In this project, we'll be replacing windows in a second floor dining room and kitchen. Here's a look at our starting point: two sets of ordinary old (yes, old) double-hung windows, a three-lite (a lite is a glass panel, or one unit) set in the dining room and a two-lite set in the kitchen. You know the type; old, pulley-style windows in wood frames you have to clean by either taking windex up a ladder or hosing down at high velocity from outside, neither of which is easy or fun. There's got to be room for improvement here.

Into the dining room now. The curtains are off and the knickknacks removed from the sill, revealing three big old clunky double hungs. Hasn't everyone had windows like this at some point? After a while, you need a stick to prop them open, or maybe the frames swell and they won't shut properly. And oh yes, lest we forget, these windows were born to leak. There's almost a stone guarantee that windows like this are going to let out some of your precious heat and/or air conditioning and take your bills on an upward ride.

So let's start fixing things up already. After carefully removing the old wooden double hung units, we also remove the pulley and weight systems they used. Aside from getting out around loose panes of glass and loose fitting frames, another method your heat and air conditioning was using to escape through the old units - or leak, if you'd rather - is through the cavities which held the weights and pulleys. So we're stuffing those cavities with fiberglass insulation, the same stuff you use in the attic (and that should be in some of your walls, too), to stop up the leak. Other energy efficiency measures will come along with our new windows; multiple panes of glass with inert argon gas filling the space between them, tighter seals, etc.

Behold the new dining room windows. The side units are double hung, with the center lite being stationary for a full, unobstructed view. The interior side had a woodgrain appearance to better match the surroundings; many have real wood interiors and can be stained or painted. The double hung units have a "tilt-back" feature for easy cleaning; no need to go outside with the ladder or the hose anymore, just tilt the panel in and you're set. All this, and they're energy efficient, too.

But let's not forget the kitchen! Here we've taken the two old double hung units and replaced them with a beautiful new bay window. Again, the two flanker units are double hung, while the center lite is a stationary panel, but here in a bay configuration, adding a nice aesthetic touch and providing a little extra display space. Who doesn't love a bay window? The moral here: it's okay to have a little imagination when you plan a remodeling project.

And here's the end result as seen from the outside. As you can see, everything turned out beautifully. The addition of the bay window really makes a positive difference in the home's exterior appearance. (You'll notice that we added the proper support struts beneath it and a shingled "mini-roof" overhang above.) As you can see, window replacement doesn't have to be simply a dull quest for energy efficiency. You can have a little fun and make your home look more beautiful, too.