Designing and Building Mid-Illinois with Big Dog Construction

Designing and Building Mid-Illinois through Revisiting Energy Efficient Windows

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Summary

In this episode of Designing and Building Mid-Illinois, hosts Chris Hartsook and Kaitlin Borgini Trader discuss the often-overlooked importance of windows in home improvement. They explore the best times to evaluate windows, particularly during winter, and the signs of inefficiencies such as drafts and ice formation. The conversation covers various types of replacement windows, including vinyl and wood composite, and delves into the significance of glass types, including double and triple panes, and the role of argon gas in energy efficiency. The hosts emphasize the importance of planning for window replacements and how they can enhance home value and comfort. They also touch on the upcoming episodes that will engage the local community.

Takeaways

  • Winter is a great time to evaluate windows.
  • Drafts can indicate inefficiencies in windows.
  • Vinyl windows are low maintenance and energy efficient.
  • Triple pane windows offer better insulation and sound reduction.
  • Argon gas improves energy efficiency in windows.
  • U-factor measures how well a window insulates.
  • Planning for window replacement can save money in the long run.
  • Windows are a significant investment for home value.
  • Low E coatings protect against UV rays and fading.
  • Good homes are built one thoughtful project at a time.

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Produced by Big Dog Media group with Big Dog Business Coaching

SPEAKER_05

Welcome to Design and Building Mid-Ellinois, one home at a time with Big Dog Construction.

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The podcast you didn't know you needed.

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It's Chris Hartzuck and Caitlin Morgini. Join us as we explore the stories, expertise, and projects shaping the future right here in Mid-Ellinois.

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Whether you're planning to build, curious about the latest trends, or just love innovative ideas, we've got insights and inspiration coming your way. And some laughs too.

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Let's go.

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Big dog!

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In the military, there's no such thing as good enough. You either do the job the right way or you don't do it at all. I'm Blake Middleton of Elite Roofing Professionals and Exteriors. I'm a veteran and I brought the same mission-first mindset back to Illinois. While others talk about the way it's always been done, my team focuses on the technical precision of how a roof should be built. We use the best materials, the best technology, and a level of communication you won't find anywhere else. Your home isn't just a job, it's a commitment. Elite roofing, high standards, zero compromise, clear communication. Give us a call today.

SPEAKER_05

Hey, this is Chris with Designing and Building Mid-Illinois One Home at a Time, and we've got a treat for you this week. We're reaching back into the archives and pulling out a good one, an informational podcast for you guys, and it's talking about energy efficient windows. Has anyone been noticing that uh you've kicked your ACs on because the temperature outside's getting a little warmer, humidity's going up? A lot of that is because the windows you have in your house are not the best quality they need to be. But this episode will jam-packed with uh information about those windows and how we can help you with that. Hey, also a little sneak peek about what's coming up. We've got a three to four week season, uh, season sessions, uh yeah, talking about the big dog game plan on how to do remodeling projects yourself, right? And uh great speaker series going on that. So make sure you tune in on that. Enjoy this uh episode from the archives. And remember, we're here to help you make your lives better, make your homes better, and all of that. So enjoy this podcast, and we'll catch you with the fresh new episode next week on the Big Dog Game Plan. Hey, welcome back to Designing and Building Middle One Home at a time, the podcast where we talk practical reminding tips, construction insights, and do-it-yourself projects that make your home work better for you. I'm your host, Chris, with Caitlin Borgini Trader. Oh, she's got to throw the Borgini Trader in there. And today we're talking about something most homeowners don't think about until it's too late. That would be your windows. If this is your first time tuning in, hey, welcome to our listening pleasure today. If you've been with us from the beginning, thank you for continuing the journey with us as we help Mid-Ilinois homeowners design smarter, build better, and make confident decisions about their homes. Hey, real quick, we're gonna give a partner shout out, our 10x partner, Elite Roofing Professionals. When it comes to protecting your home, trust the experts at Elite Roofing Professionals serving Mid-Illinois with top-tier roofing, guttering, and siding services. They ensure your home stays safe and sound during the project. From durable roofing solutions to efficient and affordable gutter guards, their skilled team brings quality and reliability to every project. And I know that firsthand. Choose elite roofing professionals and experience excellence from the top down. Call them today for your free in-home estimate and find them at Eliteroofing Professionals.com. All right. With that, shout out to them. Let's get right into window talk, Caitlin. Window talk. But you know what? I'm gonna back up. I'm sorry, dial this back, and the only reason I'm gonna do it is I love apologies to our followers and listeners. It was made aware to me by Big Dog Media Productions when they were doing the post-editing of our podcast, last one, that Caitlin, your mic was not on at all and recording. So we apologize for the audio malfunction. Yes, malfunction. Thank you. I had something in my throat.

