You’ve decided to replace your windows, you’ve done your research, you’ve picked them out, you’ve planned and paid. And the day is almost here: window installation day! You’re looking forward to improved comfort, decreased drafts and improved energy efficiency. But before you can get to all of those benefits, you need to plan and prepare for installation day.
Communicate
Speak again with your window installation company a few days to a week before your installation. Confirm the dates, clarify the timeline. Find out when they plan to arrive, how long they expect the installation to take, and what preparation they would like you to do before their arrival. This is a good time to discuss anything that could get in the way of the installation — severe weather, extreme cold, high winds can all cause window installation to be rescheduled. A few days out from W-Day (window day) you should have an idea of what the weather will be like and you can plan accordingly.
Clear
Clear the area around your new windows. Move furniture, remove blinds, relocate drapes and curtains. Make sure that anything precious or fragile that can be moved out of the way is moved to a safe location away from the installation area.
Cover
Anything that can’t be moved out of the way of the windows should be covered or protected. Accidents happen, and you don’t want any of your furniture or other important belongings to get damaged in the process of installing your new windows.
Outside, Too
Clearing and covering items doesn’t just go for the interior of you home — move any plants, decorative items, benches, etc. in the vicinity of your windows to another location so they aren’t in the way of the installers when they arrive to do their work.
Parking
Make space in your driveway or on the street in front of your house for work vans. No need to make your window replacement professionals carry those windows further than they need to!
Pets
Keep in mind that your windows will effectively be open (and not closeable) for many hours the day of your window installation. And there will be workers coming in and out through doorways all day long — and they might not see small pets underfoot or sneaking out an open door. Make sure any pets that could escape are either closed up safely or taken to another location for the duration of the installation.
Alarms
Make sure to disable any alarm systems in your house — particularly those that are connected to your windows. It might be worth a call to your alarm system company ahead of the installation, just in case anything is accidentally set off during the installation. It might save you a charge for a false alarm call.
Check
At the end of the installation process, plan to have a walkthrough with your replacement window installation contractor to make sure you’re happy with the work. You’ll want to make sure that all the work you expected to have done is complete, the cleanup is done (to whatever degree you agreed ahead of time), all your questions have been answered, and you’re happy with the outcome. If there was any part of the job that couldn’t be completed, or if anything was damaged during the installation, this is the time to discuss it with your window contractor.
It can seem like a daunting process … and, at times, it can BE a daunting process … but at the end of the day, you’ll have your new windows, and your home will be more comfortable, more beautiful, and more energy efficient. If you’re working with the right window replacement company — one that’s trusted, local to you, and comes with excellent references — the process should be smooth and easy. If you’d like to learn more about replacing your windows in the Cincinnati area, call us here at Harper. We can get your new windows installed with a minimum of fuss and maximum results.