Window placement and window size aren’t easily updated after your home is built. Windows are also one of the more expensive home maintenance costs, so finding the right windows for new construction homes and having them in the right place from the start makes a big difference in your home satisfaction and the cost when building a custom home.
To help you make the right decision for your custom home, we’ll review details on window features to be aware of, their potential impact, and we’ve also included a few of our top tips for selecting windows for new construction that we’ve learned over the years as a custom home builder in Idaho.
Top Considerations For Windows In A New Construction Home
Of all the details you need to consider when building a custom home, windows are one of seemingly hundreds of items to check off your list. However, windows can have a huge impact on the comfort and aesthetics of your home and are well worth spending the time to consider when building a new construction home.
Energy Efficiency
Windows contribute significantly to your home’s energy efficiency. The windows you select, and their installation, can create significant savings on your heating and cooling costs because of their insulating properties. For the greatest amount of insulation, look for multipane windows with a gap in between them.
For most climates, including ours here in Idaho, dual pane windows are the most cost-effective, providing great insulation while keeping costs reasonable. The cost of triple pane windows versus their improved insulating capabilities is usually not worth it unless you live in an extremely cold climate.
Windows also improve energy efficiency by increasing natural light and reducing the need for electricity to light a room. When your windows are placed to capture more sunlight, you can reduce your energy bill by using more natural light.
Interested in energy efficiency? Get our top tips for building an energy-efficient house.
R Value & U Factor
To help you determine the energy efficiency of a particular window, you can look at what’s called the R value and the U factor of any window. The R value is a measure of how well the window insulates. The higher the R value, the better its insulating capability.
The U factor of a window measures heat transfer through the glass. The lower the U factor, the more energy efficient the window will be.
Noise Reduction
Another big benefit of choosing windows for new construction is your ability to select windows that can dampen noise and create a more peaceful environment in your home. Well-insulated windows, like those dual pane windows we mentioned above, work well to dampen noise.
If you are building a custom home in a noisier environment and noise reduction is your primary goal, you may want to consider the triple pane windows for their noise reduction capabilities.
Privacy
Window placement and selection also impact privacy in your home. When considering your windows for a new construction home, you’ll want to think about proximity to neighbors, public sidewalks, and where in your home the windows are going.
Many people opt for windows at different heights or with privacy features like frosted glass in rooms like bedrooms and bathrooms where more privacy is desired. Being able to select your window placement based on your home’s location and layout is a huge benefit of building a custom home.
Aesthetics
In the Treasure Valley area where we build, many of our clients are building on land where they have acreage and, often, beautiful views. We’ve helped many clients orient their homes in a way that allows them to take advantage of these views inside their homes. This is another benefit of building a custom home, being able to choose windows and window placements to match your home and aesthetics specifically.
Windows and the natural light they let in play a huge role in the design and feel of your home. There are many different window styles you can choose from, which we won’t go into here, but know that whether you want your home to have a modern look and feel or prefer a more traditional look, there is a window style for you.
Window Material
When it comes to windows there are two key pieces where you’ll want to consider the material – your window frame and the glass in your windows.
Glass
Let’s start with window glass. This is most important when it comes to insulation of your windows as glass is the area most likely to leak heat or include a form of UV resistance, which is important in keeping heat out in hotter temperatures and heat in, in cooler temperatures. As we mentioned before, for more energy efficient windows in a moderate climate like ours in southwestern Idaho, dual pane windows will provide the best insulation for the cost.
For UV protection, we also recommend windows that are low-e, which stands for low emissivity. Glass with a low-e coating filters UVA and UVB light, improving the efficiency of the glass by reflecting heat and letting light in. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, low-e window coatings can reduce energy loss by 30-50%. That’s a significant boost.
Low-e windows can include the coating on either the inside or outside of the window, which will either help keep heat out, great for hotter climates, or keep heat in, great for cooler climates.
Window Frame
When it comes to the window frame material, you have several options. Wood is the most traditional frame material. It can last a long time and also requires more maintenance than other frame materials. Because of weathering, wood usually isn’t the best material for very wet or very dry climates.
Vinyl windows on the other hand are great in these types of climates as they resist fading and wear from the sun and require very little maintenance. Vinyl is typically the best value in terms of maintenance and longevity.
Fiberglass windows are similar to vinyl windows in that they are a lower maintenance option; however, fiberglass tends to be a more expensive material, so fiberglass window frames are less affordable.
Another option you have is aluminum window frames which are also long lasting, but require more maintenance than vinyl or fiberglass. Aluminum also tends to be more expensive than other window frame options.
At Pathway Builders, our standard window for custom homes is a dual-pane, low-e vinyl window which we’ve found is the best value choice for our climate in the Boise area.
Price
We know when building a custom home, price is always an important factor. When it comes to windows you don’t always need the most expensive option, but you do want something that will keep your home comfortable given the climate and location of your home. Material, style, size, and the number of windows in your home will all impact the cost. Hopefully, the information here will help you to weigh the value vs the cost to help you choose the best windows for your new construction home.
Tips On Choosing Windows For New Construction
Ask Your Builder About Customizing Window Placement & Size
If you work with a custom builder that has house plans for you to choose to build on your land, you won’t have to worry about window placement or window size. Your floor plan will already include windows in the most ideal places and sizes.
However, there are instances when you might want to make changes to window placement, for example, to take advantage of amazing views on your property or to improve privacy in your new home, so be sure to ask your home builder if window placement and size is something you can customize with your build. It’s always worth asking when in the process of choosing a custom home builder.
At Pathway Builders, our goal is to help our customers create their dream home at the most affordable price, that’s why we offer customization of window placements and sizes. If you want you can add, or even remove windows, from your floor plan when you build with us. Whether it’s to take advantage of more natural light or the views from your land, we understand that building on your land requires flexibility, including details like where your windows are placed, based on your individual needs and property.
Windows Are Worth The Investment When You Build
If you’ve read our article on how to add value when building your custom home, you know there are some things it makes sense to invest a little more in upfront to save you in the future. Windows, beyond the benefit of their energy efficiency, are one of those items that are more costly to move or change the size of in the future versus when you are building.
This isn’t to say it can’t be done, but it does mean you’ll get a better bang for your buck if you invest in the additional windows you’re debating during your initial build than if you were to install them at a later date.
The same goes for size. If you are considering larger windows, it’s more cost-effective to add those windows in your initial build than to update your window size at a later date.
Use Standard Window Sizes
If price is a concern, use standard window sizes in your new construction home. Custom window sizes cost more than standard-size windows. Keeping your windows to standard sizes not only lowers the initial cost of your windows but also lowers your costs in the future when it’s time to replace your windows.
Climate Plays A Role
When determining what windows are best for your custom home, the climate you live in plays a role in choosing the best value windows. As we’ve mentioned here unless you live in extreme climates, the cost of triple-pane windows probably isn’t worth the increased insulation. Don’t forget to consider the climate, when selecting windows for your new construction home.
Do You Need Interior Window Trim?
Whether or not you opt for interior trim on your windows is largely a matter of preference. Depending on your design style, you may like the more modern look of windows without the window trim. Or if you are looking for more of a traditional or farmhouse style aesthetic, you may decide to add window trim.
At Pathway Builders, we understand everyone’s style is different, so we offer our clients the option to add interior window trim in their homes. You can also add window trim on every window or opt for interior trim on the windows in specific rooms. The choice is yours.
If you have any questions about choosing windows for new construction or would like to talk about building a custom home in Idaho, we’re here to help. Contact us to set up a time for a free consultation.
Liked this content? You might also like our article on electrical considerations for a custom home.
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