SPEAKER_06

Weren't you so I mean you typically that would have been me saying that?

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Yes, true, true. But I feel bad because I want the best experience for our listeners. For our listeners, I mean, that's what it's about. But you know what? It shows we're human. We make errors, but you know what? We'll own up to them.

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And we keep going.

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Broad shoulders, we'll own up to it, right? We do keep going.

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And maybe, Chris, maybe there was some people that maybe enjoyed it more because my voice was more muted, like my father.

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He probably would. No comment, but yeah. Yeah, I did get a text from your husband that said, great podcast. No, I'm favorite one. I'm teasing.

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No, speaking of husbands.

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So Caitlin's fresh back off her honeymoon. And you went to Tan. She's tan. You fake bake anyway, so it doesn't matter.

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Yeah, I do. But this is real bake from the equator.

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The equator. That's right. So you went down to the Dominican.

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Yes.

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Right. Perfect. And I was in Puerto Rico last week for our national window depot meeting. We have it every year, and it was in Puerto Rico. So it's a great time to talk about Z windows on the home. And the big question that everyone talks about is is it too early to think about new windows when we're really kind of still right in the middle of winter? And the answer is answer is winter is actually one of the best times to evaluate your windows because inefficiencies show themselves quickly when the temperatures drop and the cold air blows.

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Also, I you you got to think about where people like you, Big Dog, your local window dealer, you guys probably have a lot of things going on. So you want to evaluate it now.

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Right.

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So that you can call and get in as soon as possible.

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So we're we're actually we're out running window leads today.

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Right.

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You know, our salespeople are. So, and that's the thing that your home is nice and toasty and everything. And then you'll either hear the whistling, like, mm-hmm.

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Yep.

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Where's that coming from? We have some extreme cold temperature swings getting ready to hit our mid-Illinois uh winter storm morning days, right? Winter storm morning gonna hit us, possibly up to I don't know, 10 inches or more or whatever. Who cares?

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Negative 20 is the word. I can't.

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So perfect time to check your windows.

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Another thing is the drafts you can really start feeling.

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You can feel them if you don't hear them like you had the whistling in your bathroom you're talking about. So, yeah, the drafts, you can. If you're sitting by a window and you're kind of like, man, I feel a draft in the back of my neck and stuff. You know, we talked about this similar to you finding your drafts is taking that flicking flame over by uh one of your windows and seeing if you the flame flickers by air coming through. Right. Right. Another, another one is if you have air leakage, you will actually develop ice or frost inside because the humidity in your home, it hits that condensation and the cold air is so much it creates ice inside. So checking that. So definitely now is the best time. Plus, you're guaranteed we'll get you a slot and come out and give you a free in-home estimate for your new windows. Right. Right. And we'll get into more about that a little bit later in the podcast. But now is is the time to be thinking about it's not too early to think about new windows and new doors. So it's kind of window door type thing.

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I was just gonna bring up the doors. And I think so many, I think doors are hard, especially in a home that has been remodeled and that maybe it's a it was an older home. And I know that you think, oh, well, it is the tiniest little space.

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Right.

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But it really, every time you walk by, it will eat up your bill. I know I would frost your toenails. Yeah. I'm picturing long toenails sparkling.

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Whoa, whoa. I don't mean frosting that way. I'm talking about like chili frost your toenails, not like let's paint your toenails today frosty. So anyway, I guess you want to dry them, you can go stand in front of your drafty door, right? Or put them up in the drafty window.

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But it those little cracks, you don't want frosted toenails.

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No, you don't want frosted toenails in the winter, that's for sure.

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You don't want your house to be frosted at all. You can ruin your floors. There's so many problems.

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It is so many problems, plus the energy bill. Like I said, prices are going up. We've talked about this in other podcasts about prices going up. And again, we're just trying to educate the best we can. There are several different types of replacement windows. Let's talk about the material types. You've got vinyl windows. Uh vinyl windows are the most popular replacement options today. They're low maintenance, cost effective, excellent energy efficiency, resistance to moisture and rot because, again, it's all vinyl material, no wood in there.

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Um the vinyl is the frame.

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That's the frame. Okay. And it's the frame around the glass itself, too.

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Got it.

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And the vinyl windows are a great fit for many, many mid-Illinois homes and perform well in cold weathers, right? Cold weather conditions. Um, and we'll get into a little bit later, but your your vinyl, it's an extruded process. So when I say extruded, it's taking virgin vinyl. And that's what people need to make sure when they're checking window companies out, that it's a virgin vinyl and not a regrind. Regrind is where they take old vinyl and they grind it up, turn it into pellets, add calcium to it.

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So it's like the hot dog.

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Yes.

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A vinyl.

