Considering Replacing your original windows?

[OakParkSpartan]

Think again according to this article.

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/should-your-old-wood-windows-be-saved.aspx?ac=ts&ra=fp

That is from the April/May issue of Fine Homebuilding.

Net of the article is that it often makes more sense to repair than replace.  Payback times due to energy savings can run many decades. 

[AmazonAnne]

Actually, my question to everyone might fall along this topic. We have two sets of french doors in our family room facing the street, they are from the 20's or 30's when the house was built and the paint on them is chipping and flaking quite a bit, my husband was at first going to take them off the hinges to refinish, since we dont want new french doors and there are 12 panes of glass in each, but he is afraid he wont get them back on the hinges plus alot of refinishing has go into them, we wondered if anyone has a recommendation on who or what company can take these down for us and strip the paint and refinish so they look nice again? We definitely want to preserve these doors and the glass.  Thanks!

[n01_important]

Think again according to this article.

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/should-your-old-wood-windows-be-saved.aspx?ac=ts&ra=fp

That is from the April/May issue of Fine Homebuilding.

Net of the article is that it often makes more sense to repair than replace.  Payback times due to energy savings can run many decades. 

Yes but who does that work locally? 

[Robert Pauly]

Didn't / couldn't read the article - does it address the issue of lead paint?  Unless older windows are wet stripped of old, lead paint, older windows are a disaster waiting to happen.

[Bonster]

I would still rather strip the old paint and restore over putting in some plastic cheese.

Hey Bob, I've been looking into some interesting roof venting options lately in my search for a roofer.

[watcher]

I would still rather strip the old paint and restore over putting in some plastic cheese.

Hey Bob, I've been looking into some interesting roof venting options lately in my search for a roofer.

Re: windows, we've been replacing w/ Marvin Tilt-pak http://www.marvin.com/?page=Tilt_Pac_Double_Hungwood retrofits keeping the combo storm windows.
Full six foot windows. 4 down. 5 to go.

We decided to rebuild/ resash the front bay windows. Two side 33x72 DHs.
Our Front Bay middle window is a 24 x 48 fixed leaded top with a 48x48 single hung lower sash.

[Robert Pauly]

I would still rather strip the old paint and restore over putting in some plastic cheese.

Hey Bob, I've been looking into some interesting roof venting options lately in my search for a roofer.

Well, the deed is done in my house - insulated in the winter - have to add a ridge vent - perhaps poke some holes in the soffits - the project is on hold due to my aching back and pocketbook!

It took me a summer to strip and stain seven of my stained glass windows - I'll take the plastic cheese any day (for my side and back windows)!

[Ted]

Think again according to this article.

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/should-your-old-wood-windows-be-saved.aspx?ac=ts&ra=fp

That is from the April/May issue of Fine Homebuilding.

Net of the article is that it often makes more sense to repair than replace.  Payback times due to energy savings can run many decades. 

My Mom replaced her windows about 10 years ago and has regretted it ever since.  The new windows do not seem to keep out the cold as much as the old windows.

  Ted

[Bonster]

I would still rather strip the old paint and restore over putting in some plastic cheese.

Hey Bob, I've been looking into some interesting roof venting options lately in my search for a roofer.

Well, the deed is done in my house - insulated in the winter - have to add a ridge vent - perhaps poke some holes in the soffits - the project is on hold due to my aching back and pocketbook!

It took me a summer to strip and stain seven of my stained glass windows - I'll take the plastic cheese any day (for my side and back windows)!

No question - I did the plastic cheese on my nondescript side windows. 

There are some really nice intake venting options out there now if you have bead board soffits you'd like to keep intact.  I haven't chosen mine yet, but will probably start a thread illustrating what I've found.

I will say the much touted (here) Moore Construction is out. 

[Ted]

I will say the much touted (here) Moore Construction is out. 

Why?

[jake]

Well, the deed is done in my house - insulated in the winter - have to add a ridge vent - perhaps poke some holes in the soffits - the project is on hold due to my aching back and pocketbook!

Depending on the type of insulation you used, you may need to add the baffles to maintain airflow and make sure the insulation (especially the blown in kind) doesn't block the soffits.  The baffles are very cheap and worth the few minutes to install.

