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
Wood and clad window decisions carry extra weight on Joliet's East Side, where 32 of the historic district's houses were built between 1852 and 1873 in modified vernacular Queen Anne style. Original millwork and trim profiles on homes like these are often worth matching rather than replacing wholesale, particularly where the property sits within the historic district.