Whether it's a misguided baseball, or storm damage, sooner or later most homeowners will have to deal with window replacement, a chore that is not high on any handyman's list of things they want to do with their spare time.

This could involve storm window replacement, replacement of window screens, or installing an entire replacement window. No matter the reason for the work, you really need to take a few things into account before heading for the building supply store.

The first consideration is the age of your home. Older houses, particularly farm-style or country houses, tend to have very old types of windows, consisting of wooden sashes and hardware that is no longer made. If you wish to keep the antique look intact, you might have to search out a supplier of obsolete or out-of-date locks and fastenings to complete your work.

Most modern houses lean towards convenience, and window replacement for them is fairly simple, involving a building industry standard sized window that is easy to acquire. These are also the type of windows that have such features as sliding multiple panes that save you the bother of storm window replacement.

They do, however, have screen panels for summer, but screen window replacements for modern windows are also easy to obtain, and pop right into the sliding tracks.

If you're considering window replacement for energy efficiency, it is unlikely you will get exactly the same dimension windows that you have now, unless they are custom made. In that case, it would be wise to seek the advice of experts at your building supply store, or hire a professional to make sure you get the most out of your remodeling dollars.