Full swap is a pain, but worth it long run (unless you hate demo work).
That squirrel skeleton made me laugh—reminds me of when I demo’d my old kitchen and found a petrified mouse in the wall. Anyway, your numbers look pretty solid. I did 6 windows last fall, similar approach: full frame, $2,700 in materials, but I did all the work solo (big mistake for my back). Took way longer than I thought.
Curious—did you run into any weird surprises with your trim or siding after the swap? My exterior trim was a nightmare to patch up after yanking out the old frames.
Ha, the petrified mouse is classic. I swear, old houses are like time capsules for weird stuff. When I pulled out my dining room window, I found a stash of marbles and what looked like a 1940s lunchbox wedged behind the sill—no clue how it got there.
As for trim and siding, yeah, that was probably the worst part for me. The original builder must’ve used every nail he could find, so pulling off the exterior trim basically shredded half the boards. Ended up having to replace more than I planned, and matching the paint was a lost cause (even after three “close enough” trips to the hardware store). Inside was easier since I went with new jamb extensions and just cased everything in MDF.
Honestly, if you’re not ready for some patchwork or surprises in those layers, full swaps can really test your patience. But I still think it’s worth it—especially when you see those old drafty windows gone for good.
Honestly, if you’re not ready for some patchwork or surprises in those layers, full swaps can really test your patience. But I still think it’s worth it—especially when you see those old drafty windows gone for good.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve gotta push back a bit on the “worth it” part, especially if we’re talking about saving money. In my experience, swapping out old windows yourself only saves cash if you already have most of the tools and don’t mind living with some “character” in your trim and siding for a while.
Step-by-step, the costs add up fast:
1. Buy windows (not cheap, even mid-range)
2. Rent or buy specialty tools (oscillating saw, pry bars, caulk gun, etc.)
3. Replace unexpected damaged wood (almost always happens)
4. Paint and materials for patching
5. Your time—this job can easily eat up a whole weekend per window if things go sideways
Energy savings are real, but if you end up replacing half your trim and repainting the whole side of your house, you might not break even for years. Sometimes a good storm window or proper weatherstripping does 80% of the job for way less hassle. Just my two cents—sometimes “good enough” is actually good enough.
Sometimes a good storm window or proper weatherstripping does 80% of the job for way less hassle.
Totally hear you on that. I did a full swap on my 1950s place and yeah, the “hidden” costs were real—found rot under two sills, had to run to the store mid-project. If you’re not picky about perfect finishes, sometimes just tightening things up with weatherstripping gives you most of the comfort without the headache. That said, seeing daylight around my old frames bugged me enough to bite the bullet... but it definitely wasn’t a quick win financially.
I get it—sometimes you just can’t live with those drafts or the sight of sunlight peeking through the frame. But honestly, I keep coming back to whether it’s worth tearing everything out unless you’ve got serious rot or damage. I’ve messed around with both: weatherstripping and full window replacement. The thing nobody really talks about is how much “scope creep” happens when you start pulling old windows—suddenly you’re buying new trim, fixing hidden water damage, maybe even hiring someone for a bit if you hit something weird.
On the flip side, I did weatherstripping on my upstairs windows and it made a bigger difference than I expected for not much cash. Not perfect, but way better than before. For me, unless the frames are shot or you hate the look, tightening things up first is usually smarter money-wise. Full replacement looks nice in photos but my wallet still feels it... especially after all those unexpected trips to the hardware store.