Updating the exterior style of your home may include projects like roof replacement, new siding, or a new color of paint, as well as a change to the sizes of the windows around the home.

Window replacement can improve the energy efficiency of your home, as well as its appearance, and you have a few options for updating your home with new windows. Each option comes with a different price, project scope, and result.

Determining Whether You Can Change Your Window Size

The skeleton of your home features load bearing walls and support beams that ensure your house is structurally sound, and changing the size of your windows will require a professional’s inspection of your home.

If you want to reduce the size of some of the windows in your home, you’ll sometimes find that the most effective way to change the size is to leave the top of the window at its current height and change the window height from the bottom.

To widen the windows on your home, your contractor will need to examine the walls of your residence and look at the load-bearing structures around the house. Sometimes, the original builder will place windows between structurally important areas, which means expanding the windows in a horizontal direction may impact the structure.

It’s essential that you don’t start a project that includes a change to your window size without the assistance of a professional contractor who specializes in windows. Updating the window treatments or replacing the weather stripping is one thing. Changing the size of your home’s windows is quite another.

Kiplinger suggests:

“Installation, including anchoring, insulating and sealing the window to the house to make it airtight and watertight, is as important as the quality of the window itself. A poorly installed window may be hard to open and close, and its durability, energy efficiency, and appearance will be compromised.”

Where to Place New Windows

In addition to modifying the size of your current windows, your exterior remodeling project may include installation of a completely new window. Adding a window to a room is an excellent way to increase the natural light in the space and update the exterior of the residence.

The placement according to the interior of the room where the new window will be located is important, but the placement of the window from the outside is generally where you’ll want to start.

The easiest way to figure out where to place a new window is to examine existing windows and match the height of those windows to the new window. The windows don’t necessarily need to have the same length, but it’s best if they begin at the same height, even if one is longer than the other.

An Alternative: Changing Your Window Style

Your main purpose in changing the size of your windows may be to create a new design or appearance for your home. Perhaps your home looks dated, and you feel that updating the windows will help modernize the house. Maybe you’re thinking about a home addition and would like the old windows to match the new windows in the new space.

You may not need to deal with a dramatic change to the windows of your home. Updating the window type or style may be possible without really changing the size of the windows. For example, you may have casement-style windows, which are attached at the side of the window frame. Perhaps windows that attach to the top of the window frame would offer a nice style update.

This Old House reveals:

“Choosing a window style that goes with the rest of your house is another crucial concern. The wrong choice can ruin the look of your house and lower resale value.”

Some of the window styles available to you include:

  • Casement windows that open via a crank
  • Double-hung windows that open from the top or the bottom.
  • Double-pane windows that feature two pieces of glass fit together
  • Tilt windows that make cleaning easy


    • Consulting with a design professional may help you discover a new type of window style for your home, but you can also begin your search by examining architectural and home décor magazines. It’s helpful to have an idea of your preferred style before you begin planning with your contractor.

    Get Professionally Installed New Windows

    Is your home due for an exterior upgrade? Want to learn more about new window options and window sizes for your home? Contact O’Sullivan Installs for a FREE Consultation and download our free guide: “Seven Questions to Ask When Hiring an Exterior Remodeling Contractor in Massachusetts“ for valuable guidance on your home improvement project.