If you have never done this before, here is the whole process in plain language, start to finish.
A replacement window is a new unit fitted into an opening that already exists in your house. The alternative, a new-construction window, is installed into a framed opening before the exterior is finished. Most homeowner projects in Chicago are replacements.
Each opening is measured individually. Older homes are rarely square, so the numbers differ window to window even when they look identical.
The old sash and, where needed, the frame come out. Surfaces and floors are protected first, and the opening is checked for rot or water damage.
The new unit is set, shimmed level and plumb, and fastened so it opens and closes properly rather than just sitting in the hole.
The gap around the unit is insulated and the exterior sealed against water and air. This step is where most performance is won or lost.
Interior and exterior trim is finished, the room is cleaned, and the old units are hauled away.
Worn hardware, failed balances, a broken single pane in a sound frame, or tired weatherstripping are often repairs. Replacement makes more sense when the frame itself has failed, the sealed glass has fogged, water is getting in, or several windows in the house are all at the end of their lives at once.
Who does the installation, employees or subcontractors? Is the price in writing before work starts? What happens if the crew finds rot inside the opening? Who removes the old windows? Clear answers to those four questions tell you most of what you need to know.
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