How to Tell if it’s Time to Replace your House Windows

Guest Blogger #296, Entry #834, December 14, 2011

There are many exciting projects to do when you’re remodeling your home. When you think about home improvement the first things that come to mind are usually curb appeal, kitchen renovations, and bathroom remodels. Windows just don’t float to the top of the list.I encourage you to make them more of a priority instead of putting them on the back burner until your fun remodeling projects are over.

Is it time for new windows?

Image via: Mackenzie Horan

How To Tell If You Need To Replace Your Windows Now

• When you sit next to your windows is the air around them noticeably cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer?
• If you place your hand on the interior glass, is the glass cold in the winter and warm in the summer?
• Turn off the lights and slowly move a candle around the perimeter of the window. If the dances than you’ve got a draft problem.
• Do your windows get stuck in the open or closed position?
• Is there any broken glass or trim on the inside or the outside? Rotten trim can be hidden under paint.If any answered yes to any of these than you more than likely need to replace your windows.

Which Windows To Choose

There are lot’s of different brands of windows to choose from. Some of the most popular, as well as expensive, are Pella, Marvin, and Anderson windows. You don’t need to buy the most expensive windows that money can buy in order to get a quality product. Check out brands like Eagle, Bonneville, and the 200 series from Anderson. You’ll find that these brands are very competitively priced and that the windows are very high quality.

What type of window should you replace yours with?

Image via: Cocokelley

Working On A Limited Budget?

There are some very inexpensive window brands that can be bought from stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s. If your budget is a major stumbling block and you need new windows very badly, I would recommend these windows. They will be a huge improvement over your current windows and it’s likely that you will never have a problem with these windows.

They are not the greatest quality, but when you consider what you are paying for them and the huge improvement they will be over your current windows, they are likely worth the expense.

Are replacing windows worth the expense?

Image via: Jeffers Design Group

Hire A Contractor Or Do It Yourself?

If all goes well, replacement windows are very easy to install. But how often does everything go perfectly according to plan?

I always hire a contractor for these types of jobs. It’s not worth the headache and the hassle that comes along with a medium sized home improvement project like this one.

Before doing the work yourself, get a few quotes from local contractors. They can usually replace a house full of windows in a day and the peace of mind is often well worth the price.

The author of this article, Scott Jenkins, has decades of experience remodeling homes. Some of his favorite products to introduce to his clients are silestone countertops and cambria countertops. Both are countertop options for a kitchen remodel.

For more Remodeling ideas on Stagetecture, click here.