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Well, but that hot dog meat hopefully has never been processed and put back in because that's so basically regrind vinyl, they add calcium to it, and that's what makes them chalky over time. Walk up to a window, an old one, and it comes off and your fingers are white afterwards. That's because that was regrind material and they added extra calcium to make the vinyl go further as a binding agent.

SPEAKER_06

So is that a still a thing that there are still window companies that do that?

SPEAKER_05

Okay. So that's what I'm saying. Like our windows that we use from Window Depot USA, they're 100% virgin vinyl. So that's the first time, and again, it's resistant to the fade, the chalkiness, and all of that. So that's why they're a good fit for here in Mid Illinois. Plus, so that it's that extrusion. So you're taking that the little vinyl pellets, goes into a big machine, it melts it, and then it pushes it through under pressure through a steel die that has the shape of the window frame. And then as that pushes it out, it runs it out in long 20, 30, whatever lengths they need, and they start cutting them in the lengths for the windows.

SPEAKER_06

It's so interesting.

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Well, and here's here's the interesting fact about that. My previous life, I was an engineer and I actually designed extrusion dies for the company I work for. So I'm very familiar with the vinyls.

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I'm gonna say if if anybody can tell you about vinyl extrusion, exactly.

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It's Chris Hart socket because my past chapter in life of being an engineer for a decade, I know how things go together. I know how to design things, I know how to problem solve certain things, how they don't fit, or why things aren't working properly.

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I feel like you always I know you're saying your past life and you're talking about your career, but you still have that engineering brain.

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I do, correct. Right.

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You know, and I think once I think people I really think people are born that way.

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They are. Yeah, you can train yourself to be that way, but yeah, you've You can. Yeah, you just gotta be able to. That's awesome. Does he want a job?

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I mean, he'd do great.

SPEAKER_05

So another material type is wood composite windows. And so wood composite windows offer added strength and stability, less expansion and contraction than traditional wood or vinyl, and more of a premium look. Because in that composite, wood composite windows, you can get the wood grain feel and look in that, right?

SPEAKER_06

And I like that too.

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And and so it will give a little bit of an upscale appearance over the vinyl, but vinyl, let's not shortchange the vinyl because vinyl windows, you can do your lower cost windows that are white white, white vinyl interior, white vinyl exterior, right?

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Right.

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A lot of homes, if you're driving by, you're not gonna tell if it's smooth or if it's wood grain. You're not.

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That's very true.

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And the on the curb appeal.

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I mean, I have the vinyl, so right, exactly.

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But those vinyl windows can be they can be laminated on the outside, where you can change the colors of them, which actually that lamination does have a little bit of a texture to it. You can also do uh wood grain interiors on the inside of those vinyl windows, um, pre-stained wood interiors.

SPEAKER_06

Okay, so when I when I think about my windows, there there's like a thicker trim, I guess you would say, around them. The frame.

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Right.

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So there's different sizes of them.

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No, so the frame, most frames of the windows are the same size. Okay, but what you're thinking on the outside of homes, they will have exterior trim. Got it. Like one by trim that goes around that picture frames the windows.

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And that's more bigger.

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Looks correct.

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As correct.

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As energy. Okay. Other homes, they'll take that the J channel of vinyl siding and put it right up close up on the window. So you have very small, exposed window frame. But a lot of your your bigger homes or your more upscale homes, they want that big wide frame around it because it's in a big home. So you want that window not to look lost. So you add some width on that. And there are not to get in vinyl siding, there'll be future episodes, but vinyl siding accessories that you can put around those windows so you don't have wood exposed that you have to paint and maintain.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah. I've noticed that a lot of people that get the I guess tinted, I guess it would be tinted windows with with black frames, they have a very skinny frame.

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So they have thin line frame. Right.

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So it looks nice.

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Right. We have thin line frame windows. There is that as well. Everything has its limitations. And I hate saying that because I'm a belief lid limiter. Just get rid of that belief lid, right? But everything has its limits on what can be built to fit functional and safe in a home. Right. So we're always talking about safety. So no, you are correct. Black is black is it's been in for a bit, and we'll see it stick around for a little bit longer. Because the thing with black vinyl, vinyl will expand and contract with the cold and heat. Right. And a white vinyl will expand less than a black vinyl.

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That is so interesting.

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Black absorbs heat more than the white. White reflects.

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Yeah.

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And so it took a long time for the manufacturers to get the process where an extruded black window, well, it's actually not extruded, it's it's black capped, would handle the expansion and contraction and not lose the function of the window and the energy efficiency of that window. So it's taken a long time to get to that point. I mean there, and they're great quality. Yeah.

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That's definitely engineer. See engineering as it's like.

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I said injury brain. I I love that stuff, right? Yeah, I get off on that stuff.

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Solving problems.

