That Do-It-Yourself Attitude Is Great, Except for Replacing Windows October 14, 2016 You have a strong desire to do things by yourself. You consider yourself a do-it-yourselfer, especially when it comes to home improvement projects. It can be a great feeling and a sense of accomplishment when you are able to put a deck in around your house, renovate your bathroom, or even finish off your unfinished basement. However, there are some things you shouldn’t try on your own, unless you are highly experienced, well-trained, and even licensed to do that kind of work. Two key projects around the house that come to mind are electrical and plumbing. If anything is done wrong, it can lead to a serious safety risk, such as a flood or electrical fire. When it comes to replacement windows, that’s another project you should avoid doing yourself. When you began shopping around for replacement windows, you might have found some that were considered relatively cheap. They looked decent enough and when the salesperson asked it when the installer could come out and put them in, you hesitated and told that person you would do it yourself. You just wanted the windows delivered to your house. The salesperson advised you against installing these windows yourself, but you’ve done enough carpentry work around the house that you’re convinced you know what you’re doing. For those cheaper windows, such as the ones you can find at your local super home improvement warehouse style store, it might not be a major problem. After all, they are truly cheap windows and of extremely low quality. How would it matter if they weren’t installed perfectly level or flush with the wall? It might not at all. However, if you decide that installing higher quality windows is a better option, and it is, because it’s going to have a greater impact on the value of your home and energy efficiency, then anything that goes wrong could lead to major problems, including leaks, poor functionality, or even breaking those windows. Many manufacturers will not honor warranties unless they are installed by a professional and experienced contractor, especially somebody certified by that particular manufacturer. It’s tempting, but you should avoid installing those windows yourself.
