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Whoreson Welles posted:Thanks for the help as usual. Mostly just looking to replace the dozen real lovely windows like this one. Bummer it might cost well above 10k but hey the house wouldn’t have been cheap if all this poo poo was recently replaced now would it? Oof, those look rough. I had some side-by-side vinyl windows that were originally some version of Thermopane, but time and/or Gary had allowed moisture to get in there and fog 'em up. My dad pulled the window out of the sash and went looking around and was able to find a local company that cut the glass/made a thermopane to fit the vinyl frame for like $124/window. Then again, that house is in The Most Painfully Average City To Ever Exist so ymmv  Edit: We were gonna Do Fuckery and put the foggy windows in the bedrooms facing the back yard and steal the clear ones for the ones facing the front, but IT TURNS OUT THAT SOMEHOW EVERY. SINGLE. loving. WINDOW. IN. THE HOUSE. was a different goddamn size so I have NO IDEA how and/or why that house was built. It's a drat tract house subdivision; there are 3 models of house there, repeated over and over and over and over and over. It's like Window Lickwidators, Inc. just dropped off random poo poo at each plot of land and the builders made a house around them 
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May 19, 2021 05:16
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Zarin posted:Oof, those look rough. loving Gary.
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May 19, 2021 05:49
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StormDrain posted:loving Gary. Oh no, the infection has spread.
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May 19, 2021 05:50
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Zarin posted:Oof, those look rough. They look okay to me  Mostly they just look dirty and poorly painted. If those were my windows I'd be restoring the sashes (strip, repaint, reglaze), replacing cords if necessary, installing exterior storms, and only wholly replacing if they're rotten (which can happen if the window is exceptionally poorly maintained for a hundred years and is on the north side of the house, but otherwise not as easily as you'd think - old windows like that are typically made of old growth white pine, which is dense and rot resistant). Note: I'm an old window lover masochist and plan to replace my lovely vinyl windows with period-correct wood windows so please take my remarks with a block of salt. Oh, and if you do end up replacing, please make sure those sashes find their way to an architectural salvage place rather than a dumpster.
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May 19, 2021 06:01
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Queen Victorian posted:Note: I'm a..........masochist I support you. But you know there are few of us in relation to making a house period correct.
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May 19, 2021 06:18
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Queen Victorian posted:Mostly they just look dirty and poorly painted. If those were my windows I'd be restoring the sashes (strip, repaint, reglaze), replacing cords if necessary, installing exterior storms, and only wholly replacing if they're rotten (which can happen if the window is exceptionally poorly maintained for a hundred years and is on the north side of the house, but otherwise not as easily as you'd think - old windows like that are typically made of old growth white pine, which is dense and rot resistant). lmao we have some windows on the south side of our house that are showing rot in our 22 year old house. And by that I mean the window rail, not the sill or anything else. Not pleased that we'll have to spend money on this soon, but probably 3-5 years at the most. So on the topic of window chat: Is there any economies of scale to be had by doing everything at once? I think we could afford the outlay, but it'd just be a hassle so we were thinking of doing a few at a time. Like the west side is all fixed windows, including a bigass staircase window (like 4x6 or something), and then all the upstairs windows are one size and MOST of the downstairs windows are another size (except for a small bathroom window). Also: some windows show water stains on the inside drywall (bottom of the trim, in the corners). No idea how long they've been like that, but it's been known about since we bought the house at least and they're of course getting worse. What are the odds that we'll have to do a bunch of tear-up to replace stuff behind the walls? And to be sure we're not talking bubbling paint or big stains, but mostly some darkening, a little bit of flaking of the paint/caulk where the trim meets the drywall. This isn't some "holy poo poo" thing, but it's obvious that something is going on. DaveSauce fucked around with this message at 13:22 on May 19, 2021 |
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May 19, 2021 13:19
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Queen Victorian posted:pro-old window text That’s an option too but the old wives tale I keep hearing is that those ratty windows are bad for energy efficiency.
