WINDOW REPLACEMENT

Your first step is to set up a window committee to decide whether you need to repair or replace. Existing windows can sometimes be fixed by replacing the "valances" (the mechanism inside the window's frame that assists in opening and closing) to make the windows operate more smoothly, by redoing the caulking or by installing thin sealant to reduce drafts. According to Anne Marie Bode, vice president at the window-service company JBF Installations, that route may give your windows five to 10 more years of life, and is cheaper and less disruptive than replacement.

How do you know if your building's windows should be repaired or replaced? You may consider hiring an architect or engineer to conduct a survey of your windows' condition. This can determine the number of windows with problems and their level of deterioration. But such services aren't inexpensive: Depending on the scope, architects/engineers charge from $175 to $200 an hour for preliminary work; for more involved consultation on, say, a 600-window building, the project fee could run to $25,000.

Cost, indeed, may be the biggest factor in window decisions, since, unlike with boilers and elevators, boards generally don't plan ahead for window replacement, says Eric Lash, director of management at Alexander Wolf and Company, who says such work "falls under the radar."

Windows XP-ensive

Buildings generally replace all their windows at once because they get a better price that way. Even so, replacement projects aren't cheap. Susan Liddicoat, board president of a 31-unit co-op on Manhattan's Upper West Side, says her building spent about $245,000 on new windows and installation, plus $44,000 for the engineer's fee and sidewalk scaffolding.

Still, don't skimp. You don't want to install cheap windows that you'll only have to replace in five years. A common aluminum double-hung window can range from $350 to $1,250 each. A Pella -brand window, which is aluminum on the outside and wood on the inside, runs $1,300 to $1,400. Costs vary depending on size, style, color, finish of the window and any special features, such as laminated glass for sound reduction.

Lash says the most common way to pay for a window project is through an assessment. He's also seen buildings use money from the reserve fund, obtain financing, run a credit line or do a combination of these approaches. Assessments for window- replacement projects generally draw fewer complaints from residents than some others, since every resident directly benefits — unlike, say, an elevator replacement, from which first- or second-floor dwellers don't much benefit.

Because a window-replacement project is a capital improvement, it may make your building eligible for a J-51 tax abatement, which reduce a building's taxes by a percentage of a project's "certified reasonable cost." But qualifying for J-51 is fairly complex; you can get specifics at this New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development page.

Green Windows

Another issue to consider is cost savings through energy efficiency. Windows with low-emittance (or "low-e") glass has a coating on it to reduce heat-loss through the window. Other high-performance windows have argon gas between the panes to improve energy efficiency.

On the downside, low-e coating reflects light inward, so at night you won't be able to see out the windows, warns Eugene Ferrara, president of JMA Consultants, Inc., of North Bergen, N.J. And the windows cost more than standard windows. On the other hand, such green windows may make you eligible for a low-interest "New York Energy $mart" loan from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

Sound resistance is yet another option. Sound-resistant windows, which also cost more than conventional, typically use laminated glass — two pieces of glass with plastic in between — to reduce audio vibrations tremendously. But Dennis Gagne, Pella's vice president of sales, notes that "where air travels, sound travels," so if you eliminate drafts with basic new windows, you'll also eliminate commensurate sound transmission.

Note that New York City and other municipalities require fire-rated windows, which are able to hold up to heat pressure, in any windows on a property line wall and in stairwells.

Most replacement windows should last 20 to 30 years, and come with warranties from both the manufacturer and the contractor that installs them. You will generally get a five-year warranty for the window and a 10-year warranty for the glass. Some come with a 10-year warranty for the window, a two-year warranty for parts and labor, and a 20-year warranty for the glass.

What type of window do you want? Having options is great but it makes picking appropriate windows for your building a challenge. That's where an architect or engineer comes in handy again, though a good board will do its own research and not take the professionals' word as sacrosanct.