In the Northeast, where I live,
there are lots of older homes
with inefficient oil furnaces and
drafty, double-hung windows. That
makes replacement windows a big
business. However, the words "replacement
window" mean different things
to different people. What most people
think of as replacement windows are
sash replacements that fit into existing
jambs. But there are various other
types marketed as replacements, some
of them indistinguishable from windows
for new construction.
To sort through the confusion, I
spoke with dozens of contractors, suppliers,
and manufacturers. I had several
conversations with distributors during
which I concluded that they
carried the type of window I wanted.
But when I finally received their literature,
I realized that the product
didn't match up with my