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Everything You Need to Know About Windows

A collection of Fine Homebuilding's best articles about window choices, window installation methods, window trim, and more.

By Justin Fink
Photo courtesy of Indow Windows

Windows are one of the most expensive parts of any home, if not the most expensive. Needless to say, there’s a lot to know about choosing them, and Asa Christiana’s article in Fine Homebuilding Issue No. 275 provides a great path for choosing the right units. But the window decisions don’t stop there. Below are some of our most popular pieces about installing windows and trimming them inside and out, and even one or two about restoring old ones, in case new windows just aren’t in the budget.

  • How-To 1
    How to Choose the Right Replacement Windows

    Learn what details and conditions to look for to see if an insert replacement window makes more sense than removing and replacing the entire original window.

  • Design 2
    Treatments for Problem Windows

    These ten solutions will help you deal with impossible openings.

  • Design 3
    What’s the Difference: Window-Shading Options

    Solar screens, exterior blinds, shutters, and awnings

  • Tools & Materials 4
    person installing a window
    Should I Replace My Old Windows?

    Comfort, historical character, and the presence of lead paint may matter as much as cost and energy efficiency.

  • How-To 5
    Window Installation Done Right

    Doing everything to ensure a leakproof job? If you don’t include the housewrap, use a sill pan, and flash the flanges, the work is far from watertight.

  • How-To 6
    Remove sash stops
    Installing Replacement Windows

    Measure, insulate, and caulk. Do it right, and cut your energy bill by 25%.

  • Design 7
    Windows for a Passive House

    By far the weakest link in a Passive House, these imported windows must be installed perfectly.

  • How-To 8
    Make New Windows Weathertight

    Use peel-and-stick membrane to bridge the corner gap on new windows.

  • How-To 9
    Install a Replacement Window in a Brick House

    Redundant flashings and attention to detail keep out air and water.

  • How-To 10
    Restore a Wood Window Sash

    When repairs are in order, a steam box, an easel, and two-part epoxy are your best friends.

  • How-To 11
    New Life for Old Double-Hung Windows

    With new weatherstripping, weights, pulleys, and ropes, you can improve performance without compromising historical authenticity.

  • How-To 12
    The Efficient Way to Trim Exterior Windows

    The key to durable trim and a safer and faster job is to assemble the trim first and install it later.

  • How-To 13
    windows-molding
    Adding Detail with Built-Up Molding

    The final result looks like custom window (or door) trim, but it's painless and affordable to make by combining stock profiles.

  • How-To 14
    wainscot for windows
    Wainscot for a Window

    A simple frame and panel with applied moldings gives an ordinary window an extraordinary appearance.

  • How-To 15
    windows-repair
    Tight Joints in Window Casing

    The trick is to assemble the mitered casings with biscuits and glue, clamp them together, and install them as a complete unit.

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  1. Deleted | Oct 16, 2019 04:59pm | #1

    “[Deleted]”

  2. nicholasjohnston21 | Jan 21, 2020 07:19am | #2

    What aa beautiful look

  3. ShapanHossain | May 29, 2024 01:33pm | #3

    This is really helpful for me. We can also protect our windows using weather stripping. for more please visit the site: https://gsiseals.com/post/weather-stripping-installation-cost

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