DIY Tips For Stay-At-Home Moms: Small Window Installation Projects

Say you’re a practical mom who just loves Do-It-Yourself (DIY) projects. All of a sudden, your windows need immediate repair. What do you do? The DIY guru in you will most probably look up for solutions and do them yourself. That’s perfectly fine, but consulting a professional also don’t hurt – It’s never too late or too soon.

But if you’re really up for a DIY project, then you came to the right place. The first step? It’s to have these checked before diving into the deed:

1.     Rule of Thumb – Be accurate!

Be very accurate with your window measurements. Don’t just rely on your guts; the tape measure is your ally. Accuracy saves time, money and effort. When measuring, use the smallest units possible (centimeters with millimeters is the best) for the best fit.

Local window installers would measure each side three times (Yes, three times!) to get the most accurate measurement from one end, the middle part, and the other end. Then choose the shortest measurement of the three. Do this and you’ll get the best fit for your frame.

2.     Figure out what type of replacement you’re doing

There are different styles of windows, and there are also different kind of replacements. There are three, if you didn’t know that already – sash kits, full-frames and insert replacements.

Sash replacements attach new parts to your window (like the jamb and the sill), while the insert replacement has a set of fully-assembled windows, ready to be installed.

The full frame is like the insert, except that it includes the frame itself; in short, it’s the whole package, a total renovation of your window, sill and frame.

All three could be easily installed and it just depends on what you want. Don’t forget to consult your budget, too, as these replacement windows don’t necessarily come cheap. Choose wisely, and pick up the instructions from there.

3.     Quality-check your materials

Always check the quality of your replacement windows. Cheap is cheap, no arguing that. And as with everything, you always get what you paid for!

It’s best to be in showrooms and get a good feel comparing the materials and products. Trusted Window installers in your local area offers information on the materials they have so you know exactly what you’re getting. When talking to contractors here are some stuff to inquire about: warranties, operation, glass selection and even the time it will take you to clean them.

4.     Take this time to clean!

Hit two birds with one stone! After removing your old windows (with or without frame), clean the area thoroughly the jambs and the sill. You will also notice that the jambs and sills could have some holes in them, so make sure you fill them up before you install. If you’re removing the entire frame, then check for holes as well.

5.     Go green!

Since there are different styles of windows, pick the one that’s eco-friendly. It helps maintaining room temperature and reducing noise levels.

You could also use recycled materials for your windows, some used windows for a classic, ancient effect, or windows made of environment-friendly materials.

6.     Take your time

It takes a bit of elbow grease and a lot of patience to pull this off. Momma knows this best! But to play devil’s advocate – it only takes a millimeter of overlapping to ruin a day’s work. When you try to just slug it out, most of the time, you’ll end up redoing the entire thing over again. But then again, perfect isn’t gonna take you any further either.

7.     Dry fit!

No, these aren’t clothes we’re talking about. But like your Friday jeans, you wear it and you know it! So dry fit your window before attaching it completely. This will help in case your measurements were a little off and there are some fitting issues.

Also check the mechanism:

• Does it open properly?
• Does it close properly?
• Does it make weird noises?
• Is it sealed when closed?
• Are the hinges tight enough?
• What about the edges, are they well fitted?

If you’re happy with it, then you get to…

8.     Paint and Finish

Don’t like the old color? Then go crazy and paint! But before you do so, check if you left any nail or screw holes you need to fill up. Once you’ve done that, you can proceed with painting your new windows – Now is the time to be creative!

Ideally you’d want to save money hiring people but for major window replacement projects, it’s best to hire a local window contractor for the job. Oh and one last thing… Make sure you go over your state’s building code and what not to do with your windows!

 

Article written by Vitaliy Volyanskiy