DIY Window Repair and Replacement Tips Made Easy

Getting new, energy-efficient windows for your home before the icy chills of winter arrive is an excellent idea. It is also an excellent investment, as you will quickly notice a drop in your heating bills this year. There is just one problem; as the window installation technicians begin to remove your old windows, they notice something unpleasant. There are both wet an dry rot places present in the wood frames of your old windows! That is not a surprise you would ever want. The two types of rot temporarily deter the installation of your new windows. Here is how that occurs, and what the solution for your twin problem is.

Wet Rot

Wet rot happens when water is trapped around the frames of the windows. The woodwork beneath the trapped water is no longer waterproof, so the wood absorbs the water and begins to decompose. The minute the window technician pulls the old windows out, you should be able to smell a deep, wet, earthy smell. That is wet rot. 

Addressing the wet rot before installing a new window in the frame is relatively easy. All the rotten wood has to be removed and replaced. Sometimes window installers can do that for you. At other times you may have to hire a separate construction contractor to pull out the rotten boards and replace them with fresh boards. The new boards have to be painted and sealed against the elements. Then your new windows can be installed. 

Dry Rot

Of course, if you also have a problem with dry rot (and both can co-exist in the same wooden window frame), you have wood that busts to powder and smithereens the minute the heavy new windows are placed in the frames. The dry rot is more common along the top edges of the frame where gravity pulls the water away, while the wet rot gathers at the bottom and sides of the window frame. Like the wet rot, the affected parts have to be pulled out and replaced.

Time Without Windows

So, the typical time for installing a window without extra work is about thirty minutes to an hour per window, based on the size of the window and whether it is an upper or lower window. When extra work, such as dealing with wet and dry rot, is thrown into the workload, you can expect another hour or two per affected window. That is based on the skills of your window technicians. If you have to hire another contractor to address the rotten bits, you may be looking at several extra days, but it would still be a very temporary situation.

Contact a company like Innovations Siding & Windows for more information and assistance.