You don’t have to wait until spring to install new windows in your home.
As a matter of fact, there are a number of advantages to having new installed even during the winter.
At this time of year, qualified installers are more readily available. Also, waiting time for windows is much shorter, because window factories are not as busy. They can supply windows much quicker than during the warm weather building season.
But what about the cold? An experienced and qualified installation crew can replace all the windows without any discomfort or problems in the home.
Once the windows are delivered to your home, an experienced installer will check all the measurements to make sure of the fit before starting to remove the existing windows.
The installer should ensure that he has all the required materials on hand, such as insulation, caulking compound, weather-sealing gaskets and required trim or casing.
The next step is to get the existing window ready for removal. To install a new window complete with a full new frame, the first step is to remove the interior casing or trim from around the window. The insulation around the existing window frame is removed and the nails or fasteners that hold the window into the wall are cut, usually with a hack saw.
The exterior trim, or “brick mould,” may have to be removed if it has been nailed to the house framing as well as to the window.
The old window in now ready for removal to install the new one; a procedure that should not take more than two hours if it’s two or three windows, or as little as thirty minutes if it is only one window. The home should not cool down any more than when you bring in your groceries after a major shopping trip.
It’s not a good idea to replace windows on an extremely cold day with high winds.
If, for some reason, an installation requires work done to the opening after the old window has been removed and before the new one can be installed, temporary heavy polyethylene plastic can be draped over the outside of the window opening, or a simple wood frame can be constructed and covered with a heavy tarp, making it warmer for the installer and preventing excess heat loss from your home.
In some cases, the existing window frame does not have to be removed. The new window can be installed right inside the existing frame.
This type of window has a narrow frame manufactured for this installation. To facilitate the installation, the installer removes the sash and other parts that hold the sash in place. This may take longer than removing the entire window and frame. For this procedure, draping the opening would definitely be required.
Besides the advantages already mentioned, you will also realize some energy savings, especially if you have installed top-quality, energy-efficient windows.