Replacement Windows with grids or without grids

Vinyl Replacement Windows Plano

Should I Grid or Not Grid the new residential windows in my home.

Okay I am biased here.  I've seen hundreds of examples of replacement windows in my career so I have a bigger canvass than I can share in one post but this one from Plano is pretty eye opening.

In the pictures you can see the difference between how close the pool looks, how big the rooms look and that's well before you look at window performance or reviews or installation teams and their reputations.  This one is about the looks of the windows themselves.

Okay same job in Plano.  I'll get tired of posting these eventually so towards the end if they get more poorly edited please bear with me.  I'm doing a lot on this end.  Replacement windows are a tough job and I don't find myself with as much photoshop time as I'd like.  

The cost to do this goes up over operating windows in the before picture.  The new ones, being picture windows are subject to safety code requiring tempered glass in the window.  Removing the horizontal bar is a home designer and interior decorator "must have" in many cases.

Sorry about the weird angle.  It does show the difference between a continuous arch window and a half circle over an operating window well.  The real value here is the two piece covers the inside of the blinds when you have them.  With the before picture, blinds would look really bad from the outside.

The rest of these are at random.

What's this? A huge hole with no insulation and no foam that hangs about two inches below the framework and above my window?   No, say it isn't so.  Yes your builders grade windows came with builders grade installation.  Installation is really the most important part of any replacement window project. 

Ahhh, doesn't that seem better?  My new window will be very happy right there.

Better view of the pool for sure.  Bigger feel to the windows and much more light.

A more contemporary look overall.  Grids were used for almost 70 years but that was before homes had tens of thousands of dollars invested in back yard kitchens, pools, cabanas, landscaping, gardens, streams and lake views.  Now life is different so design trends in windows are definitely different.

This one above surprises me everytime.  Builders never insulate that little triangle above the half circles.  If I see it I put spray foam in there but this always makes me wonder.  It should make you want to buy a thermal gun if you have circle top windows or arch top windows.  This happens in both.  If your window guy really loves you he foams the void.  Otherwise the heat and cold really can conduct right through above the window.

So I really have to add a few jobs to this page at some point.  I hope this gives you an idea what the difference can look like.  Do share or comment if you have time.  

Vinyl Replacement Windows to Replace Steel Casement Bow Windows

Vinyl Replacement Windows to Replace Steel Casement Bow Windows

Start to finish window installation in Dallas Texas for a new updated look on a 50's era home.

These are interesting.  When I get one it's always a little complicated.  Sheetrock work needed inside where the sides change.  Brick mason needed to straighten out the bottoms.  In this case, everything had to come up an inch and a half as the openings were 74 and casements max out at 72 inches tall.

 Here are some before, during and after shots.  the cans and trash were in the wall when we opened it up.  Old builders did strange stuff sometimes.

Hail Damaged Aluminum Windows in Texas - How the Insurance Company will Evaluate the Window Damage.

Replace Glass or Windows?

Hail damage to the windows, should you get glass replacement or full window replacement and what does insurance pay for?

Also tips if you're next to see hail damage to the windows on your home.

Also, how to maximize the insurance payment towards new replacement windows.

Eighty percent of Wylie homes have damage from the April hailstorms.  Entire streets are boarded up and subdivisions ruined.  Because I'm a window guy, I'm going to share what I know and what I think you should know about the damage to your windows.

It's going to cost between $250 and $550 to actually replace or repair a window with really bad hail damage.  From what I can see insurance offers up about half of what they should, and advises you to get quotes and file a supplemental claim for additional costs.

I think this is done to slow down process and actually get off cheaper.  If you take the money and get upgraded windows you never notice in many cases.  When they offer you $28 or $32 to replace the cracked vinyl stripping around the insulated glass, they don't mention that often that stop is not replaceable because the glass has settled down on top of it and it can't be removed without breaking the glass.

