What Install Day Looks Like in an Occupied Austin House

Back view of unrecognizable craftsman using cordless screwdriver and assembling window while screwing metal hinge during renovation works in apartment

Clear a three foot path to every window the night before and move anything breakable out of the room. That sets the pace for the whole day, and it is the first thing the notes at austin window installation greentopia fest ask for ahead of a window installation in Austin, TX. A crew working in an occupied house takes one opening at a time, so each room stays closed in for the shortest possible stretch. Furniture, curtains and a bit of planning decide whether the day runs smoothly.

Prepping each room

Back view of worker in checkered shirt drilling window frame during renovation process in apartment

Drop cloths go down under the window and along the path to the door. Blinds and curtain rods come off, and anything on the sill or near it is moved. The crew tapes a plastic sheet across the room side of the opening when the old unit comes out, which keeps dust from the old casing, plaster and caulk off the floor and furniture. Photos and shelves on the wall below a window should come down, since a pry bar shakes the wall.

How long an opening stays open

Back view of unrecognizable workman in apron mounting window near drilling machine and doors in flat

A standard insert window in a double hung or single hung style takes a crew about an hour from old sash out to new unit in. A full-frame window takes much longer because the rough opening gets flashed and the pan goes in first. Each opening is closed up by the end of the day, and the crew never leaves a hole to wait overnight. A large picture window or a bay window may need extra hands for the lift.

What happens when weather turns

Central Texas storms build fast, sometimes off the Texas Hill Country in the afternoon, and a crew watches the sky as much as the schedule. If rain is close, the opening in progress gets finished and sealed, and the next one waits. A temporary cover goes over the frame if the window cannot be set in time. Heat is its own problem, since a room with an open wall loses its cooled air fast, which is a reason to work the shaded side in the afternoon.

Cleanup and the walk around

At the end the old windows go out through the outside where possible, the floor is vacuumed and the sash on every new unit is operated and locked in front of the owner. Touch up on the interior trim is checked in daylight. A final look outside confirms the caulk joint is tooled and the flashing is covered by the trim. Small items found on the walk around get fixed the same day, before the crew packs the truck.