Windows are essential to any home or building. It’s not only a source of light, but it also promotes good air circulation. Windows also make the rooms inside homes or buildings wider and brighter.

In addition, windows offer a great view of the outside adding more value to the property that it’s built-in.

With children present in the house, glass windows become a bit more vulnerable. It’s because accidents may cause them to break and injure kids in the house. In order to do this, you need to look into a child-friendly window replacement option.

But how can you start making your replacement windows child-friendly?

Window Replacement Materials That You Need

A replacement window installation offers a wide variety of types, styles and designs. But to what extent do you need your windows repaired? How much protection do you need your windows to have?

Now that you have those answers to those questions, then maybe it’s time to choose among the different options available for replacement windows.

When you purchase a replacement window, it’s important that you look into the safety and functionality of the window. It might be best if you know what materials are used for construction purposes as well.

• Wood is the most common material used because of its lightweight.
• Steel or aluminum also offers durability with any window type.
• Glass is one of the most versatile options used for replacement windows. It allows you to see through clear, offering colors and also transparency.

Glass window replacements are quite popular because of their ability to capture sunlight with ease. It does not sacrifice the view but instead offers a crisp and clean picture of what is outside your home or building. But of course, your top priority is having replacements that can’t cause injury to children.

Types of Window Glass Options to Consider

When you hire a window replacement company, they will ask you for details about the windows you need replacements on. You don’t have to worry too much since they will help you with how to measure a window for replacement. Here are other things you should keep in mind:

1. One of the first things you should consider would be adding safety glazing. This comes in 3 variations, laminated, toughened, and wired glass.

• Your laminated glass is composed of 2 sheets of glass that are joined together. You can find a plastic layer in the middle of the layers to prevent the glass from breaking into smaller pieces.
• The toughened glass presents a lower risk of injury because of its blunt cuts. This means that when a toughened glass breaks, the pieces it forms have blunt edges.
• The last one which is wires comes with glass that has wires fixed into them.

2. You can also opt to add window stops. These are very useful in protecting your children from opening or closing the windows. The window stops let you have control over whether the window remains shut it simply opens at a certain point.

3. This means you can keep your windows open while preventing children from accidentally going over the windows and hurting themselves.

4. Another wonderful option is replacing your windows with safety glass. This is a special glass designed to be less breakable and child-friendly. Safety glass is tough and is highly fire-resistant.

Now, before you move on with your window installation how to choose a safety glass might be the next dilemma. Safety glass is available in at least four options; tempered glass, laminated glass, and wired glass. Tempered glass can resist strong forces from wind, heat and sudden impact.

• When you use tempered glass, remember that it can’t be drilled, cut or even edged. When shattered, tempered glass breaks into small cubes rather than in sharp pieces.

• Laminated glass is what you can commonly find in vehicle windshields. They are built thick with extra strength specifically to survive structural integrity if a crash happens. This type of glass can also be used in homes located nearby airports, or sports activity areas.

Having laminated glass can protect the house from noise pollution and balls that might come flying through with kids playing around.

• Wire glass has wire inside the molten glass. The wire doesn’t add to the strength of the glass but rather helps hold on pieces of cut glass when it shatters.

Residential owners choose wire glass because it meets the requirements of most fire codes. They can also be used in fire-rated doors as well.

Preparing Your Budget for Window Replacements

Before hiring any window replacement company, you might ask yourself, how much does window installation cost? Can I afford it? Will it benefit me in the long run?

The best way to determine if your investment will be worth it is to consider the factors affecting the window replacement process. You can try to estimate how much your new replacement windows are going to cost with the following:

• Check the size of your house or the number of windows you need to be replaced.
• Consider the window type that you want to replace your windows with.
• Choosing whether you are replacing an interior, exterior or both windows.

The kind of windows you need replacing will affect the final cost of your window replacement project. In most cases, you can always ask the window replacement company for a quote if you want exact prices for the replacements.

Why it Mtters to Make Your Windows Child-Friendly

The home needs to be one of the safest places for your child. If you can already see some issues with your current windows then make sure to fix them before any accidents happen.

Your child’s safety is more important than having expensive or good looking windows. Having broken windows lying around the house can lead to multiple accidents and injuries and replacing your windows can prevent all of that.

When you encounter a broken window in your home, take your children away from it. Contact a local window replacement company to help you clear the area and to ensure that the place has no shattered glass left behind.

Even though widows may look harmless, they can be dangerous especially for smaller kids. Younger kids, especially those who have learned to walk and crawl around, would always find things that they can push or pull out of curiosity.

Childproofing your windows isn’t only ensuring your child’s safety, but they can also keep your windows safe for years until your children grow up.

For more information, ask our experts on window replacements.