Some "repairs" I've seen involved cutting it close with a utility knife and glueing a new piece over the glass trying to leave that old piece of the vinyl.  It's a pretty cheesy way to "fix" something.  The alternative can break the glass.  This is why even moderate damage to the vinyl stops needs to pay about $300 per window.  That's about $150 per glass lite.  Some folks may be cheaper.  I am not.  I don't think you should settle for less as this is about half of what you need to replace the window entirely with something that has a lifetime warranty, Low E Glass and Argon as well as other great upgrades.

Glass replacement is common.  A glass company is who does the job if it's glass only.  I refer the work to associates whom I trust.  The big ones and the circles are tricky to get right.

To contrast that.  If the frame is damaged, the $300 is really ineffective.  Also, it's like putting new tires on your worn out 1972 Ford Pinto.  You have new tires....   your car still sucks.    This does nothing for the energy ratings of the window, the seal of the weatherstripping or the squareness issues that may have arisen over time that cause leakage.

An average home has the equivalent of a two foot by two foot hole in the side of their house from leakage in a house full of builders grade type windows.

This isn't sales pitch though.  You knew that the old windows sucked.  I'm just reminding you while you research what will happen with builders grade aluminum windows that don't meet Energy Code anymore, homeowners insurance claims associated with hail damage, general contractors and how they deal with window vendors, installers or installation contractors.

Older aluminum builders grade windows can't usually be duplicated exactly either.  The ones in these Paul Taylor homes in Wylie are from HR windows which was bought out by Atrium.  They are always a little different overall ten years later specifically so they don't match.  The new windows will be mismatched unless you throw a fit with the adjuster and insist they replace them all so they match.  Good luck with that, let me know how it goes.

To replace old builders grade aluminum or vinyl double paned windows in a retrofit application will always run at least $450 per window and often $500 or $550 and up with really tall windows or windows with archtops or half circles over them.

Sorry John and Mary, that is indeed three windows in one opening.  Even on the cheap we're looking at $1600 bucks right there in that bedroom.  Really great ones $2200.  What are the insurance adjusters going to say?   $600 to $800 tops.

I was at a house today and the insurance offered $242 per window.  I charge $150 in labor.  It will be a really terrible window, and bad sealant if I spend $92 on both of them.

Also a twin window with a half circle is actually three windows not one.  Don't think you're getting off that easy.  It never goes like that.

Now to what I do.  I pull out the builders grade metal window and put in a lifetime warranty window with high performance heat reflective glass and so on that is roughly FOUR times more energy efficient than the old ones.....   that God apparently beat out of your house with a hail storm.

The cost on those is about $550 and up to about $800 on really big ones or archtop windows that are eight or seven feet tall or tempered.  As a point of reference, windows range in cost from $450 to $2000 each installed depending on the vendor.  My site has more about the cost of windows as it relates to replacement windows.

This is really about you not getting shorted on hail damage and the insurance settlement.  The supplimentals are where the contractor often finds a premium, and when he says he's going to cover your deductable....  that money comes from somewhere.  Guess where.

Long story ....   long.   However much the insurance is offering is probably not enough and you should look closely at the adjusters printout.  If you need window input specifically you can send me an email with pictures or other details and I'll tell you if it all looks correct.

If it's not I can help you find the best course of action even if it's not window replacement.  The truth is I think if I help you out now....   you'll remember later and tell someone.  I'll get my rewards later, for now let's get the house fixed.

Also....    Windows take a couple of weeks to produce as opposed to glass which can be done in a few days.  If the window frames are trashed, get new ones on order asap as it's not something that's sitting on a rack at the Home Depot waiting on you to show up and buy it.

No one is bringing you windows faster than two weeks and good ones are four to six weeks in some cases.  Waiting is not a great plan as then hundreds of windows are in line in front of you as well.

Windows are one area of the storm damage where faster can be better for sure.

