2021 window update

 At one point, I said I wasn't going to do it. Then I did.

What, pray tell?

Install "replacement" windows.

In several rooms of the house (kitchen, guest room, TV room), we wanted to make further improvements in energy efficiency and functionality. The sashes I made for the kitchen never quite worked right and leaked air quite a bit

So I went off to Menards, in search of a solution. Jeld Wen offers a "sash replacement" kit that is a quick install and uses the existing window frame. I ordered six windows, special for this application, on June 18. They arrived in store right on time, July 11. So much for building material delays?

Hauled them home in the back of the station wagon. Again, amazed what can fit in a VW Golf SportWagen, and also disappointed it's discontinued in the US. It's my truck!

While Ms. K was at work last weekend, I set out to install the new windows. The process was pretty simple:

1. Remove trim
2. Remove old sashes and sash weights
3. Fill sash weight cavity with expanding foam insulation
4. Install mounting hardware
5. Install new sashes
6. Reinstall trim

Over the course of about 8 hours on Saturday, I installed 5 of the 6 windows we ordered:

Trim and sashes removed:

Foam insulation filling cavity:

Mounting hardware installed:

Sashes installed!

Final clean-up to do: re-caulk the trim and touch up paint. So far, we are happy with the results. A little sad to see the old windows go away, but quite thrilled to see the improvement in air sealing. Already, so much less humid air leaks in. The double-pane glass is very quiet and keeps a lot of noise outside.

We only have six more days of projects and then the August moratorium on home projects kicks in. The moratorium exists to ensure we enjoy summer in Wisconsin.