Steps & Costs to Replace Doors With Windows

Removing the Old Door

• Any part of the process of replacing a door with a window will be less expensive if you do it yourself. Hiring professionals often costs more than the materials that they are installing. Anyone with a crowbar and the will to do the job can remove an old door.

  Take the door off of its hinges, then pry off the interior and exterior trim. This will leave the edges of the doorjamb exposed. The jamb is probably nailed into the surrounding wall framing. Use a sawzall to cut these nails all the way around, then you should be able to push the jamb right out.

Window Sizing

• Acquiring a window that is the same width as the old door will make the process easy. If the window is substantially narrower, you will have to patch in the wall, and if it is larger, you will have to enlarge the hole that the door was in. If the window is the same width as the door, all you need to do is patch in the bottom part of the wall, leaving an opening that is the same height as the new window. Finishing the interior wall is just a matter of some drywall, spackle and paint.

  The exterior wall, depending on its material, may be more complicated. You may be faced with the choice between a visible patch and the removal of a sizable area of siding in order to cover over the patched wall invisibly.

Installing the New Window

• Put the new window into the new opening and stabilize it by putting shims between the outside of the window frame and the wall framing. Check the window position with a level. Depending on the style of the window, you can secure it by nailing through the frame into the wall studs, or by situating a flange against the face of the wall and securing it with nails or screws.

  When the window is secured in place, the gap that's left between it and the wall framing will need to be filled with insulation or expanding foam. After that, apply interior and exterior trim.

Costs

• The cost of a window can vary widely depending on its efficiency and its materials. You can save a lot of money by buying a used window, if you can find the appropriate size. Wooden framed windows are more expensive than vinyl, and hi-tech, argon filled windows (a gas that reduces heat transfer) will cost more than double paned windows with a vacuum space between them. Windows that open cost more than fixed windows.

  Generally, you can expect to spend between $250 and $500 for a custom built opening window of average size, but if you get very lucky you may find a similar window at an architectural salvage store for under $100.