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Health & Fitness

Homes for sale in Sudbury MA? Inspect the Doors and Windows

Doors and windows fall under the most active functional components within most any home. Whether you are looking at homes for sale in Sudbury MA or another township you will probably notice the greatest wear and tear within the home are its windows and doors. That’s why checking the integrity and condition of the home’s windows and doors is imperative, thus their inclusion as another installment in this Home Buyer Education 101 series.

Window Talk

Before diving into the nitty gritty of windows and doors inspection, it would be best to familiarize yourself with the terms that are usually associated with these components, particularly with windows. In this case, you can get a glimpse of the meaning from the labels that are sometimes found attached to the surface. It would be best to start with glazing and glazing coatings, which basically refer to the type of glass a particular window has. Glazing can be single, double or triple layered which can have an impact on the window’s durability and insulation value.

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In terms of glazing coatings, important terms to remember are the degree of insulation, or what is technically called as the U-factor, and Low-E or low emissivity which refers to the heat reflective ability of the coated surface. Low-E windows are coated with a thin metallic substance for this purpose and therefore would be more expensive but are definitely more energy efficient. For multi-layered glazing, fillers or spacers are usually placed in between layers, thus improving the insulation property.

Keeping Water and Air Out

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Doors and windows protect the home from external elements like water and air. Their abilities to keep these elements out are very important considerations for new home buyers looking at homes for sale in Sudbury MA or other townships. Failure or inability to keep water and air out could lead to serious and expensive damages to other parts of the home, not to mention the negative impact it will have on your energy efficiency and your utility bills.

Brown stains or water damage around window and door frames are indication of water and air seepage. The inability to prevent air and water seepage may be due to cracks in the glass, damaged or deteriorated caulking, and damages in the frames. You can check this physically by actually opening and closing doors and windows to check for gaps, unsecured frames or incomplete closing.

Gaps and failures to fit snugly in place can also be indication of other problems other than the inability to keep air and water out. The problem can be more serious such as underlying structural defects. Other items to check on windows and doors include locks, latches, hinges and sliders. Some doors and windows are installed with weather stripping. These should be checked for any gaps or peel offs but should also be inspected thoroughly if these were installed as additional precautionary measures or to hide larger underlying gaps that would sooner or later cause bigger problems.

Make Them More Energy Efficient

Many buyers looking at homes for sale in Sudbury MA are looking for good old-fashioned homes that would still provide great value and comfort for their family. If you are a buyer like this, keep in mind that older homes may have doors and windows that are not energy efficient, either due to leaks and gaps, or the actual materials used in their construction. In this case, take into consideration replacing single pane doors and windows with more energy efficient alternatives which effect long-term operational expenses in terms of lower maintenance, cooling and heating costs.

I have often heard from new home buyers that these modern doors and windows may come at additional expense but the energy savings and comfort created for their family was one of the best investments made in their new home. The home buyer may even consider the cost of replacing the doors and windows when making an offer on any of the homes for Sale in Sudbury MA.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Roger Martin is a licensed Massachusetts Real Estate salesperson and General Contractor with over 20 years experience in residential and commercial real estate.  Serving the Ashland, Boston, Brookline, Chestnut Hill, Framingham, Lexington, Natick, Needham, Newton, Sherborn, Sudbury, Wayland, Wellesley and Weston areas.  If you have questions, comments or suggestion for future articles please feel free to contact Roger Martin at (p) 1.617.365.4311  (email) roger@realestateinmassachusetts.org or (blog site) www.realestateinmassachusetts.com

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