Getting the home ready for winter ...

[blueriver]

Well the house was built in '87 and for the past couple years we have talked about a few new windows and doors ... with it being wet and not able to get in the hay field today was the day.

First we removed the outside and inside trim as well as the side jambs, cut back the siding, got the old out and slid in the new ... insulated, chalked re-trimmed and chalked again ... we had 3 bad windows that we replaced and 2 out of the 5 doors needed replacing (didn't get both doors done.)

Monday I am going to blow in insulation in the attic ... adding 17" ... at present there is only about 6" ... just thought I would share this with you !!

 

[dave1949]

Looks real nice BlueRiver. I hope you are better door installer than I am
That 17" of blown insulation is going to make a huge difference.
Dave.

 

[blueriver]

Thanks Dave ... I hate doors. They gotta be just right. May have to lift a corner, pull the top, twick the angle and most of all HOLD YOUR TONGUE JUST RIGHT!!!!!

 

[dave1949]

Thanks Dave ... I hate doors. They gotta be just right. May have to lift a corner, pull the top, twick the angle and most of all HOLD YOUR TONGUE JUST RIGHT!!!!!

That's pretty much my experience, you must have been watching. Sometimes, after about 20 shims, I take them all out and start over

Ain't it a shame what they get for doors? My wife found some very pretty alder wood interior doors, made in Oregon. They started at about $500. Needless to say, we have MDF interior doors plus some louvered pine doors for closets. The only wood interior door we can get around here at a reasonable price is a 6 panel pine, any other design in pine, add $200. It's crazy.
Dave.

 

[Steve C]

Well the house was built in '87 and for the past couple years we have talked about a few new windows and doors ... with it being wet and not able to get in the hay field today was the day.

First we removed the outside and inside trim as well as the side jambs, cut back the siding, got the old out and slid in the new ... insulated, chalked re-trimmed and chalked again ... we had 3 bad windows that we replaced and 2 out of the 5 doors needed replacing (didn't get both doors done.)

Monday I am going to blow in insulation in the attic ... adding 17" ... at present there is only about 6" ... just thought I would share this with you !!

Nice work!

Just as an FYI I thought I would mention that I noticed that you used "new construction" windows.

If you use "replacement windows" without the mounting flange it can save you a lot of messing around replacing trim and such. You can also save a lot of money on the windows themselves. I bought 11 custom built "replacement windows" built to the exact size of my origional windows for less money than stock sizes would have cost me at the big box stores. My 11 windows are double hung thermopane vinyl with the cross bars sandwitched between the glass with full length screens, double latches and swing in for cleaning from the inside. They were about $110 each.

 

[blueriver]

That's pretty much my experience, you must have been watching. Sometimes, after about 20 shims, I take them all out and start over

Ain't it a shame what they get for doors? My wife found some very pretty alder wood interior doors, made in Oregon. They started at about $500. Needless to say, we have MDF interior doors plus some louvered pine doors for closets. The only wood interior door we can get around here at a reasonable price is a 6 panel pine, any other design in pine, add $200. It's crazy.
Dave.

Actually, I didn't think it was to bad. Of course these are exterior ... The old doors where steel with glass, I went away from the glass ... prehung solid exterior where $119 and the double pane vinyl windows where $169 ... so with the wood, caulk, screws, nails, handles and deadbolts I left the local yard after $1189 ...

 

[blueriver]

Nice work!

Just as an FYI I thought I would mention that I noticed that you used "new construction" windows.

If you use "replacement windows" without the mounting flange it can save you a lot of messing around replacing trim and such. You can also save a lot of money on the windows themselves. I bought 11 custom built "replacement windows" built to the exact size of my origional windows for less money than stock sizes would have cost me at the big box stores. My 11 windows are double hung thermopane vinyl with the cross bars sandwitched between the glass with full length screens, double latches and swing in for cleaning from the inside. They were about $110 each.

OH SURE ... now you tell me that !! How is it ranchers are supposed to know that S**T ... why don't those so called professional sales people explain that??

 

[dave1949]

Actually, I didn't think it was to bad. Of course these are exterior ... The old doors where steel with glass, I went away from the glass ... prehung solid exterior where $119 and the double pane vinyl windows where $169 ... so with the wood, caulk, screws, nails, handles and deadbolts I left the local yard after $1189 ...

That sounds quite reasonable. I think we pay more for everything in the NorthEast. We can't hardly keep young adults in Maine, everything is expensive and it's hard to find a job that pays for it. They go away to college and that's it. You should see the stream of cars headed north from Mass, NY, Conn. every Friday evening, then back south Sunday, all summer long.
Dave.

