best replacement windows podcast
Need to replace your home’s windows? Listen to our podcast for tips on the best options!

Need replacement windows and want the best in the market? Consider vinyl.

In recent years, vinyl windows have upped their game when it comes to quality manufacturing. Recently, my daughter Chelsea Lipford Wolf and I installed quite a few windows in her new home. She decided to use JELD-WEN windows, which have been around for a long time.

But it’s not just longevity and reputation that led her to choose JELD-WEN. It’s also the ease of installation.

When you’re replacing windows, you’ll have an existing opening when taking out the old window. JELD-WEN can create the exact size frame, which makes the process much easier. Best of all, the replacement window can look like an original installation.

As for alternatives? We don’t recommend aluminum windows because of consistent problems with heat transfer and condensation over the years.

As long as it’s a mid-range vinyl window, we think this would be the best replacement window for your home!

Listen to the Today’s Homeowner Podcast to also learn about these topics:

  • The best protectant and finish for a garage floor
  • Dependable heat pump choices
  • The best sealer for outdoor railing, tables, and a deck
  • How to fix leaking joints in a sunroom ceiling

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Simple Solutions

Bandsaw Blade Saver — If you’ve got a bandsaw, check the owner’s manual because most manufacturers recommend that when you’re not using the saw, you should release the tension on the blade by loosening the tensioning knob.

Keeping constant tension can eventually damage the blade and shorten its life. After releasing the tension, clip a clothespin onto the blade. It’ll serve as a reminder to re-tension the blade the next time you go to use the bandsaw. 

Fast Fix for Faulty Roller Shade — Here’s how to fix a window shade that pops loose and crashes to the floor whenever you try raising or lowering it.

At each end of the shade is a metal pin that fits into a hole in the mounting bracket attached to the window frame. Every time you raise and lower the shade, the pins spin in the bracket holes.

Over time, the bracket cuts right through the pin, leaving it too short to hold the shade in place. Fix the shade by first using pliers to pull out the sheared pin. Then, tap into the pinhole a 6-penny (2-inch) common or finishing nail.

Leave about ½ inch of the nail protruding from the end of the shade, then use lineman’s pliers to snip off the nail head. Now install the shade, slipping the new replacement pin into the mounting bracket.


Question of the Week

Q: How can I insulate a dirt crawl space? Can I use a closed spray foam insulation?

A: I wouldn’t recommend doing this yourself in a space like this. While foam is a good insulator, for a crawl space we wouldn’t use it in case of repair — it’s hard to get to and can be difficult.

We would use ROCKWOOL Mineral Wool Insulation! The first thing you would need to do is put down a layer of 6 Mil Plastic Sheeting and overlap the seams so no moisture can migrate from the ground into the house. Then start putting the insulation into the spaces needed.



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Danny Lipford

Founder

Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

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