front, but you will regret it down the line and pay more in the long run as you watch the heat pummel your low cost vinyl windows into submission. Low quality, cheap vinyl windows just won’t hold up to the heat. Vinyl is a plastic at the end of the day and if the vinyl windows you buy are not built to withstand the weather conditions you’ll be right back where you started. Warping and bending are not uncommon in poorly built vinyl windows that are built for low cost instead of quality.

We don’t want you to make that mistake. Our vinyl windows are chosen carefully to offer you the quality you want and need. Our vinyl windows are in the upper half of the spectrum of vinyl windows on the market…meaning our entry level windows are better than many of our competitors. From there, we go up to vinyl windows which will outperform any vinyl windows out there in terms of quality and energy efficiency, and our pricing is less than many of our competitors selling inferior products. Combine this with our premium installation system and you have everything you are looking for in your search for vinyl windows.

You owe it to yourself to give us a call if you are looking for vinyl windows!

Contact us now for high quality vinyl windows, with the installation you need, at a price you can afford!

ultrawindows.net - Replacement Windows and Doors

Take a look at our job of the week! New replacement windows in Dallas, TX. We installed thermally broken aluminum replacement windows by Don Young.

These replacement windows are single hung, with grids. Notice how this replacement window has a narrower frame than vinyl windows which saves glass space! The single hung is great on the pocket-book as well.

These thermally broken aluminum replacement windows are a great balance between strength, energy efficiency, and price. They come with a great glass package that has double strength glass, Guardian’s 5527 low solar lowE, argon gas, and a non-metal spacer. Combine that with a great air leakage rate, and the strength of aluminum and these replacement windows will perform for you and last!

The test data on these replacement windows is below:

Solar Heat Gain - .21

U-value - .42 – it’s one weak spot!

Air Leakage - .03 – WOW! About 5x less than the average vinyl window

Design Pressure Rating - 50 in the Light Commercial class

Contact us today for or more information on our products and replacement windows!

replacement windows

ultrawindows.net - Replacement Windows and Doors

Best Vinyl Windows in the Country!

Are you looking for the best vinyl windows for your home?

We have the vinyl windows you are looking for. The Soft-Lite Elements vinyl windows are in a class by themselves, and Ultra Windows is your exclusive contractor for these windows in the greater Houston area.

Every window company claims to have the best vinyl windows. It’s just the nature of the game that is played and you as the consumer need to be able to know how to cut through all the hot air and get down to the facts.

We recommend you look at the objective test data on the windows and look at cut-aways of the windows so you can see how they are designed and constructed.

All vinyl windows should be rated by the American Architectural & Manufacturing Association (AAMA). They do un-biased third party testing of the vinyl windows including surprise visits. Without that testing, anyone claiming to have certain ratings etc. can say anything they want to say and there is nothing to back it up. So if the vinyl windows you are considering are not AAMA rated you should move on to the next window.

Look at the solar heat gain, the u-value, the air leakage, and the design pressure rating of the windows. Those four measurements will tell you a lot about the quality of build, design, and quality of materials used in your windows, and how well it will hold up over time. Vinyl windows are not all created equal and will fail if poorly made which will cost you much more in the long run.

The Soft-Lite Elements vinyl windows are robotically assembled giving them extremely tight tolerances. These vinyl windows are designed in such a way, and use materials that give this window ratings that set it apart from any of their competitors in vinyl windows. The proof is in the numbers.

The test data on these home windows is below:

Solar Heat Gain - .21 – double strength glass is standard on our windows, with argon, PPG Solarban70XL, and super spacer

U-value - .26 – you will not find a lower number with double pane glass.

Air Leakage - .01 – WOW! About 15x less than the average vinyl windows

Design Pressure Rating - 70

Compare the numbers with our competitors vinyl windows and if you get the truth you’ll see there is no comparison.

Add to this, that with Ultra Windows pricing you get these windows at a price you can afford and is less than many of our competitors and you have a win/win situation all the way around!

Contact us today for or more information on our products and windows!

ultrawindows.net - Replacement Windows and Doors

In replacement windows, there are a TON of vinyl windows out there. It’s a saturated market and you have a wide range of replacement windows to choose from. Everything from the low cost, low quality replacement windows up to the premium vinyl replacement windows that will compete with any other replacement windows out there.

So what do you do as a homeowner? Here at Ultra Windows we want to help you choose the right replacement windows so you don’t regret it down the line.

Here in south Texas especially, the climate will punish you for making the wrong choice. You can go with the lower half of the spectrum of vinyl replacement windows and save a little money on your purchase up front, but you will regret it down the line and pay more in the long run as you watch the heat pummel your low cost vinyl windows into submission. Low quality, cheap vinyl replacement windows just won’t hold up to the heat. Vinyl is a plastic at the end of the day and if the replacement windows you buy are not built to withstand the weather conditions you’ll be right back where you started. Warping and bending are not uncommon in poorly built vinyl replacement windows that are built for low cost instead of quality.

