ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥

Q: I need to replace my old west-facing patio sliding glass doors, but I am getting so much conflicting advice. Should I buy aluminum, fiberglass or vinyl clad doors? Should I go for low-emissive or low-E coating on my windows? What is best for our climate?

A: Generally, I’m not a fan of installing vinyl windows and doors in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ homes, although I know that the technology of vinyl has improved and vinyl windows have become more popular. Our strong ultra-violet rays from the sun in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ can actually damage the vinyl in poorly constructed windows to the point that the windows begin to sag.

The very best choice would be dual-pane wooden windows that are aluminum-clad. These windows have a wooden frame sheathed in aluminum on the outside. The cladding protects the wood from rain and sun. The wood on the inside provides more insulation in summer and winter. It won’t conduct heat or cold from the aluminum.

But if price is a problem, I’d pick fiberglass over vinyl. You never want to buy the cheapest vinyl window, at any rate; go for the more expensive ones. Generally, fiberglass will not cost that much more than a high quality vinyl, and I believe that you’re probably buying a much better window.

As for low-E coatings, these are thin, see-through layers of metal or metallic oxide that are put on windows to prevent heat from coming through glass. This is a technique that improves the energy efficiency of your windows which you would benefit from doing for your west-facing windows. The newest coatings should not affect the view of the outdoors through your windows.

While we’re talking about glass, remember in your window shopping to choose dual-pane windows with a minimum space between the panes of glass of 5/8s of an inch.

Q: I live outside ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ in Vail where I have a couple of Mexican bird of paradise plants in my yard. I’ve had them for six years, and they’re not producing any flowers in the summer. Should I take them out?

A: The Mexican bird of paradise is sort of a tropical plant and might not be flowering due to your cooler climate in Vail where the elevation is about 3,200 feet. These plants go dormant in the winter, of course, but they might have suffered some frost damage. Check the roots to look for new growth and if there is some, you might want to fertilize the plant a bit. You can also prune back the dormant limbs in the spring to give the plant a better opportunity to push out new growth, and you will probably get all the flowers you are looking for. If you’re still not happy, you might want to replace it with something that would do better in your micro-climate like a Texas sage.

Q: I’m trying to grow a dwarf orange tree on my patio. When I bought the tree, the nursery told me to prune off all the little oranges the first year that they came out on the branches. Should I do that or can I let them grow and ripen? They have just started to appear.

A: Probably those little fruits will fall off anyway during the first year, but yes, you generally need to prune them off for the first year so that the fruit doesn’t get too heavy and start to break the branches of your plant.