Winter Installation: What You Should Know When Working With a Contractor In The Winter - CWE

Winter, Schminter! We have our Winter Worry-Free Installation Program for full peace of mind.

Did You Know We Install All Winter Long? 

Many New England homeowners are in need of new efficient windows, siding, roofing, and entry doors due to old products, drafts, leaks, and high energy bills. With the increase of National Grid spike of over 108% since last fall, it’s no wonder why you are in need and need to act now.

We want to let you know that winter is a great time to replace inefficient exterior products that cause energy bills to skyrocket!

Winter doesn’t mean you need to put off your home improvement projects until spring. We are trained to work in ALL weather and understand your concerns/ hence we enhanced our Winter Worry-Free Installation Program. 

No more worries about feeling stuck with those drafty windows, an old leaky roof, cracked inefficient siding, and high energy bills waiting until Spring. Winter-Schminter-you got nothing on Coastal!

With our Winter Worry-Free Installation Program, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that our installers work quickly without losing quality or craftsmanship. Meanwhile, we prep your home for minimal heat loss during the installation process.

Why Should You Consider Wintertime Exterior Remodeling?

With over 40 years of winter installation experience, rest assured that you’re making the right choice to upgrade now instead of waiting until spring.

These are our general rules for winter installation, giving you complete peace of mind:

• First, our expert factory-trained installation team stages each project at our warehouse the day before to assess the upcoming installation date, weather, temperature, and other variables that will come into play during your installation.
• ​On your installation day, the lead installer will discuss your concerns and lay out the day’s plan, depending on your project. Our goal is to complete the installation with as little disruption and exposure to the outdoor elements as possible.
• The team then stages the immediate area, and as needed, closes off other areas of the home, laying down thick drop cloths and covering or protecting any fragile areas of the home near the installation.
• We also work on approved manufacturer regulations in protecting your building materials for your home; such as believing roofing shingles day of installation as opposed to the day before to prevent cracking and breaking.
• Our contractors will discuss the storage of building materials and dumpsters with homeowners before a project starts.  This can be particularly important as tools and materials should be safely stowed out of the reach of children.
• Some installers think it is fine to just throw a tarp over lumber and product materials- where this is fine in the late spring and summer, it is not good practice for winter months as it is not a good measure to keep everything warm and dry.  It is also a concern for our installers to keep their tools warm as they can slip in ice and frozen materials can get stuck together.
• The team then stages the immediate area, and as needed, closes off other areas of the home, laying down thick drop cloths and covering or protecting any fragile areas of the home near the installation.
• Some homeowners are concerned about dust and air quality during an installation since most likely all windows are closed during the winter so we make sure we do our best to have the cleanest job site and contain it by using plastic wall barriers in common areas if applicable.

Start saving money and be comfortable in your home now! Read on to learn what precautions our contractors do while working on your home this winter.

How Does Winter Installation Work?

Here are some of the best practice rules we follow for winter installs.

Winter Window Installation

We know people can be concerned with replacing their windows in the winter but it can actually be a great time to replace those old drafty inefficient windows as nothing will keep you more comfortable in your home during the winter and years to come as new windows.

You can be confident with our Winter Worry-Free Installation Program, as we will replace your windows efficiently while following all the required regulations. This ensures your home’s exposure to the outside elements are at an extreme minimum to prevent heat loss.

Window installation in the winter can help prevent energy loss while keeping energy bills under control. Are you wondering how we install windows in the winter?

Our contractors closely follow the 10-step checklist below:

1. Close off each room they’re working on and install one window at a time to avoid excess heat loss. When we are doing a large window in a common area we prep the room/s with walls with plastic barriers.
2. When we install an entry door we plastic barrier to prevent heat loss while working on the door frame.
3. We also plan ahead and bend any capping so there is not an extended time with the area exposed to the outside elements.
4. Windows and doors are drop shipped that same day so they can stay at room temperature as well as the matching sealants for them.
5. We will take out your old window and place it in your new window in less than 5 minutes on average.
6. Typically we have (depending on height/floor of home) one installer working on the outside and one working on the inside of your home not only for timing but also to make sure that we’re not tracking additional snow etc. into your home.
7. We use a drop cloth outside the home to collect any debris that may hide in the snow and also to keep the jobsite free of dirt or snow.
8. For storm doors, since they are aluminum, installers should drill small pilot holes to allow the screws to penetrate without splitting.
9. Care should be taken when caulking anything to guarantee that the temperature is within the caulk manufacturer’s recommended range.
10. When installing anything in really cold temperatures, screws or bolts should not be overtightened, as the ensuing expansion in warmer temperatures could lead to some binding issues.

The performance of your windows can make a big difference in how comfortable your home is, especially during freezing weather. Air infiltration and drafty windows allow for cold winter air to leak inside your home. Besides making your house drafty and cold, your furnace has to run constantly due to the poor performance of your windows.

