Jalousie Window Replacement — Louvered Glass in Breezeways
The breezeway or porch still has the old crank louver windows: glass slats that never quite close, broken clips and cold air all winter.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Jalousie window replacement swaps the crank-operated glass louvers found in 1950s and 60s breezeways, porches and back entries for sliders, casements or vinyl porch panels. JMB Builders removes the jalousie frames, squares and repairs the opening, and sets the new units with flashing and trim across the Twin Cities metro. Priced per opening, quoted from photos, with a reply within one business day.
- Priced per opening
- Heated room or porch decides the window
- Openings squared and framed first
Jalousie windows are rows of glass slats in a metal frame that tilt open together when you turn a crank. They went into breezeways between the house and garage, back porches, and entry doors in the 1950s and 60s. The slats overlap but never seal, the clips that hold them rust and let go, and the operators strip. Single glass and a leaky metal frame mean they are cold in winter no matter what.
What replaces them depends on the room. A breezeway or porch that is heated, or that you want to heat, gets real insulated windows: sliders, casements, or a picture unit with an opening window. A porch that stays unheated in winter usually gets vinyl porch panels, which are lighter and open wider. The Eze-Breeze porch page covers those panels in detail.
Jalousie openings were often framed loosely: ganged units with thin mullions, out of square, sitting on a flat sill with no pan. Once the old frames are out we square the opening, add framing at the mullions where the new units need it, repair the sill and flash it before the new windows go in. The glass slats are handled as broken glass; they come out one at a time.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
What you supply
- Photos of the room inside and out and a close-up of one jalousie frame
- Whether the room is heated, or will be
- Your choice of window or porch panel style, or ask us to suggest one
- Plants and furniture moved back from the windows
What JMB supplies
- In-home measure of every opening before anything is ordered
- Glass slats and frames removed and hauled away
- Openings squared; mullion framing added where needed
- Sill repaired, sill pan and flashing installed
- New windows or porch panels set, sealed and trimmed outside
- Interior trim, pine or PVC, at each opening
- Painting quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and paint it yourself
How it is priced: per opening
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Insulated windows vs. vinyl porch panels
- How many jalousie units are ganged in one opening
- Framing needed at mullions and out-of-square openings
- Sill and wall condition under the old frames
- Exterior finish: capping, PVC trim or siding patch
- Interior trim style and material
Tell us whether the room is heated, and send one photo that shows the whole wall of windows.
How long it takes
A breezeway or small porch with four to eight jalousie openings: about one to three days once the new units arrive.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Insulated windows
Sliders, casements or a picture unit with an opening window. For a breezeway or porch that is heated or will be, or a jalousie in the house wall itself.
Vinyl porch panels
Lightweight multi-track panels for a porch that stays unheated. They open wider than windows and keep wind and rain out in spring and fall.
Fixed glass with opening units
For a long wall of jalousies: fixed picture units with a casement or slider every few openings for air. Fewer moving parts.
Jalousie Window Replacement — Louvered Glass in Breezeways: questions, answered
Can jalousie windows be repaired instead of replaced?
A broken slat or a single clip can sometimes be replaced, but parts are hard to find and the window still will not seal. Jalousies leak air at every slat by design. If the goal is a warmer or quieter room, replacement is the fix.
What do you replace jalousie windows with?
It depends on whether the room is heated. A heated breezeway or porch gets insulated windows such as sliders or casements. An unheated three season porch usually gets vinyl porch panels, which are lighter and open wider.
Why are jalousie windows so drafty?
The glass slats overlap but never press against a seal, and the metal frame and single glass carry cold straight through. Air moves through every joint between slats even when the crank is fully closed. There is no adjustment that makes them airtight.
Can I put regular windows in a breezeway that had jalousies?
Yes. The jalousie frames come out, the openings are squared and framed where the new units need it, and the windows are flashed and trimmed like any other replacement. If the breezeway will be heated, insulation and an outlet for heat are worth planning at the same time.
Is it dangerous to remove jalousie glass?
The slats are plain glass with exposed edges, and old clips can let go while you handle them. We remove them one at a time with gloves and eye protection and haul them away. It is not a job for a ladder and bare hands.
Can you replace a jalousie door too?
Yes. A jalousie door, usually the back or breezeway door, is replaced with a storm door or a new exterior door depending on whether it is the main weather door. That is quoted as its own line next to the windows.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and the builders we work with. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
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Read morePage reviewed October 9, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All windows pages
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