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 pride yourself on being a do-it-yourself enthusiast, particularly in the realm of 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 for replacement windows, you might have found some that were considered relatively cheap. They looked decent enough and when the salesperson asked when the installer could come out and put them in, you hesitated and told them that you would do it yourself. You just wanted the windows delivered to your house! The salesperson recommended against a DIY approach for the window installation; however, given your extensive experience with carpentry projects around the house, you feel confident in your ability to proceed independently. 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 or flush with the wall? 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.
