Minneapolis, Minnesota
Thorough Window Replacement in Minneapolis, MN
Most of the windows we pull out in Minneapolis are the originals: wood double-hung sash on weight-and-pulley balances, glazing putty gone chalky, and a wood storm hung outside every one. On a 1920s bungalow that sash is often still square and the frame still sound, so the real question is whether you keep the opening and the interior casing or take the whole thing back to the rough frame.
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Old sash comes out, plaster stays intact
Most houses we work on in Longfellow, Nokomis and Northeast have plaster walls and stained fir casing that nobody wants to lose. That pushes most of these jobs toward insert units, which set inside the existing jambs once we strip out the sash, the parting bead and the weight pockets. Those pockets matter. They are hollow cavities that have been venting cold air into the room for a century, and packing them out is half the comfort gain. Full frame replacement is the honest answer when the sill is punky or the frame has racked, and on steep dormer openings we usually find one. Tight lots and alley access decide where we stage and how we reach the upper sash. Where a wall has been patched in with board rather than plaster, we finish the drywall and the trim before we leave, so nothing is left open behind the paint.
Window Replacement in Minneapolis
What changes in an older Minneapolis house
Weight pockets packed out
Every old double-hung has hollow weight pockets on both sides of the frame. We take the weights out, fill the cavity and seal it, which is where most of the draft in a bungalow lives.
Original interior casing stays
Insert units set into the existing jamb, so the stained fir casing, the stool and the apron on a 1910s foursquare never come off. Nothing to strip, nothing to restain.
Dormer and odd openings measured
No two openings in a 1920s house are the same size, and dormer and stairwell windows are the worst of it. Each one gets measured on its own and built to that number.
The storm windows come down
Once a sealed unit goes in, the wood storms and screens you swap twice a year stop being part of your fall. They come off the house and stay off.
Windows that open again
Broken cords, painted joints and swollen sash mean half the windows in an older Minneapolis house do not move. New units operate with one hand, which matters upstairs in July.
Low-E glass on the sun side
City summers get hot and the west rooms take it hardest. We spec a coating suited to each elevation instead of putting the same glass on all four sides of the house.
What a bungalow job looks like from our side
Staging figured out first
Tight lots and alley access decide where the truck sits, where the dumpster goes and how we reach the second floor. We sort that with you before day one.
We say when to keep them
If the sash is sound and the frames are square, sometimes weatherstripping and good storms are the better call. We will tell you that and lose the job.
Plaster protected, floors covered
Old plaster cracks if you are rough with it. We cover floors, cut carefully at the stops and clean up glass and nails inside and out at the end of each day.
Duplexes done unit by unit
Plenty of the housing in Longfellow and Northeast is up and down duplexes. We sequence the openings so one unit is finished and locked before we start the other.
Free estimate at the openings
We walk the house with you, open what still opens and scope the work opening by opening. No obligation, and you get the reasoning rather than just a number.
What people near Minneapolis say
The crew arrived early and spread tarps all around the house to capture every bit of debris. By 3:00 PM, my entire roof was completely finished.
Hazel JamesRoof replacement, Minneapolis, MN Orange Exteriors fixed a minor leak that involved replacing flashing and a few shingles blown off our roof. Timely, quality work. Great ideas to keep our roof going long term.
Jim ThomasStorm damage repair From sales to construction crew to upper management, they helped make an insurance battle a breeze. This is the best contractor interaction I have ever had.
Jim NormanRoof replacement
Questions from Minneapolis homeowners
What people in Minneapolis ask us about this work. If yours is not covered, call and ask.
Can I replace the windows in a Minneapolis bungalow without losing the wood trim?
Usually, yes. If the frames are square and the sills are solid, insert units go in from the outside and the interior casing, stool and apron are never disturbed. If the sill has rotted or the frame has racked out of square, that opening needs full frame work and some trim will have to come off.
Can windows be installed in winter in Minneapolis?
Yes. We take out one opening at a time, set the new unit and close it up, so the house is never standing open. Cold does affect some sealants and foams, so we work with products rated for it and give the exterior sealant the temperature it needs. Deep cold slows us down but does not stop the job.
My sash cords are broken and the windows are painted shut. Repair or replace?
Both are real options. A single sash with a broken cord in an otherwise tight frame is a repair. But if most of the openings are painted shut, the glazing putty is failing and you are hanging storms every fall, you are maintaining the same house twice. At that point replacing the units makes more sense than chasing them.
Get your Minneapolis windows looked at
Send us the address and we will come out, open what opens, check the sills and tell you which openings need work now and which can wait. Free, no obligation.
Get Your Free Exterior Estimate
Tell us what is going on with your roof, siding, windows, or gutters. We will take a look and give you a straight answer, including when the answer is that you can wait.
- Phone(612) 600-8529
- Emailadmin@orange-exteriors.com
- Office6600 City West Pkwy Suite 375, Eden Prairie, MN 55344
- HoursOpen 24 hours, Sunday to Saturday
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