For questions relating to the installation, maintenance, and repair of windows and window treatments such as shutters, blinds and curtains.
1
vote
1answer
121 views
What window part do I need for this window?
A lot of windows on my sun porch are missing parts of the latch. I am guessing that time and cold has led to the plastic latch mechanism breaking. Some of the windows are missing both latches ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
How do I stop water from coming under my multitrack sliding doors?
I live in a desert where seasonal hard rains occur 5-10 times per year. We have an automated door with a multitrack slide that it lets quite a bit of water in when it rains hard. The door is an ...
1
vote
1answer
95 views
What should I consider when boarding up windows for a storm?
What should be considered when boarding up windows for a storm (or for that manner, during construction, etc.)? What thickness plywood is required? Should it be sized to the size of the sash and ...
4
votes
2answers
810 views
What material can I use as a temporary window pane?
I may have a renter moving into a condo in a couple of weeks. I already ordered a full window replacement for the bedroom. Since a pane of glass (3' x 4') is missing, I'm thinking to put on a plastic ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
How should I frame in a large window opening to install a smaller window?
I'm replacing some windows in my house. The original window openings were outsized for the rooms, so the replacement windows I've chosen are smaller, which means framing in the part of the opening ...
2
votes
1answer
322 views
When re-screening window solar screens, how do I avoid warping the frame?
I'm re-screening my solar screens. I have found that a very small one is easy but larger ones present some challenges (not surprisingly).
I don't want the screen to be too loose and sag. However, ...
3
votes
3answers
369 views
Shading windows from outside (awnings, shutters, etc) to keep house from overheating in summer
The back of my house faces west, and during July and August, the sun hits it directly in the afternoon through evening. On a warm day, this can cause the house to heat up quite a bit, so I'm making ...
4
votes
3answers
289 views
Kind of contractor to hire to install new basement window, where there was none before?
A family member is interested in getting their basement finished, and one of the things they'd like to do is have an additional bedroom in the basement. The bedroom should have a window. However, ...
7
votes
3answers
3k views
What is the best way to remove dried egg from a house?
Some troglodytes egg my house anywhere from every 1-6 months, and have been doing so for the last four years. They just did it again tonight, so I have a fresh supply of drying egg to now remove.
My ...
2
votes
1answer
362 views
Awning windows - How much ventilation do they provide?
I am wondering if any of you have any experience with awning windows. I am looking at a condo with large awning windows on the side (height that almost goes from ceiling to a little higher than the ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
How do I remove window sill / apron overhang?
I'm planning on building a built-in window seat against a wall that has two windows with sills and an apron that extends from the wall about 3/4" to 1":
What's the best strategy for removing this ...
3
votes
5answers
1k views
Is there a standard way to block sunlight from a non-rectangular window?
I'm not a DIY home repair guy but I'm handy with tools. I have a semi-circular window about six feet in diameter. It's right above my home office desk. In the afternoon, the sun often shines ...
2
votes
0answers
259 views
How do I find out what's wrong with a uPVC window where the handle turns but it doesn't open?
How do I find out what's wrong with a uPVC window where the handle turns but it doesn't open?
It seems like one of the hidden latches along the edge isn't undoing because one side of the window moves ...
3
votes
2answers
252 views
Are storm windows necessary for homes in mild climates?
I feel silly asking this but I'm curious. =) When are storm windows necessary and under what conditions? I live in California (US) and we hardly ever get snow or freezing temperatures where I'm at. In ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
How do I fix window jams that are not even with drywall?
We recently bought a house that was in the midst of a remodel. The PO had replaced 80% of the windows but had not gotten to the trim. The issue I have is the jam does not match with the drywall. In ...
2
votes
2answers
550 views
How to keep the house cool from inside by covering the window panes?
I am thinking of covering the window panes with 5 fold newspapers.
What other inexpensive items/materials can be used to cover the window panes for keeping the house cool from inside?
3
votes
1answer
731 views
What is the process for draft proofing windows
I need to try to prevent drafts coming through and around my double glazed window units as much as possible. How can I go about detecting and sealing any leaks that are letting air through the window? ...
4
votes
2answers
419 views
how to close curved interior finished drywall opening with window or glass block?
We have a curved opening between the entrance and bedroom/study. Since we would like to use this room as a bedroom and the opening is in the main entryway, does anyone have suggestions for closing ...
0
votes
1answer
116 views
Sealing, Priming, and Painting a Window
I have a house full of wooden windows with some old flaking paint. The wood is quite solid, the glass is intact and not fogging. I was planning on scraping the windows and repainting them. My question ...
2
votes
4answers
656 views
How to repel pigeons so that they don't loiter behind my windows?
I live in a apartment in a multistory building. Pigeons often sit onto edges of window openings behind my windows and leave excrements which is rather annoying.
Is there some simple, preferably ...