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Exactly. So those are really your two main type of replacement windows. You can still do a wood replacement window. You know, the Anderson's and Pellows of the Worlds and the gelled ones, they will have wood replacement windows, but you're still, it has an aluminum clad exterior. And what that means, there's a thin layer of aluminum that is over the wood of the window. And that is where Anderson, Anderson and Pelo were your big window.

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Right.

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Boom. I want my Pelo windows. I want my Anderson windows on new home construction, right? Well, you now hear of renewal by Anderson, right? You hear renewal by Anderson Company? Renewal by Anderson is because their windows that they originally put out were failing now. Because their aluminum cladding over the wood would expand and contract differently than the wood behind it and allow water to get in and rot the wood. And you wouldn't know it because it's hidden behind the aluminum cladding. So now they rebranded, oh, renewal by Anderson, we'll come in, replace your windows, blah, blah, blah, blah. And that's why. It was a marketing stick to get, hey, we're Anderson. Let us come in and renew your home by Anderson.

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They were trying to rebrand.

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Correct.

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Yeah. That truly A lot of people don't know that. I would never know that, but it makes so much sense. And they think that was a good thing to share.

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They had a batch of windows, a long production batch of windows. In in construction, exterior of the home, you always consider the flow of water, right? So from a roof being steep, you don't lay the shingles from the top down because then water would catch and get underneath all the way down. You start at the bottom and work so water cascades over, right?

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Yes. Yes.

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Same thing on siding. You start at the bottom, work your way up so water goes down. Same on wrapping of a window with the aluminum. You start at the bottom and then you go over the bottom piece and go up. Anderson had a batch of windows where their bottom aluminum was over the sides.

SPEAKER_06

So all that water was dripping right down in that.

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And water takes the path the least resistance. And then the wood becomes a sponge and draws it in. Literally, we would.

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I would absolutely I mean a check.

SPEAKER_05

Well, here's here's how most people find out, right? If they have a casement window, which is a crank out window, first nice day of the spring, they go to open the window and the bottom part of their window falls off. The bottom frame of the window falls off because it's completely rotted. Because water gets in there in the winter and then it freezes.

SPEAKER_06

Freezes and unfreezes.

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Yeah, wood just goes oh it just peters out.

SPEAKER_06

Well, I've seen now I mean, not in my house or anything, but I'm thinking of other places where the wood is on the windows, like uh very soft. Yes.

SPEAKER_05

And on a double hung window breaking apart. Yeah, double-hung window that slides up, right, or slides down. People go to open first time, and the bottom part of the window sash would stay down in the jam, and the rest of everything would come up, and they'd be like, We've got a problem here, Houston. And so you can replace the wood, but the problem is wood windows with aluminum clad will eventually fail again.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah. I would think anything. I mean, to me, just in all these past years, vinyl has really been a kick-ass material in every way.

SPEAKER_05

It is. And and let me back up just a step about the wood composite windows. So wood composite is a combination of wood granular and vinyl.

SPEAKER_06

Oh, we that yes, that that wasn't what we were talking about.

SPEAKER_05

No, we were talking about real wood, but I wanted to back up a minute. You know, we had vinyl windows, then we had the wood composite windows. The composite part is the vinyl.

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Right.

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In with wood fibers. It's kind of like Trex. Trex is one of the first companies to come out with Trex decking, which was a wood composite. Have it.

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Love it.

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Right. So that is that whole thing. They make window frames that way and window sashes and so forth.

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And it looks nice.

SPEAKER_05

It does. It does. And then so again, in pricing, your it's kind of like countertops we talked about before. In windows, you have your white white, which is your least expensive window. But in that vinyl range, you can go up to a painted exterior with a wood interior vinyl window. And that's gonna be your high-end price, which may be more than an entry-level wood composite window.

SPEAKER_06

Right, right. So it's really you get all the bells and whistles.

SPEAKER_05

Exactly. And our sales team here at uh Big Dog Showroom, your local window depot, we know what best will work for you in your home. Right. And price condition as well. So you know what's coming.

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And you have your interior design team too. Right. We have that as well. Because certain, you know, not everybody might want to purchase windows just only depending on efficiency. They might want to purchase for looks.

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Correct.

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Like me.

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Well, but that's where our salesperson would then say, hey, from an energy standpoint as well.

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This is what works for you. This is the look you're going for. But like I would, you just said, the middle of it being wood and the outside vin I never would have thought, only thought there was like three different kinds of windows.

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Yeah, and and we literally have a line of vinyl windows, again, 100% vinyl windows, that has true wood interior, as in completely interior of the home, not in the not in the frame, so you don't have to worry about rot, that from the inside it looks like a full wood window.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah.

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You know, which is pretty nice. It's it looks so nice. It does, it does. And so those are the different types of windows, but every window, no matter what type of the frame it is, has glass in it.

