When to Replace Old Windows: 8 Simple Questions to ask Yourself

Replacing old windows definitely isn’t a decision to take lightly – here are 8 questions you should ask yourself to help you decide when to replace old windows.

 
 

So, here we are, nearly two years into our first fixer-upper (how can that be true?!). We’ve come SUCH a long way really. It makes my heart so happy to finally be seeing this old house transform into the {farmhouse} I always knew it could be! Though it’s always been so full of potential, it hasn’t always been easy to find that farmhouse style in this old house from the 70’s.

But, we all know, where there’s a will, there’s a way!

And friends, I’m telling you, I’m adding that farmhouse character and charm wherever I can!

We’ve tackled a few rooms upstairs already…

 

And honestly, they’re everything I’d hoped they would be! They really are!

Well…

Except for the fact that every single one of them has an old, dingy window from the 70’s that looks SO terribly awful and (probably more importantly) doesn’t really work like it should.

 

Case and point.
 

These dreadful windows have been the bane of my existence since I first laid eyes on them nearly two years ago.

They’re cracked, broken and SUCH a pain to open and close!

 

The screens don’t really fit properly, so we’re forever finding bugs flying around the house.

 

We can hear the whole neighbourhood even when we spend twenty minutes jimmying them as close to closed as they ever really get.

They don’t lock either because either the lock or the window frame itself is broken on every. single. one.

 

They fill with condensation all winter long, so you can’t even really see out of most of them.

And even when you can find a tiny spot in the middle that the condensation hasn’t spread to yet, the glass actually distorts whatever it is you’re trying to look at.

And of course, they’re just plain ugly.

 

Though even with all this, even though it seemed SO obvious to me that our windows should probably be replaced, it’s taken me nearly two long years of whining and complaining about it all to convince hubs that we really should do something about it all.

So, just in case y’all are finding yourself in the same boat – wondering whether you should think about replacing your old windows – here it is…
 

8 questions to ask yourself to help you decide whether to replace your old windows:

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one: Can you see clearly through them?

I mean really, a window’s number one job is to let light in and of course, to let you see out. Do your windows fill with condensation? Have cracks? Do they distort whatever it is you’re looking at? If you can’t actually see through them, what’s the point?
 
 

two: Do they open?

If a window’s number one job is to let you see through it, it’s number two job would be to let some fresh air in. Do your windows even open (and I’m not talking about pulling it open with two hands and all your might!)?
 
 

three: Do they close?

Right in line with that last question, anything that opens, needs to of course close. Windows should close so tightly that no air is able to get in our out, no rain, no bugs and certainly, no body. Do yours?
 
 

four: Do they require maintenance?

Because, who really wants to spend days painting their window frames and trim?
 
 

five: Do they keep the bugs out?

We talked about this a bit when I mentioned the importance of a tight seal, but what about when your windows are open – are those screens doing their job to keep the bugs and critters out?
 
 

six: Are they letting air flow in or out, even when they’re closed tightly?

Because that shouldn’t happen. Old, drafty windows are certainly a nuisance, but more importantly, they’re incredibly inefficient and wasteful.
 
 

seven: Can you hear the whole neighbourhood right through them?

I’m talking even when they’re closed – can you hear a leaf drop onto the lawn across the street? By the way, you might want to keep in mind that this is a two way street my friends.
 
 

eight: Do they look good?

Are they adding to the look and value of your home? Or are they showing the age and state of disrepair that your home looks to be in? What kind of impression are yours making?
 
 

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I’ll tell you, this list was pretty darn easy to come up with after living with enduring these old windows for so long. It just so happens that ours ticked off each and every one of these boxes and then some (we even found some mould growing on the outside of the big picture window in our living room!).

 
 

But not to worry my friends, we’ve got a plan!

We’ve teamed up with an amazing window company and are FINALLY ready to kick these awful windows to the curb!!! And even better, we’ll be bringing you along through each and every step of the process, from choosing the right windows to our DIY install (that’s right, you didn’t think we’d let someone else have all that fun, did you?!).

Replacing all the windows in our home was a big decision, one that we’ve been thinking about for ages now. It’s a big commitment and, let’s face it, not exactly inexpensive. Like so many of the projects we’ve taken on, we really had no clue what we were getting into, but we’ve done our research friends, and we’ve teamed up with the very best window manufacturer (available all across Canada and the Eastern US through Kohltech) to walk us through it all.

Friends, I know this is going to be so HUGE for us! Not only will we have windows that function better for our family (or at all really), but the decorator in me is even more excited about the difference this is going to make to the look (and value) of our home! I can’t wait to walk this journey with McLeod Windows & Doors and of course, take y’all along every step of the way!

 
HUGE thanks to McLeod Windows & Doors for sponsoring this post and making it so darn easy to recommend their incredible products and service!

Wishing you SUCH a lovely day!