Many homeowners have the misconception that windows and doors cannot be, or shouldn’t be replaced in the winter. It makes sense. It’s cold, my windows are there to keep the cold out… so why on earth would I rip holes in my house?!? So, they end up holding off on their project (once again). The fear of sub-zero temperatures is real, and flashes of the Dumb & Dumber frozen scene may flash into your mind… Stop it! We’re in and out in a few hours to a day and we do everything we can to keep your home as toasty as Pop-Tart.
With a little extra planning and preparation, any window or door replacement is a cinch in cold weather. The quality of the installation is just as precise, and the installers have the extra advantage to double-check the seal for any leaks. Think about it, when you replace your windows in the winter months you have instant gratification and you’ll know the installation is solid right away.
Generally in the winter months, the installation process will take a little bit longer, we’re talking an hour here, not days. That’s because our installers will take extra time and care to seal all rooms with a plastic barrier to keep the cold air from traveling throughout the rest of the house. Your own tundra bubble, if you will.
The whole process from that point goes fairly quickly. The new windows and doors are all prepped for the installation prior to the old ones being removed. Rooms are sealed. Then the old window or door is taken out to expose the rough opening. The opening will usually be exposed to the elements for only 20-30 minutes while the flashing tape is applied. Any additional modifications are made- such as replacing any wood rot or altering the size of the opening. Then the window is placed into the opening, leveled and secured. Finally, the window will be insulated with expanding foam from the inside and flashing tape will be installed to secure and seal the exterior seams.
If there are multiple windows/doors involved, the installation will be done one opening at a time to reduce leakage of the home’s warm air. We follow the same process in hot summer months to keep your home cool as well.
Typically exterior painting is involved, such as the new brickmould, SmartTrim or cedar trim. Unfortunately applying exterior paint in the cold will result in a poor application and issues in the future, so we avoid using band-aids and wait for a nice day to come back and get you that curb appeal you were excited about. In the meantime, we always use materials that will stand up to the cold winter weather on their own without the need for paint. PVC brickmould and SmartTrim are great options- because they are specifically manufactured to resist water so you never have to worry about wood rot. Even raw cedar is resilient enough to make it through a winter season exposed (sounds terrible to me – more power to you Cedar!).
