We were so excited our daughter tried out and made the local travel softball team. She was one of twelve girls picked out of thirty five that were trying out. This was all the start of my search for replacement windows for my home. I know it wasn’t totally their fault but of course a ball went right through the window in our bedroom. My husband had taken her outside to throw around and then decided it would be a great idea to practice hitting. They did everything right. She was pointed away from the house, our son was playing catcher and the ball was being pitched in by my husband. As soon as the ball was released my husband said he knew there was no way our son was going to get it or she would hit it and bam the window caught it. I was upset to say the least.
We had been saving, thankfully, for replacement windows in the future so the expense was not an issue. We considered replacing just the one window but then quickly realized that would look very odd given we were going to buy wood windows to replace the vinyl ones that existed. To buy just one vinyl window to tide us over for a year until we had planned to make the purchase now seemed silly. We had been saving a while knowing that the wood windows of our dreams would cost more than the original vinyl windows. Our budget was set based on the amount of money we had saved to date so that battle was already settled upon.
The timing of the accident could not have been more perfect. The fall weather provided us a perfect time of year to replace the windows. It was not to hot where we were in need of the air on and windows shut or too cold for the heat to need to be on. We did not have to rush the installers along because the weather was great. I would suggest thinking wisely about replacing windows in the winter.
Per a referral from a friend we were able to find an installer/vendor that was reliable and trust worthy. Word of mouth is really the best way to go when looking for someone to complete any home renovation project. Otherwise you really need to trust your gut. The lowest price, the quickest turn around and location are not always the best criteria to base home improvement projects on.
We knew we wanted wood windows so the vendor was able to narrow are choices down significantly based on this. With vinyl windows you will not only need to find a style but also a color that works well with your home. We had decided that double hung and casement windows best fit our home. For the larger windows on the second floor we choose casement windows that open out overlooking the river. When you open them it truly feels like you are letting the whole world in and give the rooms a very romantic feel. Double hung worked well for the rest of the house because they were able to be opened from the top or bottom. I liked this option for the lower level because at night the windows could be left open but were not exactly easily accessible to outside visitors.
The replacement windows are a terrific addition to our home. It was the right amount of renovation for our home to make it feel bigger, more energy efficient and beautiful again. I don’t allow them to play softball in the back yard anymore because it is not where I am interested in putting more money into our home.