• The average home loses 25% of energy through old and drafty windows.
• The installation of new windows can significantly reduce air leakage, as our windows only allow .01 CFM of air leakage per minute.
• This makes our windows 23 times more airtight than the industry average. 
• Argon and krypton gasses act as an insulating barrier, keeping the heat inside your home and reducing heat transfer.
• An application of low-e allows the sunlight to naturally heat your home so your heating bills remain low.
• Another layer of insulation comes from foam-filmed frames.
• Fusion welding on the corners creates an impermeable barrier against the elements, eliminating both water and air infiltration.
• Replacing your windows now allows you to ride out all winter storms in a warm, cozy, and draft-free home.

With our Winter Worry-Free Installation Program, you can be confident our trained licensed and bonded installers will replace your windows according to our Installation Masters requirements typically within one day-maybe two depending on the amount of windows.

The goals are simple…Stop energy loss, reduce your energy bill, while making your installation as comfortable as quickly as possible to mandated regulations. With the end goal in mind for you… is a comfortable home for you this winter?

Don’t spend another winter wishing you would have replaced your windows sooner. Contact  us today to learn how our winter installation program can help you save money on those high energy bills and feel more comfortable in your home.

Click here to learn more about winter window installation.

Winter Roofing Installation

Installing your roof in the winter is a great idea to prevent ice dams and energy loss. Below, we’re sharing some insight on how we handle winter roofing installation for New England homeowners in locations such as Beverly, Gloucester, Danvers, Peabody and many other service areas.

Roofing Installation Process:

1. Ideally, products are installed in temperatures over 32 degrees Fahrenheit. If we have a colder morning-we wait a few hours to make sure we install to proper specifications to ensure the best installation possible.
2. It is recommended by GAF to manual seal with shingle tab adhesive on the back of the shingle especially along with rakes, to the underlayment, and to each other for maximum wind protection.
3. Installing ice and water shield underlayment the same day, as opposed to leaving the home exposed overnight and installing the shingles the following day.

The roof is another area where energy tends to escape. Even in the winter, the attic should be close to the outside temperature. In the event that your attic has leaks, it will be difficult to maintain the proper temperature.

Winter roof replacement helps to prevent heat loss in the winter as well as ice dams:

• In terms of energy loss, there may not be enough insulation in the attic. You can seal up small spots with low-expansion foam insulation.
• Air leaks are another problem. Roof leakage points include the chimney flashing, skylights, pipes, old shingles, or drip edge on the fascia and rakes. During the cold winter months, if your roof leaks from rain or snow, it is also likely to lose energy.
• Icy conditions and the freeze/thaw cycle can result in ice dams on your roof. When the roof becomes too warm in the winter, the ice melts off the roof and runs into the gutters, forming ice dams. Over time, ice dams can cause damage to the roof.
• The oreo effect also hinders roof performance and energy conservation. The oreo effect is the flip-flopping winter weather, where snow will melt and turn to the ice with more snow piling on top. In essence, this creates an Oreo-like ice-and-snow sandwich on your roof.
• Ventilation provides airflow through the attic space, maintaining the ideal indoor temperature to prevent ice dams.

Click here to learn more about winter roofing installation.

Winter Siding Installation

Winter is the perfect time to install new siding, as it helps prevent heat loss via thermal bridging. We install vinyl siding in the winter with the following steps:

1. When working with vinyl shakes you need to cut them with a circular saw backward so it prevents them from splitting.
2. When cutting angles, it needs to be cut with certain techniques to prevent cracks.
3. House wrap is immediately done after stripping to avoid any moisture or any weather conditions that come in contact with exposed wall sheeting.

New vinyl siding further seals the thermal envelope of your home. It is like adding a blanket of warmth to your home. Choosing our insulated vinyl siding provides you with more insulating power than fiber cement, wood, engineered wood, or brick.

During winter, Craneboard Solid Core Siding offers exceptional performance benefits that include:

• Highest R-value cladding
• Insulates over wall studs to reduce thermal bridging
• Impervious to moisture, including snow
• It blocks heat transfer from occurring through the wood studs, preventing heat from escaping through the exterior cladding.
• As another superhero that can repel moisture, you’ll want to install house wrap as a protective layer. House wrap prevents moisture damage, mold, and also reduces drafts by acting as a barrier.

Can You Install James Hardie Siding in the Winter?

James Hardie Siding is made of Fiber Cement making it extremely durable in extreme weather conditions. Fiber Cement does not expand and contract or become brittle in cold temperatures. The sealants used in our fiber cement installations are designed to install in cold temperatures and deliver the same protection when applied in the winter as they would in the warmer months. All-weather barriers and flashing components were chosen because of their performance when installed in cold temperatures.

Get Winter Installation Now

Do you need to install window replacement, roofing, siding, or entry doors during the winter season? You’re in luck. Coastal Windows & Exteriors is experienced and efficient at winter installation for all exterior products. Please contact us today for a free estimate and a worry-free installation process!

Great news…Do you know we have STOCK materials?

Yes, even in the pandemic because of our relationships with our suppliers we have stock products ready for you!

Call or schedule your appointment HERE with us today to book your free, in-home inspection and estimate & receive a quote good for one year!

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