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re: what's a good price for vinyl replacement windows?
19 nov 2003
slugbug wrote:
> i am thinking about replacing a few of the old windows in the house we
>just purchased. it has old single pane windows that do not seal that
>well, and which also let in all the sounds outside. what is the best deal
>on a replacement window you have found?
i just added some $32.07 "28x47" triple-track aluminum storm windows from
lowes to double-glazed anderson windows. the outer edges of the storm window
frames happened to have the same dimensions as the outer edges of the full
screens in the anderson windows. i removed the anderson screens and screwed
the storms into the anderson frames in place of the screens, for the few
windows that were frequently opened.
for the rest, i cut the wire out of the anderson screen frame with a utility
knife and added a "window insulation film" layer from a $15-9 layer frost king
kit, the kind you shrink with a hair dryer, and added another layer over the
inside of the storm window frame. after reinstalling the anderson screen and
the storm, there are now 5 layers of glazing. the two window films are about
1/2" apart, the depth of the screen frame.
a few of the house windows were different sizes, so i ordered $50 custom
storms for them, specifying that the outer frame edge "overlap" dimensions
of the storms be the same as the outer dimensions of the wood trim on the
outside of the house, outside the original window perimeter. this gave more
glass area than specing the frame edges to fit the screens, as above.
these will get the 5 layer treatment.
for more solar heat, one might order storms that extend a few feet below
south windows, and paint the lower overlap surface dark...
i added the storms because the house is naturally quite humid in winter,
from 55 to 75%, even with a dehumidifier running and regular woodstove use,
and on cold days, there was indoor condensation on windows. i suspect the
basement slab has no vapor barrier underneath, and serious air-sealing with
3 blower-door tests in the last few years has made more moisture build up.
the storms have fixed the condensation problem, and the house is also
nicely quieter. the next step may be polyethylene film on the basement
floorslab and carpeting over that.
nick
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