Start with the conditions, not the catalog
Flashing, sill condition, the frame material, glass package, trim restoration, and solar exposure all shape the result about as much as the window unit itself does.
Build a complete scope
- What is installed now, and whether the older sash is repairable
- Whether paint layers in pre-war housing affect how work may proceed
- Each opening measured rather than ordered from a schedule
- Frame and glazing chosen for a cold-winter, hot-summer swing
- Air sealing, trim restoration, disposal, and the warranty on both
Joliet context
Whole-home replacement projects often span more than one building era under a single roofline -- common on Joliet's East Side, platted in 1834 and built up in a Queen Anne-era wave between 1852 and 1873, where later additions and postwar remodels can sit alongside original openings. A full-house scope should account for each era's sash size, sill condition, and trim profile rather than treating the house as a single uniform stock.