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Right.

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Right. So, and there's different levels or numbers of panes of glass that you can get now. Old homes, real old homes, single pane. I was just gonna say one pane, one thin pane of glass, and that's when people would start throwing storm windows on.

SPEAKER_06

Literally terrifying.

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Yeah, and some of the glass was wavy. I mean, I my home was built in 1887 and its original glass, it was wavy. You know, you could tell it was hand poured and you know, all that.

SPEAKER_01

That's so cool though.

SPEAKER_05

So, but most replacement windows are double pane, and then we have triple pane glass. So that's three layers of glass and a little secret, which is kind of cool. If you don't know what your home has, if your home was had replacement windows probably seven, eight years older than that, they're all gonna be double pane windows.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, I I'm pretty sure.

SPEAKER_05

So is there a way that you can besides You are segueing right into me perfectly, Caitlin. And you didn't even know you were doing it.

SPEAKER_06

Oh, look at me.

SPEAKER_05

I'm perfect. I know. Yes, take your phone, turn your flashlight on, and And you go up and hold it to the glass and count the number of dots you see in your in your reflection.

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That is so fun.

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Double pane of glass is two. Triple pane, you'll see three dots. And the triple pane obviously is is gonna your most energy efficient window.

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Keep the heat in.

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Correct. So here's the thing about the the glass package, right? Double pane windows is two panes of glass, standard of most homes, solid insulation and an affordable price. The insulation is the invisible gas that is injected in between those two panes of glass. And almost every window, it's an argon.

SPEAKER_06

I mean, I can't understand this. It's so smart.

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Here's how I'm gonna put it. So argon gas, it's like if you got inside of an above-ground round pool, swimming pool.

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Okay. Okay.

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No water in it.

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Okay.

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You get inside and you start running in a circle. You can run pretty fast, right? Because there's no water. So fast. Okay. You add the water and now you're slowing down. That's what the argon gas does to the air inside between the windows. It slows the transfer of heat and cold from one side of the glass to the other. Caitlin's mind is just a little bit more.

SPEAKER_06

No, I really am, but I love all of this because just to understand something that I truly walk by every second of every day. And windows are an important thing. So obviously the three pane We have two layers of gas. I was gonna say, so the gas is in between these first two, and then it's right. It has the second two.

SPEAKER_05

Or the the planes of glass and you have two cavities of gas. Yeah. So that cold has to transmit and heat and cold, make this gas cold and then get through that glass into the next cavity. And so the other thing that helps on these windows, you had mentioned earlier about the people with black windows get tinted windows. Some of those windows that you'll see, they're not tinted. They actually have a low E coating.

SPEAKER_06

Okay.

SPEAKER_05

A low E coating on the triple glass, triple pane is giving you the maximum UV protection. Low E protects the UV rays of the sun from coming into the house, which does two things. One, it builds up heat. You know, the rays come through and make the home warm. And then it also will fade carpets and furniture and drapes and stuff like that. So the low E coating on the glass, which is standard, reflects those rays out, which helps on the energy efficiency. And so most people forget that that window is part of their insulated wall.

unknown

Right.

SPEAKER_05

They worry about the R factor of the insulation in their wall cavity, but they forget about the U factor in a window. And we'll talk about what that means, the U and the R and how that relates to each other. But we actually have at Window Depot, we have the most energy efficient windows on the market to put in your home.

SPEAKER_06

And I mean that's a good way to put it of you to say that is part of your wall. Like would you want a blank spot in your wall?

SPEAKER_05

Exactly. We just have an open hole, right? Yeah. And that's what you would have with single pane glass.

SPEAKER_06

Right.

SPEAKER_05

So the other thing that that you get value from the triple pane is you actually get improved sound reduction. I've had so many clients that we've replaced their windows and they will say, Hey, we love our windows, but one thing we didn't even think about was we don't hear the cars going by on the road anymore.

SPEAKER_06

And people that live in town, I mean, that sucks.

SPEAKER_05

Well, here's one. We literally had a client that lives out in the country, but their house is right on the highway, on a curve of the highway. Nope. The trucks, nope, nope, and nope. They and they literally, I ran into them at an event last fall, and they said, Hey, you're the owner of Big Dog, right? I'm like, I am, yeah. We want to tell you those windows are phenomenal. And we couldn't believe how we can't really hear the traffic on the highway anymore. It's amazing. And so people don't realize that. And they had triple pane windows and they had a big bay window on the front of their house. I love those.

SPEAKER_06

But that just proves.

SPEAKER_05

Exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

And like you, so going back to um that what were you talking about that's on the glass?

SPEAKER_05

Low E coating.

SPEAKER_06

Low E coating. Is that something that you can add afterwards or you have to buy? Okay.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. It comes made on the glass.