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May 19, 2021 13:43
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I hate my rattly old single pane windows with storm windows and that are a pain in the rear end to open, and I love my newer vinyl window that just opens and closes smoothly and cleanly. As if we're posting pictures of gross plumbing, I could post pictures of my cracked vent stack in the basement that's been cracked for at least a couple of months now, with human waste that has slowly leaked out of it 
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May 19, 2021 13:53
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DaveSauce posted:Is there any economies of scale to be had by doing everything at once? Probably depends on the vendor. Pella gave us a “large project discount” when we replaced most of our windows last year because we passed some magic threshold. Being able to pay cash and asking if they can remove the built in ~3% card fee is also a solid strategy for any large home expense.
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May 19, 2021 13:57
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Just had my windows replaced (although I'm Canada) with fairly standard double hung vinyl/LowE/argon filled ones. Biggest cost differentiation in the install fee was whether they could just retrofit the new window in or had to replace/redo the entire framing (+$$). Averaged out to around $550/ea installed (cdn) - lead time of around 3 months due to Covid. To gauge how good you are: the crew of 2 guys took on average 30min per window to retrofit new ones and install new metal flashing.
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May 19, 2021 14:21
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Whoreson Welles posted:Thanks for the help as usual. Mostly just looking to replace the dozen real lovely windows like this one. Bummer it might cost well above 10k but hey the house wouldn’t have been cheap if all this poo poo was recently replaced now would it? I had 9 Milgard windows put in for 5,500 (smaller city, pre-COVID) and more recently a new conventional door for 1500. One thing to look for is your state/city may have incentives or low rate loans for weatherization/insulation upgrades so definitely do your research on that if you want to spread out the cost some.
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May 19, 2021 14:44
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Whoreson Welles posted:That’s an option too but the old wives tale I keep hearing is that those ratty windows are bad for energy efficiency. That's why I mentioned installing storm windows. Out of all the ways to make an old house more energy efficient, mass replacement of windows is generally the worst ROI. Yes, it will improve energy efficiency a good deal, but at incredibly high cost compared to other options. And will almost always detract from curb appeal. Improvements that are much better bang for your buck include improving/adding insulation in the attic and elsewhere (lots of old houses just don't have insulation in the attic), storm windows, and insulated window treatments. These are the tricks that window salesmen don't want you to know because then they can't sell you five figures worth of vinyl every twenty years (modern double paned windows have a shelf life - once that seal breaks and they fog up, there's no fixing them and you have to replace them, unlike the old window, which will last well over a century with basic maintenance).
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May 19, 2021 14:48
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I would like to replace my windows because they just suuuuuuuuuck. The locks are loose and hard to turn, they slide poorly, they're cloudy, they're ugly, and the cold rolls off of it. So they're a poor energy investment but I think they're a good house investment for QOL.
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May 19, 2021 14:57
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Whoreson Welles posted:Mostly just looking to replace the dozen real lovely windows like this one. They open! What more do your need? My basement windows are practically sealed shut after 90 years of paint.
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May 19, 2021 15:07
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DaveSauce posted:Is there any economies of scale to be had by doing everything at once? Yes. Along with "getting someone to actually take the job and show up". Contractors are slammed. The smaller the job the less likely it will get done any time soon.
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May 19, 2021 16:55
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This is why on my new place I am making a list of lots of smaller jobs so I can offer a general contractor a good week or so worth of work in one go. Doing the same for some electrical work I want done as well (50amp outlet in garage, 220v hookup for hot tub etc...). I get it as if I was in their position I would want to take larger jobs rather than lots of small ones as it is just easier to manage.
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May 19, 2021 17:21
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Motronic posted:Yes. Along with "getting someone to actually take the job and show up". Contractors are slammed. The smaller the job the less likely it will get done any time soon. I am living this right now. We're building a garage on the parking pad in the back and running electricity (and Ethernet) to it so I'm having the same electrician do all the stuff in the house that also needs to be done. Same for the plumber my contractor normally uses; while the garage doesn't need plumbing work, there are several things inside the house that do so we're tackling them all at once (fixing a leak in a shower pan, new toilets, plumbing for the new vanity, grounding the gas CSST line, etc.).
