Windows · Replacement
Window replacement, insert or full-frame
There are two ways to replace a window, and the right one depends on the condition of the frame. We check before we quote, because an insert in a rotted frame is money wasted.
Insert vs. full-frame
Insert replacement
A new unit set inside your existing frame. Faster, less disruptive, keeps interior and exterior trim intact. The right call when the frame is sound, square, and dry, which is common in houses that have been maintained.
Full-frame replacement
The opening comes back to the rough framing: new flashing, new sill pan, new unit, new trim. More work, and the only honest option when there is rot, racking, or decades-old flashing that was never right.
We probe every sill and check every frame for square before we quote, then mark the method per opening in the written spec. A house often needs both: inserts on the leeward side, full-frame on the two walls that take the weather.
What the installation includes
- Sill pans and back dams on full-frame work, so any water that gets in gets back out
- Flashing tape sequenced shingle-style with the housewrap — order of operations is everything
- Low-expansion foam and backer rod at the perimeter; no stuffed fiberglass shortcuts
- Egress sizing checked on bedroom windows while we are specifying, not after
- Interior stops and exterior trim finished to match what the house already has
Signs it is time
- Fog between the panes — the seal is gone and the insulating gas with it
- Sashes that will not stay up, or need a book to hold them open
- Soft spots in the sill you can press a thumbnail into
- Curtains that move on a windy day with the window shut
One or two of these can sometimes be repaired instead. Start at the windows overview for the full picture of what we install.
Get a window count and a straight quote
We price per opening with the installation method spelled out for each one, with no single mystery number for the whole house.
Or reach us directly: (203) 555-0184 · hello@harborlineexteriors.com