Replacing windows questions (and some other DIY brags)

[RMD]

Modified title (Thanks for the suggestion, Cromacster!)

My mom came to visit.  When she's here we think we are invincible!  :)

I installed a light fixture (bought at JCP Outlet going out of business sale for $12!  It was $134!) in my dining room.  My husband was surprised when he came home!

Then, somehow, on Saturday we went from pulling weeds along the driveway to getting out the chainsaw and removing a dead cherry tree. 

Soooo, my mom has headed home and I don't want to lose DIY steam.  Our house is around 45-50 years old.  Windows are original to the house.  I want to replace them...and am thinking about doing the small one in the bathroomon the first floor.  It sounds like a good place to start...small, easily accessible.  I've looked at various videos on line and am thinking about giving this a try this next weekend.  Can anyone provided personal experience?  Was it easy?  Hard?  What was the most difficult part?  What would you do differently?

[Dr.Vibrissae]

I'm also interested in how difficult/not difficult this would be.  The windows in my house are the suck, and I' curious about trying to replace them myself (starting with a small weird one in the bathroom,) but am leery lest it be beyond my skill level at the moment.

[RMD]

All the videos make it look so easy...which makes me nervous.  I haven't seen one where anyone talked about issues they've run into.  Can it really be *that* easy?

[Daleth]

My mom came to visit.  When she's here we think we are invincible!  :)

I installed a light fixture (bought at JCP Outlet going out of business sale for $12!  It was $134!) in my dining room.  My husband was surprised when he came home!

Then, somehow, on Saturday we went from pulling weeds along the driveway to getting out the chainsaw and removing a dead cherry tree. 

Soooo, my mom has headed home and I don't want to lose DIY steam.  Our house is around 45-50 years old.  Windows are original to the house.  I want to replace them...and am thinking about doing the small one in the bathroomon the first floor.  It sounds like a good place to start...small, easily accessible.  I've looked at various videos on line and am thinking about giving this a try this next weekend.  Can anyone provided personal experience?  Was it easy?  Hard?  What was the most difficult part?  What would you do differently?

Congratz on your DIY roll!

Before you rip out windows and buy new ones (which are NOT CHEAP), have you considered new storm windows? I don't mean the kind you put on and take off each year, I mean the kind that work like normal windows--you can raise and lower them, they have screens, etc. High-quality modern storm windows cost maybe 1/4 to 1/5 as much as new windows, are much easier to DIY, and assuming you get low-e glass (which is maybe $20 extra per window) they save you just a hair less on energy costs than excellently installed new double-pane windows would.

A few examples:
http://www.larsondoors.com/storm_windows/products/gold_series/
http://gwtrapp.com/storm-windows.html
http://www.proviaproducts.com/products/aluminum-storm-windows#!/town-and-country

[Cromacster]

I do not have experience with windows, but I am interested to see the responses.

I have done exterior doors before.  Does anyone know how much of a skill level difference a window is from a door?

My suggestion would be to change the title of the thread (or start a new one if it can't be changed).  You wanted to share some DIY you accomplished, great! good job!  But if you actually want your question answered (the actual meat of the post if you will) your title is way to generic to get any real amount of traffic.  Just my 2 cents.

[mpbaker22]

Modified title (Thanks for the suggestion, Cromacster!)

My mom came to visit.  When she's here we think we are invincible!  :)

I installed a light fixture (bought at JCP Outlet going out of business sale for $12!  It was $134!) in my dining room.  My husband was surprised when he came home!

Then, somehow, on Saturday we went from pulling weeds along the driveway to getting out the chainsaw and removing a dead cherry tree. 

Soooo, my mom has headed home and I don't want to lose DIY steam.  Our house is around 45-50 years old.  Windows are original to the house.  I want to replace them...and am thinking about doing the small one in the bathroomon the first floor.  It sounds like a good place to start...small, easily accessible.  I've looked at various videos on line and am thinking about giving this a try this next weekend.  Can anyone provided personal experience?  Was it easy?  Hard?  What was the most difficult part?  What would you do differently?

Why are you replacing them?  Are they in good condition?  Are they wood windows?  Do they have storm windows?

