Unfortunately, Pella took two weeks longer to deliver our new window than they had initially said, so we were living with cardboard covering a hole in our den for a little longer than anticipated! But the window is awesome, and I'm happy to say that it went in without a hitch!! For 3 days now, we've been enjoying the added light, and an evening breeze in our den. Now that we can see the backyard patio, I'm hoping it will provide a boost of motivation for me to finish that project. Melinda and I found some really cool reclaimed bricks we'll be using as pavers. More on that project soon.As the window delivery date approached, I had growing fears that the measurements I provided Pella weren't quite big enough and I'd have to open-up the frame a little. Thankfully it was just right
Yesterday, I milled an interior window stool out of a douglas fir plank, and cut all the interior trim. This window project has given me a lot of quality time on my table saw and router. It's funny, now that I'm getting more comfortable with those tools, I prefer to mill my own custom pieces rather than go out and look for something already made!
5 comments:
I'm normally a bit of a hater when it comes to replacement windows, but wow, that is one fine replacement window. Nice.
Thanks Christopher! This window was the closest I could find to the 'real thing'. The interior trim is not Pella's trim kit. I trimmed with Douglas Fir to match the other windows, and I think it really added the final touch to make it fit in with the rest of the house.
Might I inquire as to how much such a window costs? The house of my dreams (not yet purchased) has some of the most awful replacements ever, and I've been thinking about replacing them, eventually. But with more than 20 double hungs...
20 double hungs, WOW!! Unfortunately this window was quite pricey. It's a Pella "Architect Series" wood interior w/ exterior trim and sill. The total cost was around $1300. I know, gulp... The only way I could justify this cost is that I only needed 1. I do, however, think it would be possible to buy a much cheaper window and 'dress it up' to look similar. It just depends on whether you're ok going with aluminum or vinyl. I've seen people customize their windows, adding wood on the top window pane to simulate the "nine-light" look. Another option would be to find some reclaimed double hung windows and replace the windows with those. One of my next big projects will be to do a complete overhaul on all the existing double hungs in my house-- remove, scrape, refinish and weatherproof.
Ow. That's definitely not in my budget anytime soon. For your house, for a single window, however, I can see that it's totally worthwhile.
I've considered some of the not quite so high end replacements, as you suggest, and they just don't look right. The house in question is a colonial revival (but one that looks more in the style of something from Massachusetts, c. 1700 (think: The House of Seven Gables)) and I think that visually, it needs the clean, sharp lines of appropriate windows.
While I hope to be able to salvage a set of wood double hungs, especially if I talk to a few people who do replacement windows and offer to make it worth their while if they can salvage enough for me, I wonder if that may be more trouble than it is worth. It's the same dilemma I have with the exterior window trim - just a rectangular board with a single bead routed in it - it would be so much easier to make identical trim boards to replace the existing ones than deal with all the gouges and caked lead paint. Windows, of course, are quite a bit more complicated than that.
I think it will all be a matter of seeing what I'm able to salvage in the next five years - because it will take at least that long before such a project becomes a budgetary possibility.
Have fun stripping all those windows. Ugh.
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