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New construction windows or replacement windows?
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Which is right for you?

When a new home is being built, the windows are nailed to the wood studs that make up the house frame. In order to accomplish this, new construction windows have a fin around all four sides of the frame that rests against the outside of the stud,and nails are driven into the studs through the nailing fin. After that, flashing paper is applied to prevent water leaks, then the exterior, material is applied. That material can be stucco, brick, siding, etc. Now, imagine 10 or 20 years later when you want to replace those windows. If you were going to install your replacement windows the same way the original windows were installed, you would have to remove the exterior material around each window in order to get to those nails holding the frame in there. You can see how this procedure could cause many problems, not to mention all the labor involved. I have seen homes in California with stucco exteriors where the homeowner had the stucco cut out in order to remove the old windows. The problem was they were unable to match the stucco colors after patching. Its just not a very efficient way to replace windows. So the replacement frame was designed. In most parts of the country it's simply a new construction window frame with the nail fin removed. In the west, where stucco is a common home exterior, a retrofit frame was designed. If you're going to be replacing the exterior material on your home, then you might want to consider going with the new construction window since the nailing fins will be exposed anyway. Also, chances are that a contractor will be doing your exterior replacement, and it would be wise to let the contractor install the windows as well. Since my installation videos deal with window replacement only, these articles will focus on replacement frames and retrofit frames. Using these two frame styles, a do it yourselfer can replace their old windows without any damage to existing interior and exterior surfaces. And the job can be done using common tools
such as a drill, tape measure, and caulking gun.

John Rocco has been installing replacement windows since 1978
To learn more, visit How To Install Windows