Do-It-Yourself, or DIY, can be a great way to keep yourself busy while making modest home improvements. However, not all home improvements are appropriate to do yourself. Especially heavily-regulated activities like impact window installation. DIY windows can run into enormous problems that make it not worth your while to try.
Building a remote shed? That’s a great DIY project. Ripping out your old windows and putting in impact-rated ones in a fashion that can pass state inspections? That’s something that is best left to highly trained and experienced professionals!
Why?
Let’s go over some of the potential pitfalls of trying to DIY window installations:
Reason #1 to Avoid DIY Windows: Regulatory Compliance
Some homeowners might think that doing home renovation work themselves means they don’t have to apply for permits. However, that isn’t the case. When you do DIY work on your home, you’re assuming all of the responsibilities that would be applied to any contractor doing the work on your home on top of your own responsibilities as the homeowner.
For example, although there are some exemptions to licensing requirements for homeowners doing DIY windows work, Section 489.103 (7)(b) of the Florida Statutes specifies that “This subsection does not exempt any person who… acts in the capacity of a contractor.” Meanwhile, subsection (7)(c) of that same statute states that property owners “must satisfy local permitting agency requirements, if any, proving that the owner has a complete understanding of the owner’s obligations under the law.”
Some homeowners might point to the HB 803 bill that was signed into law allowing work valued at less than $7500 to be performed without needing a permit. However, the text of the bill specifically identifies that the exemption is for “the installation of temporary residential hurricane and flood protection walls or barriers that meet certain requirements.”
Impact window installation is a permanent wind mitigation measure.
So, if you’re going to install impact windows in your home, you need to be aware of the code and follow it: which means both getting permits and passing inspections.
Failure to uphold regulatory requirements can result in fines, stop work orders, and other issues. Speaking of other issues…
Reason #2 to Avoid DIY Windows: Insurance Benefits Denied
Before you go trying to DIY impact window installation work, it’s important to consider how such work will affect any future insurance claims and discounts you might apply for.
Normally, when you replace all of your windows with impact-rated windows, you would qualify for a discount on your insurance premiums. However, insurers may be able to deny this benefit if they determine that the windows aren’t installed to a professional standard, they may deny the application for their impact window discount.
As noted by the Anderson Insurance Group, if a home has unpermitted work or work that hasn’t passed inspection, insurers may deny claims, limit your coverage, or cancel your policy entirely. If you bought a home with unpermitted work, the insurance company’s article recommends consulting with a real estate attorney, as “the seller may be liable if they failed to disclose known unpermitted work during the sale.”
A corollary to that advice is that if you perform unpermitted, DIY work on your home (such as replacing your windows yourself), and don’t disclose that fact to whomever you sell your home to in the future, you may be held liable.
Reason #3 to Avoid DIY Windows: Safety
We know our installers make ripping out windows and installing impact windows look easy, but that’s because they have years of experience. They have the training, experience, and tools to safely remove old windows and install the heavier, stronger impact windows.
Window tear-out and replacement often involves hazards like:
- Exposure to sawdust and other particulates.
- Lifting heavy objects (the impact windows).
- Climbing on high ladders (for upper floor installations) while carrying heavy loads.
- Handling sharp objects such as power tools, broken glass, or shards of window frame components.
- Falling objects.
These are all common hazards during window replacement work. For experienced professionals who have the right personal protective equipment (PPE) and years of experience, these hazards are easily managed.
The falling object hazard is one of the biggest risks.
Impact windows are heavy. How heavy? While the actual weight may vary based on the window’s size and framing material, tempered glass weighs about 2.52 grams per cubic centimeter. So, a 5/16” (~7.9 mm) thick piece of safety glass that’s 4 feet (4.22 meters) wide and tall weighs about 3,545.29 grams, or 7.81 pounds.
Impact windows have three sheets of tempered glass, plus a laminate interlayer. PVB has a density of 1.1 grams per cubic centimeter, adding another 1,547.54 grams (3.41 pounds) of weight. So, the glass in a 4’ x 4’ window alone is 26.84 pounds. That’s not including the metal core frame, hardware, or other items that add to the weight of the window.
That doesn’t sound like a lot of weight, but it’s a weight you’ll need to support while you’re putting the window in. You’ll need a second person (at least) to handle most impact window replacements safely and properly.
Additionally, professional installation service providers like Karoly carry personal injury insurance to cover medical costs should any accidents occur.
However, if you do the work yourself, you’re going to have to deal with all of the risks of injury that are inherent to such labor. And you’ll have to cover the cost of any injuries that occur using your own insurance plan.
For safety’s sake, it’s best to leave impact window installations in the hands of experienced pros.
Reason #4 to Avoid DIY Windows: To Ensure Top-Quality Installation
When you’re getting impact windows put into your home, you need the installation to be as close to flawless as possible. Not just to ensure that the windows can pass inspection after the fact, but to maximize the protection provided by getting impact windows in the first place.
The thing is, even the best impact windows ever made won’t provide meaningful protection if the installation isn’t performed properly. And, different manufacturers and window styles require different installation steps and methods. Even your home’s construction might affect how your windows need to be installed or may make certain styles of windows inappropriate for your window openings.
It’s incredibly difficult to get everything perfect on your first installation, especially if you have no experience in construction or contracting work in the first place.
Without specialized tools and training, there’s a risk of an impact window being improperly installed, which makes it more prone to experience leaks or even being pulled directly out of the window opening when there’s a strong gust of wind (such as what hurricanes bring).
The money saved by DIY’ing an impact window installation isn’t worth it if a window falls out of the opening and lets hurricane-force winds, driving rain, and contaminated storm water into your home!
Get Expert Installation so You Don’t Have to DIY Windows!
Rather than trying to do it all on your own, get a team of dedicated experts to flawlessly install your impact windows so that you can enjoy the full benefits of this critical wind mitigation upgrade!
Karoly Windows only uses in-house installation technicians. We never outsource our installation work to a third party subcontractor. That way, you know you’re getting the best installation techs in Tampa Bay working on your home.
Reach out today to request a free in-home window inspection and consultation. We’ll help you find the perfect windows for your home!
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