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May 19, 2021 17:23
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Yup, totally get that today it'd be a bad idea. We're looking at windows in probably 3-5 years, so things should be closer to normal. Hopefully they can wait that long...
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May 19, 2021 17:30
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Re: Window chat. We had all the windows (13-15, depending on some of the bigger ones being single or multi-frame) redone on our house in the 2009 collapse. If you remember back that far, the government was offering $5k tax credits for energy efficiency improvements to homes. We got 6 quotes, and every single one of them came out to between $5,001 and $5,100. This isn't terribly useful in today's market, but it does highlight how scummy window salespeople are.
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May 19, 2021 17:47
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Dik Hz posted:Re: Window chat. The BBC made a series (available on Netflix) called White Gold which a sitcom based on the premise that all window salesmen are scum. (I never watched it and don't know if its good)
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May 19, 2021 18:30
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They're a real pane to work with
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May 19, 2021 18:45
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:They're a real pane to work with 
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May 19, 2021 18:47
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 Haven't felt this inadequate since the window guys flashed their double hungs in my bedroom
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May 19, 2021 20:22
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We're not planning a bathroom reno for awhile, because it's a small job and we want to pay cash for it, but question for anyone who has used them: have you ever installed a wall mount towel warmer? We have a bucket warmer and we love it (and works better than open-air ones), but the space is tiny and we'd like the real estate back. 1. Do they work OK? 2. Do they actually save space, or are you just banging your head on jutting aluminum bars all the time?
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May 19, 2021 21:37
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Maggie Fletcher posted:We're not planning a bathroom reno for awhile, because it's a small job and we want to pay cash for it, but question for anyone who has used them: have you ever installed a wall mount towel warmer? We have a bucket warmer and we love it (and works better than open-air ones), but the space is tiny and we'd like the real estate back. 1. Do they work OK? 2. Do they actually save space, or are you just banging your head on jutting aluminum bars all the time? We've only had them at Airbnb and nicer hotels in Europe which often run off the boiler so take this with the appropriate boulder of salt, but my wife loves a towel warmer. I wind up banging various appendages on them and suffering in the heat because I'm taller than she is. We don't have one at home but if the option presented itself, she'd be all over it. I don't see how it saves space over a regular towel rack personally.
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May 19, 2021 22:01
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I really liked the wall mounted towel warmers from when we stayed in Germany. At home I just hang stuff over the cast iron radiator in the winter and it works just as well. Nothing like a warm fuzzy towel or changing into pre-warmed pajamas. 
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May 19, 2021 22:47
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Yeah, our bucket warmer is the tits, but we have a very small floor space and it won't allow the door to open all the way. The bathroom has an entrance from the hall and the mistress* bedroom, so we have two doors swinging into the bathroom and a warmer taking up floor space. If we wall over the mistress-bedroom doorway and mount a towel warmer on that wall, we may be able to save some space and not have an extra door. Alternately, we keep the bucket warmer and install a pocket door in the mistress egress and/or the hall egress. We can also put the bucket warmer right inside the door to the bedroom, but I'd rather not open a door to get a warm towel. Living in 900 square feet, I am getting good at tetrising. We bought a "bike nook" for my wife's bike on the patio and it now stores upright, which is a HUGE space saver. *there's no master in our house, just two mistresses.
