Q: Dear Jim: Our double-hung window frames are still in good condition, but the windows are leaky, won't stay open and sweat during the winter. Is there any method to just upgrade the glass portion without the expense of ripping out the entire window?
- Ron A.

A: Dear Ron: Your window situation is common and many of the major window manufacturers have come to your rescue. Instead of replacing the entire window, you can upgrade the glass in the window with a tilt-in sash replacement kit. Using these kits will not change the look of your home. This lets you install just one or several of them at a time as your budget allows.

Installing a sash replacement kit is a fairly simple do-it-yourself job requiring only a few hand tools. The material cost of the kit is somewhat less than a new replacement, but the big savings is not having to hire a contractor to rip out an entire old window and install a new one. Especially with brick or other masonry construction, this can be an expensive job.

Since glass is the heart of any window, replacing just the sashes will reduce your utility bills and window condensation during the winter. All of the sash replacement kits available include new tilt-in jamb liner channels and pivot cams. These channels allow you to tilt in each window sash individually for easy cleaning from indoors, yet still form an efficient airtight seal when closed.

The new tilt-in channels in the kit are designed to fit perfectly in your old window frames. The new sashes fit snugly into the channels eliminating any old weight-type counterbalances used to hold the window open. These channels are designed to hold the window open in any position while still allowing the sash to be moved up and down easily. They

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are made of durable plastic to retain their tension and resist wear.

The high-efficiency glass options available for the sash kits are the same ones available in other new replacement windows. Installing low-emissivity (low-e) double-pane glass with argon gas in the gap is an adequate and reasonably priced choice for most areas of the country. It also reduces carpet fading from the sun. Other more efficient glass options are double low-e coatings, triple panes, quad panes and ones with low-e film stretched between the panes.

If you have problems with annoying outdoor road or other noise, consider getting krypton gas instead of argon gas in the gap between the panes. It is more dense and blocks more noise and energy loss. Both krypton and argon gas are as clear as air, so they are not visible inside the window. Even without krypton gas, just the airtightness of the new sashes will noticeably block much outdoor noise.

All of the replacement sash manufacturers use wood for the framing. It is strong, a natural insulator and easy to work with. Most are available in natural or primed finishes which you can paint to match the existing window frame color. For nearly maintenance-free windows, select a sash kit with aluminum cladding on the exterior surfaces. They should never need painting and other than regular cleaning, you can pretty much forget them.

Tilt-in replacement sash kits include everything you need to install one in an existing window frame: two sashes, locks, tilt-in pivots, jamb liner channels, hardware and an instructional video. There are literally hundreds of sizes, often in one and two inch increments, so it usually is not a problem finding the proper size to fit your existing window frames.

The tools you need to install a kit are a hammer, saw, putty knife, pliers and finishing nails. Pry the old sash stops loose from the window frame. Be careful with this initial step because there may be several coats of old paint on them you will have to break through.

When they are removed, tack the new channels clips into place on the inside surfaces of the window frame. Snap the channels over the clips. Once they are attached, the sashes will keep them from coming loose. Insert the top sash into the channels first, followed by the pivots and then the lower sash. Replace the old sash stops and you are done.

Another lower-cost option, although not as efficient, is to install just a jamb liner replacement kit. These new jamb liners fit tightly against the existing sashes to block air leaks and hold them in any position when opened. Since you still have the same old glass panes, you will still have the same window condensation problems.

Write for (instantly download - www.dulley.com) Utility Bills Update No. 498 - buyer's guide of 11 tilt-in sash replacement and channel kit manufacturers listing frame materials, colors, glass options, features, prices, and installation instructions. Please include $3.00 and a business-size SASE to: James Dulley, Illinois Country Living, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244.

James Dulley is a mechanical engineer who writes on a wide variety of energy and utility topics. His column appears in a large number of daily newspapers.

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