How to Buy Windows for a House
Replacing all the windows in your home at once is an opportunity to give the structure the look you've always wanted, providing a transformation that almost nothing else will. Approach it as a total project rather than a series of window replacements, keeping in mind the look and functionality you're seeking. Don't assume you can just measure the opening of one window and use those numbers to buy all the windows for the other openings that appear to match. Houses move over time, and even a 1/4-inch problem when installing a new window could force you to re-order it. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Consider the style you want, based on the style of your house. Cold-weather homes should have double-insulated glass in the windows. In warmer climates, you can save some money by going with simpler single-pane. Decide whether you want mullions (those cross-hatch frames within frames). The added cost may be worth it if your home is older and you're going for a classic look, but for a modern-style home they're unnecessary and may even look out of place.
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Count up your windows, dividing them into categories based on where they are and how they will be used. First-floor windows can be single-hung (meaning, the bottom sash moves while the top is stationary). Upper floors should have double-hung windows in which both sashes move and tilt inward for cleaning, preventing you from having to climb a ladder to clean them. For windows over kitchen sinks and other areas where you'll have to reach forward over an obstacle to open them, consider casement windows, which open sideways with the turn of a crank, so you're not struggling to get leverage under a sash to open it.
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Measure each of your current window openings, starting with the width. Find the widest span on the inside of the window frame, which for old-style loose-sash windows will be in the wood track that holds the sashes. Take horizontal measurements from the top, bottom and middle of the window. Pick the shortest of the three measurements, then subtract 1/4 inch to get the width you need for the new window.
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Measure the heights of the old windows the same way, taking three measurements, picking the smallest and subtracting 1/4 inch to get the height you need. Do not take the measurement from the interior window sill; take the measurement to the lower frame, behind the sill.
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Order all your windows by the width and height measurements you obtained, grouping them by style. Don't remove your old windows until your new ones arrive and you've measured each one to ensure it's the correct fit for the opening.
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