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May 19, 2021 23:13
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Dross posted:
It didn't strike me as something I wanted many memories of. I'll keep you all in mind moving forward, however. I'm hoping you guys might knock some sense into me as I consider a summer project. Some beautiful patio renos posted a few weeks back ITT has got my wheels turning. This is my least favorite part of my house:  It used to be an old fish pond the PO turned into this "fire pit". The flagstone is poorly fit, and my dog flings the gravel all over the place, so it's just kind of constantly a mess until I take the time to sweep the pea gravel back into place, as you can see. So I'm thinking of possibly installing some circular pavers. Ala:  The paver install itself doesn't seem too bad. Tamp out some gravel, tamp out some sand, get it plumb, lay the pavers. A lot of work, for sure, but not exactly rocket science. The problem is, my backyard is sloped, and the existing structure is built above the grade of the lawn. It starts relatively plumb with the natural grade uphill, but slopes off pretty drastically towards the back, as you can see here (this is the lowest part of my yard, and the flagstone sticking into the ground that acts as some sort of janky retaining wall):  The current fire pit is big. At it's widest, probably 16 feet across or so? So I could definitely cut down on it's footprint. Right now I'm thinking the best approach if I wanted to do this would be to rip the whole thing out, install pavers as uphill as possible, where the grade differential from "top" to "bottom" is relatively minimal, and hope I can finagle things to get it to communicate well with the rest of the yard. The part of the project I feel most unsure of is handling making the grade of the existing lawn communicates well with the patio I'd install, and it seems like I can't be sure what will be needed until I actually tear out the existing structure. I fear I'll get under there and the slope will be so severe it will require a retaining wall to keep the new patio flat or something. I just haven't done a project that would involve me digging out this much earth. Am I an idiot for considering this? What would you guys do? I throw myself at your mercy.
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May 20, 2021 03:43
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pics. You can’t pique our morbid curiosity like that and then leave us hanging!
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I would replace the janky retaining wall with a short wall that coordinates with whatever paver you want to use, and go to town. Make up the "hole" behind the retaining wall with 1 1/2 crushed gravel/sand mix or some other base layer suitable for your area.
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May 20, 2021 03:50
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TacoHavoc posted:I would replace the janky retaining wall with a short wall that coordinates with whatever paver you want to use, and go to town. Make up the "hole" behind the retaining wall with 1 1/2 crushed gravel/sand mix or some other base layer suitable for your area. You think just stacking pavers/bricks would be stable enough? While I've been surprised how stable the current wall is, I don't want to do all this work to have it crumble because of a collapsing retaining wall. Also I couldn't backfill the "hole", since all that's back there is an old fence, and behind that, my neighbors yard. I have nothing to backfill into, essentially. So my primary concern would be if a "retaining wall" of stacked brick/pavers would be sturdy enough to support the paver patio. Edit: ok reading about retaining walls. This seems doable. Dig a trench, retaining wall base, stock blocks. Not toooo bad. Hmmmm hobbez fucked around with this message at 04:47 on May 20, 2021 |
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May 20, 2021 04:05
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Maggie Fletcher posted:We're not planning a bathroom reno for awhile, because it's a small job and we want to pay cash for it, but question for anyone who has used them: have you ever installed a wall mount towel warmer? We have a bucket warmer and we love it (and works better than open-air ones), but the space is tiny and we'd like the real estate back. 1. Do they work OK? 2. Do they actually save space, or are you just banging your head on jutting aluminum bars all the time? We have wall mounted towel warmers in our bathrooms in our ~750square foot house and I LOVE them- our last bathroom in rented accommodation sucked and only had an old rusting radiator in there, so this does feel like an extravagance still to me. I would just make sure that wherever they’re mounted, the tallest person in the house won’t end up banging their knees against it while they pee as it gets really hot, understandably. I use mine as just... the place the towels live so most of the burning hot metal is covered by nice soft towels, I am very clumsy and have been here a month but I haven’t whacked a body part off either of them yet. (I only ever see heated towel rails in the UK, and had never heard of a heated bucket dealie, maybe that’s because our bathrooms tend to be smaller so it’s the default option for us?)
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May 20, 2021 07:21
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hobbez posted:You think just stacking pavers/bricks would be stable enough? Yes, it will be stable enough if you put in a decent base and use blocks designed for wall building. I was talking about filling the void "inside" the retaining wall where you will put the patio. You don't want to use 16 inches of paver sand with no binders in it, it'll wash out.
