When you go to order windows at the lumberyard, you will start by telling them the size of the window you need. Next, you will need to tell them whether the window you want to order is going to be a “Replacement” or “New Construction”.
In general, this difference comes down to one thing, whether or not the new window has a “flange”. Simply put, new construction windows have flanges and replacement windows do not. In this blog post I'm going to talk about what a new construction window is, what the benefits are, and when I think they make sense. If you are interested in learning about what replacement windows are and their benefits, we have this blog post to help.
Back to new construction. Like I said, new construction windows have flanges. These flanges allow the new window to tie into a new or existing lapping system like house wrap (what is under your siding) allowing them to be “flashed”.
This means a new construction window is protected by more than just sealant, it is protected by overlapping layers of material that divert water away from your window. Obviously if you are building a new house, the windows you are going to order will be new construction.
But, can new construction windows be used when remodeling?
Yes! In order to use a new construction window when remodeling, the exterior trim must be removed and the siding may need to be cut. This allows the new window to be integrated into the existing water resistive barrier (tar paper, tyvek, house wrap, etc) and be flashed. This is the biggest benefit to new construction windows. They provide the most resilient window installation. However, they also require the most labor and material to install. Per window, this generally makes them more expensive when remodeling, in comparison to replacement windows.
There are a few other things to consider as well. New construction windows are generally a different size than your existing windows and generally require installation of either new exterior trim, interior trim, or both. To me it all comes down to the project. Does your house need to be totally resided? If so, new construction windows installed at the time of your reside are the way to go. Are you totally gutting the house? New construction. Does your house have exterior window trims that are easily removable and make access to your existing window opening easy? New construction. Again, these options generally require changing either the exterior or interior trim to accommodate the new window.
In short, if you are looking for the most resilient window installation that is totally air and water sealed, new construction is the way to go.
If you'd like to see windows we have installed, click here.
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