SPEAKER_06

Within it. Okay.

SPEAKER_05

Right. On that glass. People can take and put an aftermarket film, you know, like the mirror finish and stuff. Some commercial businesses will do it and they'll put it on their west side to stop the West Sun from coming in, building up heat. It's like, folks, just let us put new windows in.

SPEAKER_06

I was going to say, do you recommend that?

SPEAKER_05

No, just put in new windows. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

Make them look nice.

SPEAKER_05

So for homeowners focused on comfort during the colder months, triple pane glass can make a noticeable difference on that. And energy and your energy bills.

unknown

You know.

SPEAKER_06

And that's number one in my life. Yeah. I'm really serious.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah. Well, here's so here's another, and we're talking everything windows, right? We said we would, and that's what we're doing today. So the frames, we talked about the different material types, but on the frames themselves, um, you have that's the hidden performer of your windows because you can't see inside of that frame. We talked about extrusion, right? Even your composite windows, even your composite windows are extruded, which means you have hollow cavities in that frame because you it's not a solid chunk of vinyl. It would never perform properly. It's actually an extruder with a bunch of different webbing in there that allows it structurally to stay sound and extra. Correct. That's the thing. When you have a thick chunk of vinyl and a thin chunk of vinyl, the thick one's going to expand differently at rate than the thin, and that's when things crack and break.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_05

So the windows are engineered to be the same uniform thickness of vinyl when they extrude them out. But that creates air cavities. And those air cavities then from the outside will start getting colder, colder, and colder till the inside of the house. So you may have this beautiful triple pane glass insulated, but then the frame isn't. But they are. Again, another thing to check on our frames at Window Depot are insulated frames, which means we insulate inside those frames before the windows are assembled.

SPEAKER_06

What are they insulated with?

SPEAKER_05

So they're they're insulated with foam inserts.

SPEAKER_06

Okay, okay. Yeah. And so again, so just like part of your wall.

SPEAKER_05

Correct, part of your wall. Correct. They're insulated because the whole thing, just like the argon gas between the glass, it's to create the thermal break from the outside of the inside. The barrier. And that's what we do. So the inside of those frames are insulated to stop the transmission of the cold from the inside of the out, and vice versa. So that's something very best windows. Even if you don't buy them from us, just make sure when you're comparing windows from different companies, make sure you're comparing apples to apples.

SPEAKER_06

Right. And I mean, this isn't something that you want to just be like, oh, I'm just going to get the cheapest one because, like we've said literally 900 times, windows are a big purchase.

SPEAKER_05

They are.

SPEAKER_06

If you're not getting the best ones, you're going to continue to make all of these purchases as far as your energy or refixing and this and that.

SPEAKER_05

Right. Exactly. So just make sure you're you're comparing quality to quality. You know, make sure if window company comes in and says, oh, we have this, this, and this, well, but do you have this, this, and this?

SPEAKER_06

Refer to this podcast.

SPEAKER_05

Correct. Refer to this podcast, correct. You know, designing and building Middle one home at a time, right?

SPEAKER_06

You got it.

SPEAKER_05

And so that comparing the apples to apples and the functionality and the energy efficiency of those windows, that's key. So we're going to kind of talk about the U factor. I said we get to that.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

U factor, it's simply put, it measures how well a window insulates, right? So a lower number is important. Yeah. Especially in colder climates. So people think of an R value in their wall. The higher the R value, the more insulating factor. And that's on the U factor, it's reverse. It's opposite. The smaller the number, the better it is. We have windows that we can sell at 0.15 U factor, which to most people be like, ooh, what's that mean? If you have one pane of glass, you have a 100 U factor. I was gonna say no insulating value, right?

SPEAKER_06

Where does the number end? That's what I was looking for.

SPEAKER_05

So on the high end. So the lower you get, the closer you get to zero, obviously the better they are. You are you are basically fully insulated from inside out.

SPEAKER_06

And you have 0.15.

SPEAKER_05

0.15, we can get you to that.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Energy Star finally started rating windows as an energy efficient, like they do appliances, right?

SPEAKER_06

Okay.

SPEAKER_05

And so windows do have an energy star. And they can't correct. So they well, they had to when they the federal government started issuing energy tax credits.

SPEAKER_06

Okay.

SPEAKER_05

You had to have a way to measure them.

SPEAKER_06

So it's of recent.

SPEAKER_05

That was uh how long ago? I mean, it's been five, six years. I mean, it's been a while since they had energy tax credits. They just dropped them. They're not no longer this year. But again, from from the government standpoint, helping out the energy grid would be the less people are buying energy, the better on the grid and not stressing it. So let's put the windows that are building these homes, let's rate them and give them credit if they spend the extra money to get energy efficient windows. So with that being said, the I believe, don't quote me on the number, I think it's 0.27 is what Energy Star said was the threshold, but then you have your good, better, and best energy star rating. Okay. And then I think 0.24 or 2.2.

