Have you ever listened to Car Talk on public radio? One of my secret desires is to host a radio program on home repairs. I have a buddy Dave, who I affectionally call “Piglet”, (and a host of other names I’d better not mention) who loves to banter with me when we talk . I suggested our bantering would make for a great call in radio show. Occassionally I take him with me when I have a replacement window job to do on a Saturday. I am a second generation carpenter. We live in a 100 yr old farm house. We bought it in 1995. The siding on the house looked like this:
It hadn’t been painted in 50 years. My initial thought when I first saw it was ”NO WAY”. After my initial shock, I discovered the foundation and structure of the house were solid. It just needed some TLC. We eventually replaced the windows, added additional insulation on the walls and in the attic, replaced the old front porch with a new concrete porch and 2nd floor deck.
Some friends of ours several years ago had replacement windows installed in their house. They paid twice as much as they should have, because they didn’t know what they were doing.
Here are a few things to keep in mind if you are thinking about upgrading the windows in your home:
#1 Always get 3 estimates. I would encourage you to talk with the local lumberyard and ask the manager for references. They have a sense of who is “trustable” and who to avoid.
#2 Replacement windows (not to be confused with new construction windows) are the way to go, unless you need to change the size. Replacement windows are custom made to fit. Replacement windows are priced by “united inches”. In addition, many manufacturers offer upgraded features. As a bare minimum, make sure your windows have low e-glass and argon gas.
#3 Where we live, a basic window installed will cost you from $275-$400 each. This does not include wrapping the exterior wood on the house with metal.
#4 If your windows have moisture condensation on them, often times it’s not the window, its’ the humidity level in your home. New homes are often times so “tight” they don’t have enough air movement. Sometimes its as simple as cracking a window, turning on a ceiling fan, or if you have a forced air furnace, you may need to invest in an air exchanger.
Drop me a note if you have specfic question you’d like me to tackle.