Photo credits on two (aerial shot and windshield shots):

http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2016/04/about-80-percent-of-wylie-homes-damaged-in-hailstorm-initial-estimates-show.html/


http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2016/04/12/wylie-residents-patching-up-after-hail-hammers-homes/

Tips for after the hail damage to your homes windows when it's time to do the board up after the glass is smashed out.

Okay this may be controversial.....   Use plywood and screw it to the frame.  Ruin that frame real good securing the house so they have to replace the frame and the glass instead of just glass.

Let's just stop that variable from the get go.  Then use foam  or tape or both to seal the edges so you and your family aren't sitting in front of a window that leaks like it's open with wind blowing around it.  Do that from the inside and keep it on the frame and the wood.  Don't make a huge mess on the brick.  That's just dumb.

Or you could do what would be cheaper for the insurance company and use cardboard and tape....   not.    Hey.  Get comfortable, this fix isn't going to be fast.  You may as well get it really boarded up well and as airtight as possible.  Screwing up the frames will also make it a little different on the insurance pay out.    Keep in mind that if you screw to the trim around the window, that needs to be replaced or painted or both as well.

Questions?   Send me a note.  I'll do my best.  Or post them here.  Share this with your friends if it seems helpful at all.  I do so appreciate your reading so much.  As I often say.... That's 15 minutes you're never getting back!

Dave

dave@dallaswindows.com

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http://www.plus.google.com/+dallaswindows

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Easy Five Minute Fix for the Bottom of Your Homes Exterior Door

What can I do today to help the door on my house work better?

Knowing about adjustability in door thresholds.

I've been a window and door installation contractor for almost thirty years.  To this day I'd say only half the installers even give this fact any thought or share it with new customers.  Folks who have never purchased a door in their lives would have no reason to know this interesting fact.

Many, and in fact most modern door thresholds from the 80's forward are adjustable and can be made tighter or looser depending on the need on the home.  They raise and lower with an adjustment screw and most doors have at least 5 along the top.  Moving those thresholds up will make a better, tighter seal.

Here's an example picture...

The gold screw in the center of the oak strip is an adjustment screw.  It will move the oak strip up when loosened and will move it down when tightened.  It' is usually a #3 Phillips as seen here but the plastic threshold top with caps over it has flat head adjusters.  It was typical on cheaper door models.

I've never seen a plastic adjustable threshold and had the customer know it was adjustable.  This is often also the case with the Oak ones like you see here....   Very few folks know you can make it tighter or looser as needed.

In the winter it is certainly preferable to make the door tighter and get a better seal.  Also tighter seals will prevent some door slamming often associated with children and other wild animals that move through doors too quickly.  When the threshold is tight the door won't really slam.  They have to slow down and push it shut.  I like that when I'm napping.  I hate slamming doors.

This is by far one of the best 5 minute fixes on the house before it gets cold.

If you see someone with a towel by the door or some kind of door cozy U shaped stuffed animal hugging a friend or neighbor's door, you may want to share this awesome tip as well.

Older style thresholds and their adjustment.

The old metal style are tougher but when needed can be shimmed up on one side or another with shims from the local lumber store.  Then reseal the door to the floor with a clear sealant after making sure the door is sealing well.  Doors usually settle on one side or another and while this fixes the bottom, it really doesn't help the sagging or twisting that happens as a home settles over time.

These tips help with the seal at the bottom of the door, but can't fix bigger issues with the door and how it aligns with the jambs and weatherstripping on the jambs.

A sad reality is that houses settle, the wood succombs to the weight of the roof and upper components and moves down.  Sometimes as little as a quarter inch of movement can really throw out a doors fit.

The real fix for that issue is more like removing interior and exterior trim, cutting all the nails and actually moving the frame to a better location.

If this goes terribly south, you can always go to the lumber store and buy a replacement door.  Not a great one like I usually install, but one to do the job.  For reference sake, you may want to read my blog post from last year on door installation best practices.