We don’t want you to make that mistake. Our vinyl replacement windows are chosen carefully to offer you the quality you want and need. Our vinyl replacement windows are in the upper half of the spectrum of vinyl replacement windows…meaning our entry level windows are better than many of our competitors. From there, we go up to the Soft-Lite Elements window which will outperform any replacement windows out there in terms of quality and energy efficiency, and our pricing is less than many of our competitors selling inferior products. Combine this with our premium installation system and you have everything you are looking for in your search for replacement windows.

You owe it to yourself to give us a call if you are looking for replacement windows!

Contact us now for high quality replacement windows, with the installation you need, at a price you can afford!

ultrawindows.net - Replacement Windows and Doors

Replacement windows vary widely in cost and quality, but replacement windows installations don’t!  There are many replacement windows out there to choose from, and many replacement windows companies to choose from, but you will find that across replacement windows installation systems there is very little difference from company to company.

Take note of how many of your replacement windows sales appointments include a detailed explanation of how the replacement windows will be installed. Many, if not most, sales routines do not go into the installation procedures, and that’s likely because there is nothing to really say. Salesmen will highlight their strengths of course, and the truth is the installation is not typically a strength for many replacement windows companies. Their installation is what we like to call the ‘caulk and walk’ system because it’s fast and cheap.

At Ultra Windows, we put a premium on the installation of your replacement windows. Buying new replacement windows is a big project that will effect your home, comfort, and energy bills for decades. The installation system and workmanship better be top quality if you want to accomplish your goals of improving the looks of your home, increasing your comfort level, and decreasing your bills. You can get great, high quality, replacement windows and install them poorly and you will undermine the whole project. So don’t settle for less than the best!

We are confident you will not find a better installation of your replacement windows than at Ultra Windows. We go above and beyond the ‘caulk and walk’ in many ways to give you an airtight, watertight, high quality installation that will complement the new replacement windows instead of undermine them. We back it up with a lifetime installation warranty!

You owe it to yourself to give us a call if you are looking for replacement windows!

Contact us now for high quality replacement windows, with the installation you need, at a price you can afford!

ultrawindows.net - Replacement Windows and Doors

Replacement windows vary widely in cost and quality. There are many replacement windows out there to choose from, and everyone claims to have the best and be the best. So how do you as a consumer cut through the hot air and determine what is the best choice for you and your budget?

One of the ways to to cut through the fluff and get to the hard facts is to look at objective test data on the replacement window you are considering (read here for more info).  We encourage all home owners looking for replacement windows to make sure your salesmen give you test results from an unbiased third party such as AAMA or NFRC. If they can’t, or won’t, or they do not have an AAMA certified window you should probably rule them out right there. When looking at test results there are a few different ratings we recommend you look at and one of the most neglected is air leakage (AL).

Air Leakage in replacement windows is referring to the amount of air that infiltrates and exfiltrates through the seams in the window due to air pressure differences between the indoors and outdoors. Replacement windows with moving parts, locks, etc. are more prone to leakage than a picture window is because there are more seams for air to move through. The most energy efficient replacement windows and homes will control the air movement and keep conditioned air in, and unconditioned air out. So air leakage in a window is important because it’s an indicator of how well the replacement window is going to perform in saving you money and keeping your home comfortable.

Air leakage is also a good indicator of the quality of the replacement window. A high quality replacement window with tight tolerances, good design, sufficient weatherstripping, etc. will seal better! A poor quality window, made with cheap materials, and with poor design will not seal well. It’s that simple! You may save a few hundred bucks on the price of a window today, but what is that replacement window going to cost you over the next 10 years as it more freely lets air move through it? Unlike SHGC and Uvalues; air leakage is a year round impact in hot and cold climates and seasons. It’s not something you want to be unaware of in your replacement windows project.

The standard for air leakage in replacement windows is .30 cfm or below. Average replacement windows will be somewhere in the .15 range (give or take). High quality replacement windows will be .10 or lower, and that is where we recommend you be if budget allows. Ultra Windows has the Soft-Lite Elements replacement windows with a .01 air leakage! That’s about 15x better than the competition.

In addition, to the quality of the window, the quality of the installation can play a big part in replacement windows air leakage ratings. More on that later….so stay tuned!

ultrawindows.net - Replacement Windows and Doors

Take a look at our job of the week! New home windows at 12154 Quail Creek Dr., Houston, TX 77070. We installed thermally broken aluminum home windows by Don Young in their tan color which looks great with this brick!