[Robert Pauly]

Well, I installed those 1" Styrofoam spacers / baffles / vents against the roof decking before installing roll insulation.  I was careful to leave about a foot unexposed at the roof's peak, and I didn't insulate over the soffits.  Assuming the soffits work (I really don't know if they're functional as the original wooden soffits are now aluminum clad - the aluminum has vents but do the original soffits?), I'll now have air flow from the soffits through the baffles to the peak of the roof - I need to add more peak venting as I now just have two of those cap type vents.

[Bonster]

Bob: Do your aluminum covers have vents or perforations?







If they ruined cut vents into your bead board soffits, and you were able to properly install the baffles you should have felt some air movement.  Were you able to see daylight when installing them, or is your flooring fairly tight up against the trusses?

[Bonster]

If they DIDN't vent your soffits I'd seriously consider tearing off the aluminum, restoring the bead board, and use a modern alternative intake vent system.


TED: Moore does not do any other intakes than those which destroy your soffits.  They, so far, are only 2 of 9 roofers I've gotten quotes from who do not do or do not know about alternative intake venting.
If you have plain soffits or your bead board is rotted/beyond repair that's OK I guess. 

Alternatives include venting above the gutter (into a slot which runs the length of the roofline about 6 inches up from the gutter), and fascia venting where the intake is actually between the gutter and fascia boards (slotted fascia).  I'm surprised that some don't use any alternative venting solutions as it's common on roofs with little or no overhang.

[buzz]

Bons, I was expecting a very different response about Moore.  The folks I know all said they came in "too high" on the original estimates.  Didn't use them.
How do they price out compared to other folks ?

[Bonster]

They priced out about average.  Overall they were the lowest simply because they don't do edge/fascia venting which usually costs an extra Grand.

For the basic roof (sans gutters/venting) my quotes ranged from 5700 to 7050, and I believe theirs (a year ago) was about 6200.  They quoted about 1350 for gutters, and the range was about 1200 to 1950.  Michael Moore said he'd have to look into these alternatives and start implementing them.  He can practice on someone else's house.

[Robert Pauly]

Bons - yes, I have the perforated vents in the aluminum - every 6 or 8 feet or so.  In the attic, the sub-flooring is pretty tight against the roof joists - there's 1/4" spacing between boards - I thought I felt air movement.  A neighbor has the original bead board and it is not vented that I see - I'm guessing that the aluminum vents are venting into solid bead board.

No way in hell I'm removing that aluminum - my house is bastardized to the point where a little aluminum isn't going to hurt it!

[Bonster]

Have someone stand on a ladder with a fan blowing on the perforations, see if you feel a breeze from your baffles.  That or have someone hold a cigarette under them, see if smoke makes it up there.  

Often the perforations are so small they do not allow enough air.  The article I took that pic from was from a roofer poo-poo'ing that style of intake vent.  He also states ridge vents don't work well as the hot air has to fight gravity as it rises to the peak, then back down to the vent openings.  I have to believe there's some merit to this as some vent companies add a baffle to (supposedly) create a low pressure area around the opening to help draw air out.  That said, that particular roofer based in Phoenix...and I will be using a ridge vent.

[Robert Pauly]

I see a lot of bungalows with attics finished in the when-Berwyn-was-cool days - they sure as hell didn't worry about baffles, not putting insulation against the roof decking, ridge vents, et al, and I don't see any of those roofs caving in - maybe I'll pay later for not being more anal - then again, these new shingles are going to last longer than I am.

[Bonster]

I see a lot of bungalows with attics finished in the when-Berwyn-was-cool days - they sure as hell didn't worry about baffles, not putting insulation against the roof decking, ridge vents, et al, and I don't see any of those roofs caving in

Of course you don't see them.  For one you probably don't have many really shitty roofs in your 'hood, and homeowners have been replacing their rotting roofs regularly in Berwyn since long before even you were born.  You couldn't be more wrong about attic venting either; none of this is new-age physics, just new to you as a do-it-yourself-er.  Ideas such as ridge and edge venting are merely advancements in accomplishing the task. 

(Actually, you can do away with baffles and put insulation directly against the roof decking if you're willing to pay extra for closed-cell foam.)

then again, these new shingles are going to last longer than I am.

Wanna bet?