December 12th, 2017
Each year, over 16 million windows are replaced in the nation’s housing.Although the predominant forces driving this effort are improved appearance and functionality, window replacement also has a large impact on energy conservation and health. These latter two benefits should be better recognized. Window replacement is known to yield substantial energy savings, improved protection of children from lead poisoning (form lead-contaminated dust and lead paint in old windows) and perhaps other diseases as well. Enabling the public to understand and value these hidden benefits will lead to more informed decisions about when and how to replace old windows. It can also enable public and private programs to leverage resources from disparate sources, such as housing rehabilitation and renovation, weatherization, home improvement financing, lead hazard control and public health programs. Window replacement appears to have large unrecognized potential to increase the public well being. Decisions about if and how to expand the use of window replacement require an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the different replacement window products and the influences affecting this market. The following section addresses the essential research issues raised by the participants and includes general information about window products, installation and the window replacement market.