Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Ok...it has been a couple of weeks since I have last posted. I have been working on a couple of projects, but nothing like the deck. I have replaced one of the worst windows in the house (this post) and finished deconstruction on the upstairs bedroom. I did pick up the hardwood flooring for that bedroom today. We need 170sq.ft and I was able to pickup 140 sq. ft of Prefinished Beech Hardwood off of Craigslist for $100.

The window I replaced is one of the ones in our bedroom and by far the worst window in the house.. not only can you literally see the curtains blowing in the wind ( with the window fully closed of course) but the panes of glass were literally falling out of the window. Of course, I could have reglazed the window panes, but because the window was warped, it would not solve the energy loss problem. Even with a storm window installed.

I replaced it this with some help from Anthony and I think it turned out great!! I decided to use a new construction window for the following reasons:
  1. The rough opening for the framing of the window is about 4" taller and 3" wider than the rough opening dimensions of the current window. This means that I can get a window that is larger in both directions. The old window was 30" wide by 53" tall. The rough opening is 34.25" wide by 57.25" tall.
  2. Home Depot sells Andersen Windows with Rough Opening requirements of 34" x 57.25". PERFECT!! They also have Grids Between the Glass (GBG), Low-E Coating and Argon Gas filled between the panes. They are double hung, vinyl (low maintenance), with tilt-in for cleaning. All for $175! A deal! Of course this means new molding, but since the molding that we like is Rosette's and Fluted, this is not a problem. And the molding costs about $30 for the window (including the new sill).
  3. A new construction window seals better on the outside of the house than a replacement window.
Interior Picture Old Window (after molding removed)


Exterior Picture of Old Window:


During Construction:


Finished Interior Picture! Major improvement.



Finished Exterior Picture. Since the trim on the old window was a lot wider than the trim on the window, there was a gap to fill in. I used pieces of PVC and ripped them down to the correct width. Obviously not as nice as if the siding went into the J-Channel, but still much nicer in comparison.