Installing Home Replacement Windows: A Do It Yourself Job?

Home replacement windows offer homeowners many benefits. From energy efficiency to an improved appearance, sound buffering to impact resistance, UV protection and more, there’s a ever-expanding list of benefits affiliated with home replacement windows. However, these benefits come with a price: replacement windows can set a homeowner back a pretty penny.

One way homeowners can save money on home replacement window installation is to do the installation themselves. Labor costs make up a great deal of any home window replacement project, which makes many homeowners wonder: Do I really need a pro?

The answer depends on large part on you. Some homeowners can install home replacement windows themselves, while others are far better off leaving the job to the pros. Here’s how to determine if you should go it alone or contact a contractor:

Assess Your Skills

Ask yourself honestly, how handy are you? If you’ve never built anything outside of high school shop class — and that was fifteen years ago! — then you might want think twice about installing your home replacement windows. To realize the maximum benefit from your home replacement windows — the energy efficiency, the improved appearance, and more — they need to be installed properly. If you’ve done enough home improvement projects that you feel confident in your skills, then you may be able to ensure that your home replacement windows are installed properly. But if you have the least question or the slightest doubt about your skill level, professional assistance would be a good idea

Consider The Weight

Home replacement windows — especially larger, custom home replacement windows — are very heavy. Do you have the ability to move these home replacement windows, which can weigh upwards of one hundred pounds? Can you lift them up into place for installation?

If you have a group of strong people who can assist you install the home replacement windows, then you may be able to do home replacement window installation yourself. However, if you’re on your own or know that moving heavy windows would present a serious challenge, calling on the pros is the best bet.

Talk about Time

Anytime you do something new, it takes a little while to learn what you’re doing. That’s human nature. Installing a home replacement window, especially the first one, can take some time. Professionals, who install vinyl replacement windows and fiberglass replacement windows hundreds of times each year, can do so quickly and efficiently. They’ve eliminated the learning curve through practice. If you want to minimize the amount of time your household is disrupted by having the home replacement windows installed, you’ll want to go with a pro.

There are other factors to consider, of course, but skills, weight and time are the three most critical components to take into account when deciding to install your home replacement windows yourself or call in a professional home replacement window installer. The money saved when shouldering the labor yourself will not seem so great if you damage a window during installation or do a poor job fitting the window in place. Make sure that you’re equipped to do the job if you decide to go it alone.