If yes to the three questions, replacing probably isn't worth a whole lot.

[tooqk4u22]

I do not have experience with windows, but I am interested to see the responses.

I have done exterior doors before.  Does anyone know how much of a skill level difference a window is from a door?

My suggestion would be to change the title of the thread (or start a new one if it can't be changed).  You wanted to share some DIY you accomplished, great! good job!  But if you actually want your question answered (the actual meat of the post if you will) your title is way to generic to get any real amount of traffic.  Just my 2 cents.

Replacement windows are fairly easy - typical size window can be done in about 20 minutes - double that if you have no experience with basic knowledge. 

If you can do a door then you can do a window.

[lauren_knows]

My mom came to visit.  When she's here we think we are invincible!  :)

I installed a light fixture (bought at JCP Outlet going out of business sale for $12!  It was $134!) in my dining room.  My husband was surprised when he came home!

Then, somehow, on Saturday we went from pulling weeds along the driveway to getting out the chainsaw and removing a dead cherry tree. 

Soooo, my mom has headed home and I don't want to lose DIY steam.  Our house is around 45-50 years old.  Windows are original to the house.  I want to replace them...and am thinking about doing the small one in the bathroomon the first floor.  It sounds like a good place to start...small, easily accessible.  I've looked at various videos on line and am thinking about giving this a try this next weekend.  Can anyone provided personal experience?  Was it easy?  Hard?  What was the most difficult part?  What would you do differently?

Congratz on your DIY roll!

Before you rip out windows and buy new ones (which are NOT CHEAP), have you considered new storm windows? I don't mean the kind you put on and take off each year, I mean the kind that work like normal windows--you can raise and lower them, they have screens, etc. High-quality modern storm windows cost maybe 1/4 to 1/5 as much as new windows, are much easier to DIY, and assuming you get low-e glass (which is maybe $20 extra per window) they save you just a hair less on energy costs than excellently installed new double-pane windows would.

A few examples:
http://www.larsondoors.com/storm_windows/products/gold_series/
http://gwtrapp.com/storm-windows.html
http://www.proviaproducts.com/products/aluminum-storm-windows#!/town-and-country

We have 45+yr old original windows with storm windows on them.  We've considered replacing the windows in the past, but we're probably only going to be in the home 2-3 more years, so we nixed the idea.

Is replacing the current storm windows easy and/or worth it? Would I see a big improvement in heat retention?  In the winter, it's pretty cold by the windows.

[RMD]

Our storms are in terrible shape...so I might be able to get away with only replacing those.  I hadn't thought of that as an option.

Will replacing storms impact noise level?  We are near a hospital and highway (not *right* next to, but near) and I was thinking that new windows might help with muffling sound in addition to helping with energy costs.  Any thoughts on that, too?

[bandito]

I have installed new doors and frames.  Even redid the rough opening to suit a new door sizes. I figure there is more to a door than a window. Plumb, square, level or the door will never shut.  I am planning to do my windows myself which will be soon.  When I did my doors the first was hardest.  Had to install it twice before I got it right.  After that the next doors were a piece of cake.  I even re-framed some of the interior door openings so they would swing to a different wall. Just make sure you have the day off, start early, check the weather for the day and make sure it's on a day when the local building supply store is in case you need something.  I haven't measured my windows yet but once I get the sizes I was going to stop by the local Habitat for Humanity periodically can pick the windows as I find them.

[Daleth]

Our storms are in terrible shape...so I might be able to get away with only replacing those.  I hadn't thought of that as an option.

Will replacing storms impact noise level?  We are near a hospital and highway (not *right* next to, but near) and I was thinking that new windows might help with muffling sound in addition to helping with energy costs.  Any thoughts on that, too?

Storms will do that too. Either way what you're getting is an extra layer of material and trapped (windows) or semi-trapped (storms) air between you and the outside world. That's giving you insulation against temperature fluctuations and sound. You may also want to check the insulation and caulking around your windows, both inside and out--that'll help both in terms of energy and in terms of noise.

[chasesfish]

If you're a costco member, go get a quote and see what your starting point is.  I love mine and they did a great job.