Last weekend I finally decided to tackle replacing a couple of old windows in my house. Watched a bunch of YouTube vids, felt pretty confident, you know? But man, halfway through I was seriously questioning my life choices. Took way longer than expected, and getting everything level was a nightmare. Turned out decent in the end, but I'm still not sure I'd do it again. Has anyone else tried installing their own windows? Curious if your experience was smoother than mine...
I tackled window installation myself a few years back, and your post brought back some vivid flashbacks... let's just say my confidence evaporated about 20 minutes in. The leveling was indeed a special kind of torture—spent more time adjusting shims than actually installing the windows. Eventually got it right, but I distinctly remember muttering something about paying professionals next time. Still, there's a certain pride in surviving DIY projects, isn't there? Glad yours turned out decent in the end.
Reading this gave me flashbacks too... leveling windows is definitely a patience-tester. But honestly, even though DIY can feel like a hassle, there's something satisfying about knowing exactly how the job was done. Plus, you probably paid more attention to sealing and insulation details than some pros might. So yeah, frustrating? Sure. But your energy bills might thank you later—and that's a win in my book.
Reading your post reminded me of my first DIY window install—spent half the day just figuring out shims and leveling, haha. But you're right, knowing it's done properly feels great. Curious though, did you run into any surprises behind the old windows?
Yeah, leveling was definitely the trickiest part for me too. A couple things I learned from my own install:
- Always have extra shims handy—ran out halfway through, had to improvise.
- Found some unexpected rot behind one frame, ended up replacing part of the sill.
- Felt pretty accomplished afterward, but it's not something I'd rush to do again anytime soon...
Leveling can definitely be a headache, especially if you're dealing with older homes. One thing I'd add—it's worth investing in a decent laser level if you haven't already. Makes the whole process smoother and more precise, especially when you're working solo. And yeah, rot behind frames is surprisingly common...always good to budget extra time (and patience) for those unexpected repairs. Sounds like you handled it well though, nice job.
Good tip on the laser level—definitely makes solo installs easier. One thing I'd add: if you're dealing with rot, did you end up treating or sealing the surrounding wood afterward? I've seen mixed opinions on best practices there...
Good call on the rot issue—definitely don't skip treating it. I've had decent luck using wood hardener first, then sealing it up. Opinions vary, but doing nothing usually means revisiting the job sooner than you'd like...
Wood hardener's decent, but honestly, if the rot's extensive, you're better off cutting it out and patching fresh wood. Learned that the hard way—thought I'd fixed it, but ended up redoing everything two years later...
I had a similar experience a few years back when I tackled window replacements on an older home. Initially, I thought wood hardener would be sufficient for some minor rot around the frames, but after pulling things apart, the damage was way more extensive than it appeared on the surface. Ended up having to cut out entire sections and splice in fresh lumber with epoxy filler to stabilize everything properly. Honestly, it was a bit of a headache at first—especially getting the new wood to blend seamlessly with the old—but the results were worth it in the long run.
One thing I've learned from these DIY adventures is that rot often goes deeper than you think, and quick fixes rarely hold up over time. Curious though, did you find any hidden surprises once you started removing the damaged wood? Seems like every older house has its own unique set of challenges lurking beneath the surface...