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I was honored to be nominated for Apartment Therapy’s Homies.  I am up against some Extremely Popular Blogs so I am just thankful to be in the mix.  My goal is to gain new readers and exposure by making the top 10-15  To do that, I need your votes. Here is what you do:

• Click on this link: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/best-home-project-diy-blog-the-homies-2013-183534
• Log into Apt. Therapy.  (if you don’t have a login you have to sign up but its like following a blog.  You just type in your name and email.  They do so many posts that they don’t send notifications or annoy you.  Your login is so you can join the discussion or enter contests.)
• Find I Love Rehabs and vote for me in the DIY Home Project Section.  You only get to vote once.

Onto the More Important Stuff….

Before we got our Energy Audit we realized that we were going to need to get new windows in this house we are renovating to sell.  All we had to do is convince the auditor to agree and we could get money from the Energy Coop to help us.  Check out how here.  We didn’t have to do any convincing.  The windows were the first on the list.  Can you see why?

We had 11 windows to replace so we knew that we could go way over our max that the Co-Op will pay, which is up to 50% with the max being $500.  $500 is $500 and it can help us buy 2.5 of the 11 windows.  Here is how we decided on what type of windows

• We chose replacement windows instead of installing a brand new window system.  This saves you money.  More on this later.
• We chose windows that did not have the trim/grate on the window.  (I don’t know the official term, but the type of trim that is on the old window) This type of trim is more expensive.  It has saved us almost another $600-$800. I like the trimmed windows but this house needs the maximum amount of light possible so it was what we were going to do no matter the cost.
• We wanted the windows to have an Energy Star rating.  When you sell a house, it is a huge selling point if people see that their utility bills won’t be that much.

Replacement Windows

Replacement windows are great because you leave the exterior trim, window stop and all you have to do is remove the interior trim.  The exterior trim and window stops are there. You probably wouldn’t ever have to do a full window installation in a remodel unless you were installing a window where one did not exist or installing a bigger window where a smaller existed.  Confused?  I got pics on how easy window replacement is. (Here is our experience, we are not experts

but hopefully seeing how we did it will help you) 

1.)  We removed the trim from the Window.  (When I say “we” it was me and a good friend on a Saturday morning…thanks Susan!)

2.)  The Hubs unscrewed the window from the interior frame. Its hard to tell but there is no window in this picture. Sorry the pic is so dark!  We had no electricity so I couldn’t turn on the light.

See this close up of the window frame.  This little lip is called the “stop”.  It keeps the window from going through the window and out…which would be a major bummer.

3.)  We unwrapped the new window and made sure it fit.  It did! (P.S. – this is a two person job.)

4.)  We took it out and caulked the interior wood frame.  This does two things:  1.)  It helps hold the window in place.  2.)  More importantly, it creates a water and airtight seal.

5.)  We put the window back into place for good and screwed it into the existing frame. (Sorry no pictures here.)  You screw in the screws and the window has little plastic nubs that cover the screw and make it look seemless.

6.)  We used expanding spray foam to spray in the gaps of the window. (The gap between the window and the exterior frame.  On the other side of the frame is insulation.  This allows a tight air and water seal that makes this window super energy-efficient.

Note:  If you are having a “drafty” problem in your house, gently pop off the trim, spray in some foam, let it dry, and put the trim back on.  This is a cheap energy-efficient update.

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One little tip for selling a home you have renovated.  Leave these little stickers on the window.  It makes an impression on the potential buyers because they see new windows and it the words “energy star” is a good selling point.

The Window is in!!!  We don’t have to do anything on the exterior trim.  It was already there.  Well, I am going to repaint it because it is super cracked and dingy.  The window is in but we are not done.

Here is what is left to do:

1. Grab a box knife and cut trim all the foam off to be level with the wall.
2. Paint the trim
3. Trim out the window
4. Caulk around the window trim (we are not messing around with air coming in.
5. Touch up the paint.

The to-do list always seems so long when I type it out!  Hope this helps you get the courage to install some new windows!

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer