Replacing Doors & Windows
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Replacing Doors & Windows |
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 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!Replace a worn, drafty front door with a stylish new energy-efficient one. Replacement doors come pre-hung in a weatherstripped frame and you don't have to be a master carpenter to do a first-class job. If you can handle basic carpentry tasks, you'll have no trouble installing a new prehung door in a day. Figure on another day to finish the details and start painting the door. You can complete most of the job with basic hand tools. You'll need a hammer, pry bar, tape measure, level, utility knife, nail set and saw. If you decide to install new interior trim, you’ll also need a miter saw. 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:
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.
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