SPEAKER_06

So the 27 is kind of the the average.

SPEAKER_05

That's your entry level to energy efficiency. Right. And we were striving to 0.22 on our windows. Now we have windows that are 0.15. I mean 0.15 star ratings, correct. So a lower U factor means less heat escaping during the winter, more consistent indoor temperatures, you're not seeing the swing around windows up and down, improved energy efficiency, and it's the most important numbers to look at when choosing replacement windows for a Midwest home is that U factor.

SPEAKER_06

I know, and I saw that. And when I was reading that, I thought, wow, I would never absolutely know this in my life. And it's so important. I would think nothing.

SPEAKER_05

And and wait, do you think any of it?

SPEAKER_06

You know, I would think what's U factor? What why does it matter? But it does. And and and I I'm very thankful for this podcast for people to understand and help them.

SPEAKER_05

Well, like we've said, we want to educate. We want people to know what's going on. We want them to be able to make educated decisions. And again, this isn't about just buying from big dog construction, your local window depot. This is to educate the consumers on what to do. This is what to look for. Exactly.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah. How to make sure you are looking for the best product for your home.

SPEAKER_05

Exactly. And you know, we the one last thing about the argon gas in the in the glass, which helps the U factor, is that on gas, it's heavier than air.

SPEAKER_06

Right.

SPEAKER_05

So literally, if you were to open up a tank of argon gas, it's gonna fall to the floor because it's heavier than air. And so that's why it stops that cold and heat transfer back and forth.

SPEAKER_06

I mean, guys, you have to appreciate this. Don't you feel like we're back in chemistry or physics? What was the one where you dealt with gases? That's chemistry. That was fun.

SPEAKER_05

Yes, blowing shit up. I mean stuff up. Blowing shiitakis up. That's right. Exactly.

SPEAKER_06

Think about it, you guys. If they're putting this amount of planning and and chemistry in these windows, they're obviously just as important as your wall. I mean, can't switch enough.

SPEAKER_05

They are. They are. And and I'm glad you said planning because dang, you're segueing good, aren't you?

SPEAKER_06

But you know 10x and left and right.

SPEAKER_05

10 in a 10x, man. Let's grant Cardone this shit. No, but planning the head does make a difference, right? Replacing the windows is a long-term investment into your comfort, your energy efficiency, your home value. And again, winter is a great time to check your windows uh now, even if replacement isn't immediate, uh, knowing where you stand allows you to plan, budget, and avoid emergency decisions when a window finally fails. And we talked about that in previous episodes just recently about planning changes for your home for the year. Windows are a good place to start. We talk about roofs with elite roofing professionals, and then we talk about your windows and making that happen. Because failing to plan is like an old expression I heard from my grandpa, right? He said, he said it's better to shit in the sink than sink in the shit, let that shit sink in.

SPEAKER_06

And really let that shit sink in. I mean, that I don't know.

SPEAKER_05

Better to shit in the sink than sink in the shit, let that sink shit in. Yeah, let that shit sink in. Yeah. There it was. There it was.

SPEAKER_06

And this trains our voices too. I mean, think of all of that.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, thanks for the listeners for letting us train our voices and all that stuff. Because you know we're professional voiceover actors, right?

SPEAKER_06

We really are. But I have to say one last thing about the windows that I felt like before I forget, you know how I get. But my sister, you put in her window, new windows. But the reason why she got new windows is because they were trying to sell their house and they knew they improved their home value. Right. So many people, when I was first looking for houses, if I felt like I was gonna have to put in new windows or a new roof, I'd be like, nope, I'm not buying. And a lot of people are like that. So never, never not a right time.

SPEAKER_05

Exactly. It and that's right. And so just just like I just mentioned, even if replacement isn't immediate, as in schedule-wise or weather-wise, we literally are out doing installs today in today's temperature. So there is a threshold where our sealants don't like the cold.

SPEAKER_06

Okay.

SPEAKER_05

And we don't want to open up someone's home to the cold dominance and have their furnace. No. No, exactly. In fact, with the high tomorrow, I think of seven, we actually flipped our day of production and did the installs today where we're high of like 38, I think. Right, right. We flipped our production schedule of installs from tomorrow to today so that we can still get those folks their new and see how you're customizing and tailoring. Yeah, exactly. So with all this, I wouldn't be, you know, who I am as the owner of Big Dog Construction Local Window Depot if I didn't throw out a little shameless plug. Um, that if winter has you noticing drafts, cold rooms, or rising energy bills, now's a great time to check your windows and see if replacement should be on your radar. At Big Dog Construction, we are your local window depot USA. The windows are designed for real Midwest winters, strong frames, energy efficient glass, and performance that holds up when temperatures drop with lifetime warranties on glass replacement. Also, make sure to contact us at 217-970-7340. And we will take care of all your window needs and beyond.

