Wondering what differentiates new construction and replacement windows from each other? Essentially, a new construction window, one installed during the building of a new home, is designed to be installed during the build-out. New construction windows are placed in the wall after the sheathing, but before exterior siding, brick or shingles. The construction crew builds out the “rough opening” for the specified window during the framing of the building and then the windows are fit into that opening and shimmed to fit in place. By necessity, these openings are “rough”.

Homeowners on Long Island planning to repaint their homes may well wonder if it is okay to paint their replacement windows to match. Depending on whom you ask, and the windows you have, the answer may be very different. Contractors and helpers at the hardware store will generally tell homeowners you can paint almost any surface, providing you do proper surface prep and buy the right type of paint for the frame material. Renewal by Andersen of Long Island strongly recommends you avoid painting Fibrex- framed replacement windows.