These home windows are single hung, with no grids. Notice how that opens up the glass and the view! The single hung is great on the pocket-book as well.

This job also included some arched top, half eyebrow picture windows mulled with the single hung home windows to give it a nice look. These thermally broken aluminum windows are a great balance between strength, energy efficiency, and price. They come with a great glass package that has double strength glass, Guardian’s 5527 low solar lowE, argon gas, and a non-metal spacer. Combine that with a great air leakage rate, and the strength of aluminum and these home windows will perform for you and last!

The test data on these home windows is below:

Solar Heat Gain – .21

U-value – .42 – it’s one weak spot!

Air Leakage – .03 – WOW! About 5x less than the average vinyl window

Design Pressure Rating – 50 in the Light Commercial class

Contact us today for or more information on our products and windows!

ultrawindows.net - Replacement Windows and Doors

Replacing your home windows is one of the best home improvement projects a homeowner can undertake, according to Remodeling Magazine, with an average return on investment of 65%. Now, more than ever, homebuyers are scrutinizing the energy efficiency of the homes they’re considering, and homes windows are one of the primary culprits contributing to higher utility bills.

New home windows are able to transform both the exterior and interior of your home simultaneously, something no other project can do. Whether you prefer the classic looks of traditional windows with divided lites, or the contemporary look of large expanses of undivided glass, new windows will give your house a whole new look.

New home windows also make your home more comfortable. Customers often notice that once their windows are replaced, the hot and cold zones in the house are eliminated, equalizing the temperature throughout. This allows for bumping the thermostat up a couple of degrees – saving money on energy bills, while remaining comfortable.

Of course all of the benefits described are based on two conditions; (1) installing a quality product and (2) proper installation methods to eliminate air infiltration. The best home windows in the world will not perform up to their expectations if the installation is sub-par. The typical caulk-and-walk installation method that is so commonly used in Texas, will not seal out hot air. If the outside air infiltrates around your new home windows, the efficiency is obviously greatly reduced.

Ultra Windows’ installation system is designed specifically to provide homeowners with leak free home windows for life. Compare our installation to anyone’s and you’ll appreciate the Ultra difference.

Contact us today!

ultrawindows.net - Replacement Windows and Doors

Simonton is a very large, nationwide manufacturer of home windows that enjoys a good reputation in the industry, for reasonably good quality control. Most people have heard of Simonton, as they’ve done a very good job of marketing, and their product distribution in Texas has been set up to offer access to as many different contractors as possible. Unfortunately for the consumer, this means that just about anyone can buy home windows from Simonton and resell them to homeowners.

Simonton offers a multitude of home windows in their product line, from lower end builder grade vinyl windows to above average replacement grade vinyl windows, so for purposes of this discussion, I’m going to focus on their Impressions 9800 line.

The first thing to note is that the Simonton Impressions 9800 is AAMA gold label certified. This allows consumers to compare the build quality of home windows, on an apples-to-apples basis, without having to rely on the claims of the manufacturer, and worst of all, the salespeople. Vinyl windows have to be tough to stand up to the extreme Texas weather, particularly our summer heat. The fact is, most vinyl windows are just not built well enough to last through four or five summers without bowing and warping.

Let’s start with the positives. The 9800 is an aesthetically attractive window with recessed weld joints, beaded glass molding, applied lift handles, and jamb liners as standard features. This home window is built to mimic the look of wood windows, and it does a pretty good job, although some homeowners may be a little disappointed in the beefiness of the frame and sashes, resulting in reduced glass space.

Simonton’s exclusive stepped/sloped sill is a good at shedding water and preventing blowing rain from infiltrating under the bottom sash during the occasional tropical storm. Double strength glass is a standard feature, and the base model comes with Intercept Spacer. Intercept is a decent spacer product, however, upgrading to the optional Supercept, is a wise choice that is not only more efficient, but also less susceptible to seal failure.

On the negative side, Simonton windows are constructed with thin vinyl walls (.072), and don’t automatically come with internal sash reinforcement. As a result, base level DP ratings suffer. Additionally, the 9800’s Air Leakage rating is an average .12cfm, which is slightly above my preferred maximum of .10 cfm. This higher AL rating makes proper installation even more critical, since any deviation from true square will only exacerbate the leakage, reducing the efficiency gains hoped for.

Texas homeowners who are set on purchasing Simonton home windows should strongly consider upgrading the glass to Low-E366, the spacer to Supercept, and reinforcing the sashes. These changes should add no more than 15% to the price, but will add years to the life of the product, helping it to resist the effect of the extreme summer sun.

For more information on home windows visit our products page.

ultrawindows.net - Replacement Windows and Doors