Sal Alfano

In Part 1 of “How to Replace  Window … Again” (PR, May/June 2022), we followed David Joyce’s careful process of removing a double-glazed tilt-in replacement window while preserving both the plaster on the inside and the housewrap and insulation layers on the outside, then prepping the opening for a new, slightly larger, flanged triple-glazed window.

About 30 years ago, Betsy Pettit and Joseph Lstiburek oversaw an exterior insulation retrofit to their classic New England home. After the siding and trim were stripped off, the sheathing was covered with housewrap taped at the seams and a continuous layer of 2-inch rigid XPS foam. The new clapboards were fastened to ¾-inch furring strips screwed through the foam into the framing to form a rainscreen cladding system.

Marketing is a weak spot for most remodelers. I’m not sure exactly why, but one theory is that when they first start out, work comes to them. They keep busy working from one word-of-mouth referral to another, so they never feel the need to go after new customers. Eventually, they may start using job signs or paint a logo on their truck. These are both great sources of leads, but they’re also limited in their ability to build a client base.