SPEAKER_06

Well, I I I mean, when I mean it, you guys, Big Dog is the big dog slash top dog of windows. And the central oh no, I'm serious.

SPEAKER_05

And we appreciate that. Uh, you know, we actually go from Quincy all the way over into Cater and Lincoln and all the way down to Edwardsville. We cover big territory.

SPEAKER_06

Everyone is thrilled.

SPEAKER_05

Yes. And and don't get me wrong, we we every once in a while we'll have a little manufacturing issue. We'll take care of it. Again, it's under warranty.

SPEAKER_06

Got to be open and honest. That's right.

SPEAKER_05

We're I will never say that we are perfect beyond perfect. We have issues, we take care of them that we're doing.

SPEAKER_06

We're damn close, guys.

SPEAKER_05

We stand behind everything we do.

SPEAKER_06

Yes.

SPEAKER_05

Right? Stand behind it. We'll take care of it and make it good to what people have asked for and paid for. Right, right. Anything else in closing today, Caitlin?

SPEAKER_06

I just want to say, guys, windows really are important. I know I've said it so many times, but really think about it too. Why would you want to close your windows with curtains every day? Like I hate that. I open mine up, but so many people do that to keep in with energy. Get the new windows. Let that light into your life.

SPEAKER_05

The light in preaches, Sister Caitlin. Here she goes.

SPEAKER_06

Hallelujah.

SPEAKER_05

Shoot dang. Well, hey, on upcoming episodes, like real quick coming up episodes, we are actually gonna be having something special for McCupin County.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Right here in McCoopin County, where our podcast is hosting, our hosted, excuse me. Um, we are gonna have both Republican candidates that are running for sheriff.

SPEAKER_06

Correct.

SPEAKER_05

Uh, we're gonna have them in next week, uh, be dropping the first of February, right before early voting starts. And it's gonna be a great time. Each candidate's gonna have the same questions. It's not a debate because we're we're doing separate podcasts with them. Right, right. It's not a debate. It's just uh, hey, let's let's let you answer these questions, tell the public, tell the county, tell those.

SPEAKER_06

How do you plan to design and build McCupin County while leading the sheriff's department?

SPEAKER_05

While talking to us on our designing and building mid-Illinois, one home at a time, right here in center of McCupin County. So we're gonna have Quinn Ryer and Ryan Dixon on and asking them questions. We're excited about that because again, like we stated in our first episodes, you know, we are here about talking about designing the building mid-Illinois one home at a time, but it's not technically always about physical construction building. It's about building your life, building your community, building, building yourself. What does that mean? How does it look? How can we help? And that's where you know, some people, if they're watching the reels of this and seeing, you know, the big dog uh 10x business coaching behind me on my wall in my in our studio here. You know, I am a certified 10x business coach for Grant Cardone. And so we're able to implement that into our business, into our team members when we're in everyone's homes. And we just think it makes us better for our clients. And so that's what we're about.

SPEAKER_06

Thousand percent does.

SPEAKER_05

Caitlin is a product of that.

SPEAKER_06

We're we're getting her uh I'm getting trained, guys, and I and I'm loving it so much.

SPEAKER_05

That's right. So, hey, we appreciate you being with us today. Your home doesn't need to be perfect, it needs a plan. If you're unsure where to start, talking to a trusted local professional can save you time, money, and stress. Thanks for listening to Designing and Building Mid-Illinois One Home at a time. If this episode help helped you, be sure to share it with a friend. And remember, good homes aren't built overnight. They're built one thoughtful project at a time, and we will see you next time.

SPEAKER_00

Bye. Hey there. I'm Lisa Miller, managing broker and owner of First Choice Realty Pros. We don't just help you find a house, we help you discover home. My team and I are passionate about taking care of your needs, making the process smooth, and ensuring you get the personalized attention you deserve. Ready for the next step? Call us at 217-825-3999. With First Choice Realty Pros, you've got a team that's got your back.

SPEAKER_04

Thanks for tuning in to this week's episode of Designing and Building Mid-Illinois, one home at a time with Big Dog Construction.

SPEAKER_06

If you enjoyed what you heard, be sure to subscribe and follow us on Facebook or any of your favorite socials.

SPEAKER_04

Check us out on our website, bigdogcc.com. Until next time, keep designing and building.

SPEAKER_06

See you soon.

unknown

Big Dog.

SPEAKER_03

This episode was produced by Big Dog Media Group, delivering powerful creative for brands and creators everywhere. If you're looking to take your podcast to the next level or just get started, Big Dog Media Group has you covered. Thanks for listening.