Actual exterior door installation instructions can be found from this earlier post:

How to install an Exterior Pre- Hung Door

http://thewindowconnection.blogspot.com/2015/02/how-to-install-exterior-pre-hung-door.html

How to caulk replacement windows

The big reason to avoid circle top windows or watch out for this phase of construction.

I have seen this literally a hundred times.  No one puts insulation in the quarter circles.  Around the rectangles they do, but not that big arched triangle.  No wonder it's cold around the circletops.

This is a remodel from a late 60's build.  The sheetrock was removed to show a fairly large void with a two by four block to hold it at the right thickness.  No insulation at all, foam, expanding, non-expanded or otherwise.  This is quite typical in every home I work in with arches and half circles.

Happy Window Research!

Vinyl Window Frame Sizing

What about the frame thickness of new vinyl windows?

They look fat and ugly from many window manufacturers, but not all of them.

One of the things I love about North Dallas is the bow windows.  There are a lot and they do look cool.  More than 90% of them have not been replaced by a window contractor since the home was built and are original to the home.  It's mostly because that beautiful 5 unit bow is built from five different windows.  That being said, I had some fun with this one, It came out really well.

This was off of Park and Custer in North Dallas close to Plano.  The custom mulls make it different than a factory built unit and that's the plan for a retro-fit window installation.

Builders Grade Aluminum Windows are certainly cheap.

Something that works really well is preferable.

Many folks are concerned about the thickness of the frame on vinyl windows.  Although they are indeed thicker and some manufacturers, considerably thicker.  Some manufacturers build very slim line type frames like the ones we see here.  This is a main reason we offer so many manufacturers.  It's important to have choices especially ones that help you get it right.  This window manufacturer for instance doesn't build pre-fabbed bay or bow windows or french doors or skylights.  Getting the right product from the right people is really important in keeping window costs down.

Here's more from my before and after page:  Window Results: The Before & After Window Gallery

And the window gallery probably has a few that will help:  Window Gallery - Dallas Windows

This vinyl vertical operating single hung vinyl replacement window measures two and five eights inches in frame thickness.  That's about as small as it can get in a quality product.  Junky ones will have a narrower frame but are so narrow they lack rigidity needed to provide longevity.

With bow windows the rigidity is less of a factor due to non expansive foam filling inside custom bent mullions.  This was built from a Slim Line Vinyl Window from a local manufacturer we're very proud of:  NT Window  

Those are a before and after.  Slim Framed Vinyl Windows after with old steel casement putty glazed window as the before shot.  As you can see the frames don't get too thick if you use the right replacement windows.

Here are a few that just baffle me.  All have great manufacturers but just really don't measure up.  First on my list is the Jeldwen Vinyl Window.  Reviews are terrible and there are a lot of reasons.  I just think it's ugly.  Granted that one is dirty because it was in my storage but none the less, ugly.

Next on my list of window fails is actually the Millgard Vinyl Replacement Window.  While I think it may look great in a wood window opening up north, it's just not right for Dallas and North Texas.  It's just ugly especially in a brick opening.  I read good things, but hated the window.  It uses a spring bar system which depends on vinyl strings to hold the sashes and it has sash clips to remove the bottom sash instead of tilting in.  It leaves a lot of what I call "slop" in the sash.  This means I can open it two inches and slide it back and forth about three quarters of an inch.  It depends on weatherstipping that is on the face.  I think there are much better products that are actually cheaper.

This is the Andersen Vinyl Replacement Window.  The Series 200 most call it but I've seen rebranding jobs on this one.  Just at a glance, exterior stops are not great, weepholes are not preferable unless needed and that shouldn't be on a single hung.  It's just not what I think of as a long term product.  I've found we're always better to do what's best for the home even if the wallet suffers ten or even fifteen percent to do it.  This is one place cheap windows just don't pay off.

I'm sure I'll make a few revisions and additions to this post but that's just a little on frame thickness.

If you have questions send me an email!   sales@dallaswindows.com