Storm windows

[perc-o-prince]

We finally placed the orders for the rest of the storm windows for the house. Two are larger picture windows and we need to work to try to find a supplier, but all the rest of the windows on the house are covered! They're wood windows and require maintainence like glazing and painting. To replace them with wood windows would be cost prohibitive. Vinyl replacements would destroy the character of the house. The pictures are before and after installation of the storms we ordered. These are the largest windows on the house and each of these cost about $225 after a 15% sale price and another 10% off competitor's coupon.

 

We noticed that on the windows we did last year there was much less drafting. Hopefully, this takes care of a lot more and will make a dent in our oil use this winter! Later this month we'll have a boiler control installed that has a guarantee of saving us 10% in fuel the first year. We'll see!

 

Chuck

 

 

[perc-o-prince]

The storms went up rather easily, all things considered. Now, it's watch and wait!

 

 

[whirlcool]

When I was a kid my Dad used to have to carry those large and heavy storm windows from the garage to the house and then up ladders to the second and third floor to install them. Then the reverse would happen in the spring. My uncle used to come over to help so they could get the job done in a weekend.

I think your windows look fine.

 

[westingman123]

They look great!

Well in keeping with the character of your home. Do your double-hung windows open from the top down, as well? I miss those.

 

[volvoguy87]

A resource.

Old windows can be rendered more energy efficient than new ones (and a whole lot longer lasting too).

Dave

Bob Yapp – About Your House

 

[Iowegian]

Storm windows are a good thing!

They have kind of fallen out of favor, what with the TV people wanting to sell triple-glazed replacement windows. I mean, argon must be good, right?

If you have single-glazed windows, then storms are your friend.

Just make sure the little notches at the bottom are open to let a little air circulate and to let condensation drips out so that your main window sashes don't rot.

Otherwise, rock on.

 

[danemodsandy]

The Other Advantage:

Windows break. Kids put rocks and baseballs through them, or a sash can fall and slam shut with huge force, or a tree branch can go ka-POW! right into one.

And when that happens to one of today's windows, it's often time to replace the window, because its twin-pane glass has been put in and sealed with technology that your local handyman or hardware store can't duplicate.

Even that would not be such a problem if window companies made the same windows year in, year out, and carefully put a permanent brand name and model number on them so that you could easily order a replacement. But they often don't. Quick - WHO made your new windows? If you had them put in, you might have it on file somewhere. But if you bought a house with them already installed, good luck sometimes finding out whose units you own. Even if you know, good luck matching them if they're more than a few years old - if the big-box store they came from even carries that brand any more.

Which means you may end up with a mis-matched window when one gets broken. Better to have prime windows and storms that can be repaired, is my feeling. [this post was last edited: 11/12/2012-14:52]

 

[wayupnorth]

I replaced all of my old single pane windows with newer vinyl insulated ones. After 10 years, they have just started to leak a little cold air around them because the weather strips are starting to disintegrate. So now I will have to use a sealer tape around all of them every fall. The one great thing about the replacement ones I have found is much less total window surfaces to wash and much easier to do with the tilt in feature. I originally had 120 total window surfaces to clean with the old double hungs and worthless outside combination windows on a ladder and the vinyl ones cut that down to 44. But I remember my father putting the old fashioned storm windows on every fall and replacing them with screens in the spring.

 

[davey7]

I've been slowly putting storm windows in (mine as inside mount sliders for my steel casements) - they DO make a huge difference. But it's still not all that cold here in Chicago (or so says I).

 

[rolls_rapide]

I remember that my parents and my maternal grandparents had secondary glazing - fitted to the inside; i.e facing into the room.

I remember my gran's secondary glazing slid, to accommodate cleaning.

 

[davey7]

Can any of our Canadian readers tell us the story of the frameless glass sliding windows that one used to see in Canada? I.e. windows like a 60's china cabinet with a little thumb latch to press the panes tight against each other.

 

[travis]

It's great that you didn't replace your windows.  I replaced mine in a former house and was never happy with the new windows,

 

I recently moved to a 1930 house that's very original, but with 1990's storm windows.  One of my friends was shocked that I took a sash that had a bowed rail to the planing mill to have it rebuilt.  I absolutely refuse to destroy the integrity of this house.

 

I am giving up on making the top sashes open.  They're painted shut and require too much work to make them open.  I like a/c anyway!

 

[perc-o-prince]

Well, most of them are up. We have one to put up on the back of the house that we can do ourselves tomorrow, and another 2 rooms to the right that we'll have to get someone to install. It's just too high!

We have two windows that we couldn't get storms for (so far). Because of the size, they needed to have verticle mullions installed. The guy I ordered them with said that he couldn't recommend removing them, but they're like the little supports that are on some of the other storms so once the windows are installed.... Turns out they actually split the window into two windows and are a built-in fixture! This meant that we'd have a strip about 1.25" wide going down the center of our 9-pane picture window (well, both of them). Homo Depot gladly refunded them with no restocking charge, and is trying to find us something suitable. They have one to offer that mounts on the inside, but we also want the exterior storms to protect the paint and glazing. In the meantime, I'll use the plastic window insulating kits- probably on the outside.

Then, I have 4 on the front of the house that I installed in sub-freezing weather last winter w/o caulk or weather stripping. I need to take those off, weather strip them, then put them back up. I'm betting maybe an hour to do the four. The way they fit, do I think that's really necessary? Probably not, but for the little time and expense it'll take, why not just to be sure!

Thanks for the encouragement! Now we'll see about this AquaSmart boiler control later this month!

Chuck

 

[norgeway]

I Know they are NOT efficent!

But I SO want a house with 1950s steel casement windows!! Nothing screams 50s quite as much!!!

 

[hydralique]

50's Stuff . . .

Nothing screams 50s quite as much!!!

 

How about aluminum jalousie windows? What with those and an aluminum Christmas tree how can one go wrong?

 

[danemodsandy]

Um....

"How about aluminum jalousie windows? What with those and an aluminum Christmas tree how can one go wrong?"

Well, jalousies leak so much air it might be hard to keep the tree upright....

* ducks and runs *