Is it the window or the seal?
Fog between the panes means the seal on that glass unit has failed. A sash that will not stay up, a frame that is soft when you press it with a thumb, or daylight around the edge of a closed window mean the unit itself is done. The home inspectors' chart puts vinyl and fiberglass windows at about 20 to 40 years. In our 46227 ZIP code, half the houses were built before 1971, so plenty of original windows are well past that range.
If only one or two units are failing, we can replace just those. If the whole house has the same tired windows, doing them together is cheaper per opening and gets you one consistent look.
How a window goes in right
We measure every opening on its own. Old houses settle, and two windows that look the same size across a room rarely are. The new units are ordered to those measurements.
On install day the old sash and frame come out, and we look at the rough opening for rot in the sill and the framing below it. That is the spot where water has been sitting for years. Bad wood is replaced before the new window goes in.
The window is set level and square, shimmed and fastened, and the gap around it is insulated. Then it is flashed and sealed into the wall so water that runs down the siding gets carried past the opening, not into it. Outside, the old wood trim gets capped in coil to match your siding. Inside, we leave the opening ready for your trim or paint.
Storm damage counts too. Hail that cracks glass or dents frames on the weather side of the house is often part of the same claim as the roof and siding, and we photograph the windows along with everything else when we inspect after a storm. If you are putting together a claim, read how we handle storm damage repair.
Permit rules for windows
| Where | What the local office says |
|---|---|
| Indianapolis | Like-for-like window replacement is on the permit guide's exempt list. |
| Greenwood | Same-size replacement needs no permit. Changing the size of the opening does. |
| Unincorporated Johnson County | Johnson County Planning and Zoning requires a permit for every window replacement, citing energy codes. That includes the unincorporated parts of Center Grove. |
| Beech Grove | Beech Grove has its own building commissioner. We check before we start. |
Doing siding too? New windows are easiest to flash properly while the siding is off, so the two jobs belong together. See vinyl siding, or ask for both on one estimate.
Window questions
Yes. Single windows are a normal job for us, and we trim them to match the ones around them.
In the unincorporated parts, yes. Johnson County requires a permit for all window replacements. Some Center Grove addresses sit inside Greenwood or Bargersville instead, and we confirm which office covers your house. More on the area on our Center Grove page.
Only as much as you want. We can match the grid pattern and color you have now, or change them. We bring options to the estimate.