 

[blueriver]

That sounds quite reasonable. I think we pay more for everything in the NorthEast. We can't hardly keep young adults in Maine, everything is expensive and it's hard to find a job that pays for it. They go away to college and that's it. You should see the stream of cars headed north from Mass, NY, Conn. every Friday evening, then back south Sunday, all summer long.
Dave.

Well Dave ... Even the ducks know enough to fly SOUTH!!!

 

[dave1949]

Well Dave ... Even the ducks know enough to fly SOUTH!!!

Well, I could be dumber than the average duck now that you put it that way There is the occassional loon that waits too long and gets frozen in.

 

[blueriver]

Well, I could be dumber than the average duck now that you put it that way There is the occassional loon that waits too long and gets frozen in.

Really ... I still like moving dirt more than I like shoveling snow ... BTW I finally fiqured out how to do the signature thingy !!! (with the helpof another TBN'r )

 

[Steve C]

OH SURE ... now you tell me that !! How is it ranchers are supposed to know that S**T ... why don't those so called professional sales people explain that??

he he....you are right, they should have told you. I wouldn't have known the difference either except I got lucky and noticed that some of the windows they had in the big store were "different" I investigated and started asking around and soon I knew more about windows than I ever wanted to know. The big box stores only stock standard sizes both in "new construction" and "replacement" and nothing in my house is standard so it saved me from buying the windows there. I found an Amish business that custom makes windows to the exact size about 40 miles from my house. If I could have bought standard sized windows I would have ended up doing the same thing you did but it would have been even more work because I have vinyl siding so I would have had to remove most of the siding from my house and put it back on.

But you still did a good job and when those winter winds come howling out of the south west you are going to like the new windows.

 

[dave1949]

Really ... I still like moving dirt more than I like shoveling snow ... BTW I finally fiqured out how to do the signature thingy !!! (with the helpof another TBN'r )

Who said anything about shoveling, did you need to bring that up The only serious shoveling I do is to cut through the snow drift that always collects across our front door so the dogs can get ouside, and to clear the roof if it gets too deep.

When Selling A Lifetime ... Don't Sell It Short - That's a catchy phrase you have there for your business.

 

[dave1949]

BlueRiver - Stranded loons:

Common Loon, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

ç*†igrating Common Loons occasionally land on wet highways or parking lots, mistaking them for rivers and lakes. They become stranded without a considerable amount of open water for a long takeoff. A loon may also get stranded on a pond that is too small.


If their pond gets too much ice coverage, they have a hard time getting into the air. They can barely walk on land. Their feet are way to the back of their body.
Dave.

 

[LBrown59]

Am I reading these photos rite ?


These are the old vertical windows.


This is the new horizontal windows you replaced them with .

Thanks Dave ... I hate doors. They gotta be just right. May have to lift a corner, pull the top, twick the angle and most of all HOLD YOUR TONGUE JUST RIGHT!!!!!

 

[blueriver]

Am I reading these photos rite ?


These are the old vertical windows.


This is the new horizontal windows you replaced them with .

No LB the 2nd photo is the inside just zoomed in ... it looks wider !! They were replaced with the same size height and width.

 

[blueriver]

BlueRiver - Stranded loons:

Common Loon, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

ç*†igrating Common Loons occasionally land on wet highways or parking lots, mistaking them for rivers and lakes. They become stranded without a considerable amount of open water for a long takeoff. A loon may also get stranded on a pond that is too small.


If their pond gets too much ice coverage, they have a hard time getting into the air. They can barely walk on land. Their feet are way to the back of their body.
Dave.

The Loon is the Minnesota State Bird?? I have an uncle in Minnestoa ... Now I know why he's stuck there!!

 

[Ductape]

Windows and doors from '87 huh? Now I don't feel so bad...... ours are only a year newer than your were since our house was built in '88. I've thought about changing ours, but they're still in decent shape for being 122 yrs old.

 

[dave1949]

The Loon is the Minnesota State Bird?? I have an uncle in Minnestoa ... Now I know why he's stuck there!!

Jeez, I thought the Minn. state bird was the mosquito

Loons are pretty cool birds, they have one of the most hauntingly beautiful calls to be found in nature.

I always chuckle when I hear their call dubbed into movie sound tracks, eventhough the scene is set somewhere about 1000 miles from the nearest loon.

They are not very prolific or successful breeders in areas with lots of human presence. We had a camp on a 3500 acre lake for a few years. The total loon chick survival would typically be less than a dozen.

In the winter when the inland lakes are iced up, they migrate to the ocean coast.

Dave.