Salt is brutal stuff. Even SS will rust eventualy.

Waterfront homes always need painting; most of the larger ones have contractors that are always on site doing something.

We are getting ready to pull the trigger and replace the windows in our home. We just moved into a 40 yr old house and the windows are crap. They are single pane aluminum windows that I suspect are original to the home. They are falling apart and need to go.

We have received several estimates and the windows them selves seem to be very similar. The biggest difference is going to be the installation.

I live in North Texas so weather is not as extreme as elsewhere. We have hot summers and some what cool/cold winters. What are the things I need to be watching for when they install my windows? Do they need to put insulation around the frame or is chalk sufficient? I have never installed windows before so I really do not know what to look for.

Pella sucks
 

Do not buy Pella under any circumstances. they changed ownership and cheapened both manufacture and warranty support. They are no longer a top tier firm.

Marvin is what we spec for our clients and if that is too much $$ then Andersen.

Sash pockets and flashing
 

Well fixing the flashing and replacing the sash weight system with a spring loaded sash system and filling the sash pockets and caulking the exterior makes a big difference as well as removing the molding on ext/int and insulating. Not that hard a DIY job.

If you are serious, do a refit after removal and install membrane seal on wall around the window after insulating and filling old sash pockets. Tru low E system is A1 but if you want to keep the original frames you can restore then yourself and rout the frames to fit the spring loaded sash system. Labor is more but if you DIY or work with a smalller contractor as his labor you can do it for 1/2 labor cost.

We replaced 18,000 1950's casements 10 years ago in my co-op with Arrow aluminum low E system with expansive gasket system against the existing brick opening and membrane wrap under the flashing/molding plus high grade cauking. 10 years later we have begun to recaulk s a std maintenence schedule. Failure rate of the units is about 1/2 of 1 % mostly gasket at the glass. Try getting 10 windows per apartment in 180 buildings (2 story garden type) done on a real schedule and then maintain after 10 winters (5 serious winters)!

Wall wrap
 

Depending on WIND level, a tyvek or blue skin membrane wrap at the outside for 16-18" around the opening and a cconcerted program of insulation and air leak seal at the sash posketc (if they exist) and good exterior and interior caulking cam make a ton of difference. Texas Wind can work it way through anything!!

Bookmarking

My sider's tyvek tape around all the windows, which works well.

If you live on the water or somewhere where you get strong horizontal rain than things change a bit. You want to use something like ice and water around them. You really shouldn't need anything in the jams though. Vinyl siding can cause a lot of problems in this kind of use since its hardly water proof, use wood.

A buddy of mine worked for Atrium. He said the best windows come from Canada, but he didn't mention the names. Might be worth it up north, down south where it is warmer/longer, probably better to spend the money (the premium for good windows) on other insulating items.

For whats its worth:

Our kitchen window in insulated glass, spring balance wood with felt weatherstripping. Not a great window but ok. One night I went around the house with an instant read thermometer and check windows at the meeting rail joint (window locked) The kitchen window showed x deg.

Original 1885 Living room window, wood single pane counterweighted, no weatherstripping, locked, at meeting rail crack showed x-20 deg.

Original 1885 Dining room window, same as living room but with original wood storm showed x-10 deg.

Weather stripped the wood windows and the storms. Redid my test at the meeting rails. The kitchen showed Y, the living room Y-10, and the dining room Y. I was kinda surprised that the window/storm combination was the same as the 'new' kitchen window.

Weather stripping supplies were about $250, and the labor to install on 14 windows and two door was about $2800. For an uninsulated house you have to start somewhere. The next step is the sill plate at the stone foundation and the wood hatchway basement entry....

remember you get a 30% tax credit up to $1500 for those energy efficient windows.

On my old windows the thing that really cracked it for me was that all the new windows even if very expensive had cheap plastic or pot metal handles while the old windows had cast brass handles and native yellow poplar which is nearly impervious to rot.

Buy new windows and replace them in 20 years or repair the old ones and perhaps repair them again in 20 years. There will never be any native poplar in the future.

Check out Progressive Windows here in my town. My recently purchased house has them and I had to buy a few more to go in the addition. Haven't had them long enough to make a first hand judgement but they get rave reviews around here and have some nice choices. They make them right here and I'm fairly certain they would travel to your location since you're just in the D-TX area. Not cheap by the way.

This is a pre-existing home with replacement windows. The exterior is brick around the windows will not be removed.