How Should I Prepare My Home for Window Installation Day

Every window being replaced needs a clear working area of roughly three feet, inside and outside. The prep sequence for a window replacement in San Bernardino, CA, as laid out at window replacement san bernardino civil war web, starts with that clearance, because a crew cannot pull a frame out over a couch or a planter. Everything else on the list serves the same purpose, which is an open, dry, protected opening.

Clear the floor and the yard

Move furniture, lamps and rugs back from each window before the crew arrives. Installers shift small items to get at a frame, but they do not move all your furniture for you. Outside, pull patio chairs, pots and grills away from the wall. In older neighborhoods around Muscoy and Loma Linda, side yards are often narrow, so the three feet may have to come from clearing the walkway completely.

Take down what hangs over the opening

Blinds, shades, curtain rods and any hardware mounted in or over the opening must come down before the old window can come out. Leave the screws in a labeled bag. Security sensors are often wired or mounted on the old frame, so they may need to be disconnected and reinstalled on the new unit. Settle that with the alarm company ahead of the day. A new vinyl window or a double hung with insulated glass will not carry the old contacts unless someone remounts them.

Dust, paint and lead

Cutting out an old frame throws fine dust, and stucco makes more of it. Cover furniture with sheets and close interior doors to limit the spread. Homes built before 1978 may have lead based paint on the window trim, and disturbing it can release hazardous dust. Those jobs call for containment and careful cleanup, not a quick sweep. Many houses in Redlands and older parts of San Bernardino were built well before that cutoff, so the trim should be treated as suspect until tested.

Sprinklers and exterior sealant

Turn off lawn sprinklers near the work areas the night before. Exterior sealant and stucco patching need to stay dry while they set, and an overspray cycle at six in the morning will wash out a fresh bead. A slider or casement set into a wet wall also takes longer to finish cleanly.

People, pets and wall hangings

Each opening is fully exposed during removal and setting, so children and pets belong in a room where no window is being worked on. Not every room is usable all day, and the rooms with open frames are the ones to avoid. Take framed photos, mirrors and shelves off walls beside the windows. Vibration from cutting and prying shifts fragile items, and the whole of San Bernardino County sits close enough to the San Andreas Fault that most houses already have pictures hanging slightly crooked. Better not to add a fall.