If your windows are drafty or your siding is showing its age, but nothing's actively broken, it's completely reasonable to wonder whether now is really the time — or whether it can wait another year, or five. We're not going to tell you everyone needs to act immediately. Here's what actually tends to happen when homeowners wait, so you can figure out which situation applies to you.

If you've started researching a window or siding replacement, you've probably landed on the same question a lot of homeowners get stuck on: do you hire a general contractor, try to do it yourself, or go with a company that specializes in exactly this? Each option has a real, honest case for it — and a real, honest downside. Here's how to actually think it through.

If you've gotten more than one window quote and they didn't match, you're not imagining things — and it doesn't necessarily mean someone's overcharging you. Window pricing depends on real variables, and once you know what they are, quotes start making a lot more sense.

Here's what actually moves the number, in the order homeowners usually ask about them.

If you've started looking into new windows, you've probably noticed the same thing we hear from homeowners every week: nobody wants to just tell you a number. You get "it depends," a vague range, or a form that asks for your email before you see anything.

We all know what condensation on our water bottle on a hot July day looks like, and we usually know why it’s there: the cold water inside the bottle cools the surface of the bottle, so the warmer, humid outside air collects (and puddles) on the non-porous surface. That makes total sense. But why do my brand-new, supposedly energy-efficient windows have condensation on them in the morning?! These aren’t supposed to condensate!

Fall is riding in on her broomstick at top speed, even though it feels like we only just welcomed Summer.

So you have a service claim, now what?

First and foremost, STAY CALM! We are here for you!

You know how they say “April showers bring May flowers?” Why do they never mention what else April showers bring? The pollen. The mud. The grass that incessantly needs cut (seriously, like every 4 days). Let’s not forget the biggest bane of our existence: the “I need to spring clean” feeling.

Image by Natural Moments Photography

With everything that’s been happening in the home improvement industry over the past week, it can be very difficult to hold faith in any other home improvement company (I’m not talking about Lowe’s and Home Depot, here). After the closing of a very…apparently UN-profitable company this past week, how do you tell which companies are reputable and which are exactly like the company that closed?