Replacing Your Windows and Doors

Replacing dated windows and doors in your home will make a positive decorative statement as well as lowering your utility bills and helping your home become more green. When we changed out the dated brown interior doors it our home it made an instant improvement in every room of the house. The new doors, painted an off white brightened our interior spaces and the new brushed silver door knobs were a great added touch. For a low price (about $50 a door) and an afternoon of labor we took our 1980s home into the 21st century!

Replacing your windows is also something most homeowners can handle on their own. With the money saved on your utility bill the new windows can help pay for them self. New windows can greatly improve not only the interior rooms but the outside look of the home as well. If you have single-pane windows, you'll probably be happy if you replace them. Single-pane windows are one of the largest sources of heat loss in winter due to their low insulating ability and high air leakage rates. They're also a major source of unwanted heat gain in the summer. As a result, single-pane windows are responsible for 25 to 50 percent of the energy used to heat and cool homes. Newer windows also provide better UV protection and can prevent fading and home damage as well as keep your family safe from the sun’s harmful radiation.

When it comes to installing new windows, homeowners will have a huge variety of options in size and style. If you are looking to improve your home in both form and function, knowing what's out there and what can be done is a must. You'll have a lot to look at when you're out window shopping. Obviously, the easiest window replacements involve swapping an old, drafty window for a new one of the same dimensions, however, many homes can benefit from moving a little outside the box. Enhancements such as bay or picture windows can go a long way in increasing curb appeal and livening up a living area.

If you choose to replace your own windows you will need the following tools:

• A good caulking gun and plenty of caulking tubes
• A square
• Wood shims
• Tape measure
• Miter saw
• Hammer
• Strong cordless drill
• Screwdriver
• Wood chisel
• Utility knife
• Small pry bar (not the larger wrecking bar)
• Protective glasses

You need to measure windows from the inside of the house, not the outside. Run tape from one side of the window jamb to the other side of the window jamb. You will be measuring from the inside of one jamb to the inside of the opposite jamb. Because windows can warp and skew over the years, measure at bottom, middle, and top. Hopefully all measurements will be the same or within 1/4". If not, choose the smallest measurement as your "keeper."  Measure the height of the window the same way. Order your new windows using the 'keeper" measurements. Check our page on tax incentives and find out if your new windows and doors qualify for a tax credit on your income tax.