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May 20, 2021 12:18
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Had a plumber come on Tuesday to give an estimate to deal with a crack in our vent stack, $1600. They're local (literally right down the street) and I wanted to go with them. But since this is our first plumbing project, I wanted to get at least another bid. So I had another company come out today, and I got 3 bids ranging from $3200 to do the repair, replace the whole stack for $4800, or replace the whole stack plus repipe the upstairs bathroom (???) for $8700. So I know who I'll be going with for this and future projects.
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May 20, 2021 14:03
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aDecentCupOfTea posted:We have wall mounted towel warmers in our bathrooms in our ~750square foot house and I LOVE them- our last bathroom in rented accommodation sucked and only had an old rusting radiator in there, so this does feel like an extravagance still to me. This is the answer I was hoping for, thanks! Fortunately we are both almost exactly the same height, and while we will have guests from time to time, we can just unplug the thing. Wall mounting the unit also solves the problem of "where do we hang the fuckers." The bucket unit is this one and it's amazing: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B081D7WX76/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It works a lot better than the wall mounted warmer I had in France, but I'm sure I can get a better one here. There's nothing like a warm towel after a shower on a cold day. Are yours on constantly? I'm pretty sure I'd want to turn the heat off when I'm not about to shower. I can't imagine having it on all the time.
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May 20, 2021 16:52
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Maggie Fletcher posted:This is the answer I was hoping for, thanks! Fortunately we are both almost exactly the same height, and while we will have guests from time to time, we can just unplug the thing. Wall mounting the unit also solves the problem of "where do we hang the fuckers." As far as I can tell... they are only connected to the heating in general? So they’re basically just towel rail shaped radiators I guess? Either way they heat up super quick so I flick the heating on as I’m about to go into the shower and the towels are warm by the time I get out.
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May 20, 2021 17:05
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If you find a good pluggable wall-mount one, please let me know. Most I've seen are either sit on the floor, or connect directly into the power. We've got a spot on the wall in our en suite that would be perfect for a plug-in towel rack that was previously used for a ... TV? I now know this because there's a blank outlet covering that hides a coax cable.
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May 20, 2021 18:09
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Nybble posted:If you find a good pluggable wall-mount one, please let me know. Most I've seen are either sit on the floor, or connect directly into the power. We've got a spot on the wall in our en suite that would be perfect for a plug-in towel rack that was previously used for a ... TV? I now know this because there's a blank outlet covering that hides a coax cable. I don't know if you're in the US, but they do have them. I can't vouch for them because I haven't used them, but I'd probably use something like this: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B081DLG...0NsaWNrPXRydWU= This was one of several examples.
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May 20, 2021 20:39
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We recently switched from carpet to LVT in our basement. It's a bit echo-y even with some area rugs. I'm thinking that acoustic foam panels (https://www.amazon.com/Acoustic-Panels-Soundproof-Insulation-Absorbing/dp/B07MCGRV7M?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1) would help. Anyone have any experience with foam panels and if they help? I was thinking of attaching to the walls with double sided tape, but assume that will mess up the paint/drywall? Any way of mounting that I'm overlooking?
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May 21, 2021 20:29
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MrLogan posted:We recently switched from carpet to LVT in our basement. It's a bit echo-y even with some area rugs. I'm thinking that acoustic foam panels (https://www.amazon.com/Acoustic-Panels-Soundproof-Insulation-Absorbing/dp/B07MCGRV7M?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1) would help. Anyone have any experience with foam panels and if they help? You could always mount them on a framed panel like a big piece of hard board or something and hang that on the wall like you would anything else.
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May 21, 2021 20:36
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MrLogan posted:We recently switched from carpet to LVT in our basement. It's a bit echo-y even with some area rugs. I'm thinking that acoustic foam panels (https://www.amazon.com/Acoustic-Panels-Soundproof-Insulation-Absorbing/dp/B07MCGRV7M?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1) would help. Anyone have any experience with foam panels and if they help? You can hang them like a picture. Just make a cardboard or luan backer and glue them to it, then hang that. Because gluing them to things is the way you install them. Just to be sure: your furniture is back in there and everything? Because yeah, without that even rugs might not really do it. (FYI, I suggest a sprayable glue for this)
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May 21, 2021 20:36
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