Windows Continued
Who knew windows were so controversial?
Okay, so if you read the houseblogs the thing to do is renovate your windows when you have an old house, not replace them. The theory is that windows were made much better "back then," that you will lose value with new windows, that seals will break after 20 years or less, and that you lose the historic integrity of your house. I think there is more.
This means getting new glass and sashes and doing all kinds of things to your old windows, which you can pay people to do, of course.
Or, you can get new windows.
I appreciate the arguments for restoration. For many things I agree, but I don't want to restore my windows and I don't want to restore my furnace. I want the best so that I can start to move my old ass house into the future, with solar panels and a green room and wind turbines...
There was a question of what was wrong with my windows. I ask, where should I start?
1) They are 106 years old. They are originals.
2) Many do not stay open, they have to be propped up.
3) They are forever dirty, no cleaning will help.
4) Some do not have screens.
5) Some do not have storms, which means water comes into the house and runs down the walls and ruins my kitchen, bedroom, and dining room walls.
6) The wood isn't in good condition for many of the windows.
7) A lot of the hardware needs to be replaced.
8) Some do not open.
9) Some do not open or close easily (I think they are warped.)
10) The metal that currently shows on the outside of the house is much uglier than the brown vinyl would be.
11) Chipping lead paint.
12) Rotting wood.
13) Stickers of old security systems on the windows.
14) They are totally and completely energy inefficient.
So, with all that said, I found out that the window bid did include argon gas and all that in the windows, which is awesome. We are getting more bids, but the bids probably are only going to be on new windows.
posted by Kassie @ 9/07/2006
6 Comments:
yea, windows are a big sore spot for most folks and you will hear everything from both sides of the argument. Old wood sashes have their strong points and fancy new clad pcv/wood sashes have theirs as well. I too have 106 year old sashes to deal with and down here in Milwaukee the weather is not much better. So, some of the windows are getting the replacement treatment, and others are getting the rebuild treatment. On the ground floor I like te look of my old sashes, and they have fancy pulls and locks that plain old would not work on new or replacement windows. That and most of them are very LARGE, large enough that replacement windows would be pricy. So, they are getting a carefull rebuild. I look forward to the day ( sometime next summer ) when I can open the top sashes and keep the bottoms closed for security. Up on the secodn floor the bathrooms were a no-brainer new and the best stuff I can find as I dont want to freez when I get out of a hot tub. the front bedrooms are still in pretty good shape so a small rebuild, the rest are going to be replacements. From the street no one will know the difference. 8^)
That leaves teh attic, all 100% new, again I dont want to freeze while I am wathicng a movie.
Ivan
No worries. Some people choose to replace and some people choose to restore. In referring you to the discussion in the forum, I was just implying that there are ways to save money by restoring windows versus replacing them. But if you have the funds and would like to replace them, it is definitely your decision and don't let others make you feel badly for it.
If you plan to stay in the house for a few years and you are going to replace the windows, you might want to consider a reputable wood clad window that will last longer than a season or two. It may cost you more in replacement costs, but you won't end up with drafty windows in 2-3 seasons.
Make sure your installer (or you) insulates the pockets above, below and on both sides of the window framing (behind the trim). Honestly, this is where you are losing a lot of heat. It would be discouraging, I think, to get new windows installed and still be losing heat.
If you want to retain the original window aesthetic, you could also keep the originals in the front of the house and replace the windows everywhere else. There are many folks who do that as well.
Be careful of lead dust during replacement and make sure that your installer has a plan for reducing the dust. Taking out the old windows will actually create more lead dust (that is why many communities stopped requiring parents of children who tested positive for lead to replace windows and concentrated on encouraging them to keep windowsills dust-free. They realized that replacing the windows was creating more of a lead dust problem.)
Take good care.
Oh! And please post pictures of any of the windows you will remove. There might be folks who would love to salvage them. I'm still looking for a few wood storm replacements for our house.
Kassie-- Our house had new windows put in before we bought it. And let me just say that I'm SOOOO glad I have them. After seeing the shape our neighbors' windows are in, I feel so lucky that we have a house with energy efficient double hung windows. Although a lot of house preservation fans love originals, in this market having new windows is a big selling point for the average buyer of an old house. It's a big investment that a lot of people aren't ready to make as soon as they buy, so it will definitely help your resale value, in my opinion.
money pit
Hi;
I just found your blog.
I just went through this process myself - 5 quotes ranging from 40K for full replacement to 25K for Anderson Rewewal Inserts.
We went the route of restoration with two new windows to replace vintage 1980s casements upstairs back to double hungs.
What I've learned:
1.) You overpay for Renewal by Anderson by about 2X
2.) The Infinity Series by Marvin gives you the option of painting thr windows, yet still having the best modern technology.
3.) A-Craft makes a good wood replacement - but the windows require a storm window. The average cost with be about $280 per opening + installation and the cost of the storm.
4.) SP Custom Carpentry does excellent work on repair of rotted wood and trim and they custom make storm windows that look old fashioned but which can be changed from the inside. Most of the time - the exterior caulking failure is what caused your problem and not necessarily the windows themselves. In the cases where you have no storm windows, of course, no wood window can survive this climate without regular maintenance and should have a storm window. I hightly recommend SP. 952-890-7141.
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