Key numbers
103 verified hail storms with stones of 1.5 inches or larger reached El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs, from 2000 to 2025 in the storm records we keep; the largest measured 4.5 inches (softball size) on July 13, 2011 (NOAA NCEI).
| Hail storms by decade, 2000 to 2025 | 2000s: 35, 2010s: 44, 2020s: 24 Source: Storm library: El Paso County hail history |
|---|---|
| Largest hail | 4.5 in. (softball), July 13, 2011 Source: NOAA NCEI |
| Costliest hail storm | $352.8 million insured losses (2016 dollars), July 28, 2016 Source: RMIIA |
| 71% | 71% of Colorado homes had double- or triple-pane windows in 2020, versus 65% nationally. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2020 |
| 18.34 million | 18.34 million occupied U.S. homes were built in the 1970s, the most of any single decade bin in RECS 2020 (20.26 million were built before 1950). Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2020 |
| 40% | DOE says thin-triple windows improve window energy performance by 40% or more over traditional two-pane windows. Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Office, 2022 |
A storm counts when the library lists El Paso County among the areas it hit. Each hail size is the storm's largest report, which may have fallen in a neighboring county, and insured losses cover every area the storm hit.
Integrity Roofing and Painting replaces windows in existing Colorado Springs homes. We most often install Simonton replacement windows, and we can install another brand if you have one in mind. Every window is measured to its opening, set level and square, and flashed into the wall so water drains out instead of into the framing. We replace windows only; we do not supply windows for new construction or additions.
When windows are worth replacing
Replacement is not always the right answer. Sometimes a failed seal, a broken balance or worn weatherstripping can be repaired. Our repair or replace guide walks through that choice. Replacement usually makes sense when you see:
- Rotted or cracked frames and sills, not just peeling paint.
- Fogging between panes on many windows, which means the insulating seals have failed.
- Single-pane or early aluminum windows that frost inside in winter.
- Hail damage: cracked glass, split vinyl, or dented aluminum frames and wraps after a storm. See hail-damaged windows.
- Sashes that will not open for ventilation or escape.
Insert or full-frame replacement
| Insert (pocket) replacement | Full-frame replacement | |
|---|---|---|
| What comes out | Sash and hardware; old frame stays | Whole window, down to the rough opening |
| Best when | Frame is solid, square and dry | Frame is rotted, out of square or leaking |
| Flashing | Relies on the existing wall flashing | New sill pan, jamb and head flashing tied into the wall barrier |
| Glass area | Slightly smaller | Same as the opening allows |
We decide after looking at the old frame. If there are signs of water in the wall, insert windows only hide the problem, so we go full-frame and flash the opening. How we do that is explained in replacement window flashing.
Code rules that apply to replacement windows
- Escape openings (R310.5). A replacement window in a bedroom escape opening is exempt from the size and sill-height rules only if it is the manufacturer’s largest standard size that fits and gives the same or more opening area.
- Safety glass (R308.4). Tempered or other safety glazing is required in hazardous locations, including glass in and next to doors, large panes close to the floor, glass by tubs and showers, and glass beside stairs and landings.
- Flashing (R703.4.1). Windows are flashed per the window maker’s instructions, or with a sill pan and head and jamb protection when the instructions are silent.
Pikes Peak Regional Building Department handles permits for most of the area; see our Colorado Springs building code data.
Altitude, sun and wildfire
Colorado Springs sits above 6,000 feet. Insulating glass units built near sea level can bow when they arrive here, so glass makers use capillary or breather tubes to equalize pressure. Cardinal Glass notes that units with capillary tubes are not argon filled, so their U-factor should be based on air fill. Ask for the altitude-adjusted rating; window energy ratings explains how to read the label. On west-side lots in the wildland urban interface, tempered or multi-pane glass is part of a hardened home; see WUI siding, eaves and decks.
Homes built before 1978
Under EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, window replacement in housing built before 1978 is always covered work, whatever the size, and contractors paid to do it must be certified firms using lead-safe practices. If your home is that old, tell us when you book so the job is planned for it; lead-safe prep for pre-1978 homes explains the rule.
Windows with siding and roofing
Window flashing ties into the wall’s water-resistive barrier, so replacing windows during a siding replacement gives the best detail. We also handle roof replacement, gutters and exterior painting, so one crew owns the whole exterior.
Get a window replacement estimate
Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred roofing contractor with 650+ Google reviews. Our office is at 115 N Union Blvd. Call (719) 488-2800 or book a free inspection; we respond the same business day. Ask about financing.
Sources: Simonton, Lifetime Limited Warranty, Replacement Products; 2021 IRC sections R308.4 and R310.5 (UpCodes); 2021 IRC section R703.4 (UpCodes); Cardinal Glass, Capillary Tubes; EPA, RRP Program: Contractors.