4
votes
2answers
708 views
Window insulation in a rented apartment
My apartment is extremely drafty during the winter months, with a window in my bedroom, as well as in my bathroom, my room suffers as soon as the temperature drops. I gave a call to my landlord and ...
3
votes
2answers
151 views
Easy to spread caulking - window weather proofing
I want to go around the exterior of my windows, etc with some caulking. I have some now that I used in the bathroom but it doesn't spread that easy or lay a decent bead. I know when I was growing up ...
4
votes
2answers
610 views
What should I use to seal this window?
My master bedroom has a set of French doors with a window above the doors. During a recent thunderstorm, I noticed the window was rattling. Upon further inspection, the window is held in with little ...
4
votes
3answers
863 views
Is having a window in a room that is below grade a requirement?
This would be in Charlotte, NC, Mecklenburg County. I vaguely remember hearing somewhere that rooms that are below grade are required to have a full size window in them or they can't be considered ...
1
vote
1answer
135 views
Can Double Glazed units be repaired?
If a double glazed unit has one of its glass panes shattered can the unit be repaired?
Or does the whole thing need to go in the trash?
I know that a double glazed unit is sealed with inert gas ...
1
vote
1answer
81 views
Combined wood and aluminium windows
We would like to have wooden windows in our newly bought apartment which we are renovating at the moment. The apartment is old and we feel that alu-windows does not fit the "soul" of the apartment.
...
2
votes
1answer
430 views
Can I hang two inch blinds with only one inch of available window sill overhang?
I just had new windows installed in the house and they look great! It's definitely time now to put up some decent looking blinds.
I love the look of the two-inch blinds (nothing fancy - most stuff at ...
1
vote
1answer
84 views
Home-made joint for a top window
I have some sort of artisanal, metal, top oriented, window that essentially serves as a light well (but the room is almost completey dark, the main door is covered by a curtain because my girl friend ...
2
votes
3answers
837 views
Window caulk gets a gap in winter
I have a front window that has about a 1/32 inch gap in the summer, but about a 1/4 inch gap in the winter. The original caulk completely came loose and allowed condensation from the window to get ...
4
votes
5answers
702 views
What's a good cheap sander to sand the ends of wooden blinds?
I need to sand down some wooden blinds because they are about a millimeter too wide for the old window frames they are going into.
I'm trying to figure out a cheap and easy way to sand down about 6 ...
3
votes
1answer
86 views
Changing the window in an exterior door
We were given a new fibreglass door but it is RH instead of LH. How do we change the window so it will be facing the right direction?
3
votes
2answers
266 views
Window Replacement (Inserts or Gut Out)
When replacing wood windows of a brick house do you just insert them into the old frame or do you gut the frame out and replace the whole thing?
What are the pros and cons of each method?
Edit: I ...
3
votes
1answer
222 views
Extra insulation for panes of aging windows
The original windows on my 30-year-old house are insulated pretty well around the frames, but the panes themselves transmit a lot of cold air, especially when things drop down into the single digits, ...
3
votes
2answers
272 views
Is there a way to prevent sliding window from freezing?
I have a window that slides to the side, and each time temperature outside drops below 0*C it freezes and there is no way to open it (not that there is ice all over it, just moisture from the room ...
13
votes
4answers
869 views
What are the pros and cons of different types of windows?
I live in the North Eastern corner of US, and my house has 50 year old single-pane wooden windows. They held up not too bad, considering, but now I want to replace them all. Things that are important ...
3
votes
1answer
124 views
Suggestions for preventing water from building on a shower window that is below shoulder level?
Location: California | United States
Hello all,
I have a window near my bath/shower that is slightly below shoulder level (which is now a violation of code in my area but got grandfathered in with ...
5
votes
1answer
283 views
Tips on keeping window screen in window sill
We like to open our windows when it is nice out. Unfortunately the bottom part of our window, where the screen fits into, is not very high. So what happens is our cat tends to push the screen out ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
What are the pros and cons of Milgard vs Jeld-Wen windows?
I am replacing old window. The new window will be 69 1/2 inches wide and 59 1/2 inches tall.
I am thinking vinyl, two-vent slider (three equal sizes).
Home Depot suggests Jeld Wen ($500) for vinyl. ...
0
votes
2answers
463 views
How do I keep the plastic window insulators sealed when the window has a sill?
Last winter I covered my windows in my apartment with a window sealing kit so keep out any drafts. The winds and temperatures are pretty extreme around here and the plastic would peel away from some ...
4
votes
3answers
1k views
Is there any reason to be wary of vinyl windows?
Consumer reports "buying guide" for replacement windows recommends fiberglass or wood windows over vinyl. I've also heard from various sources that some vinyl windows can warp with expansion and ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
When replacing a window, what are the pros/con of a retrofit vs new construction?
I am replacing a old Garden window with a new "flat" window.
I was given a quote for "Retrofit" option, and then a $400 more for a "new construction" option.
I have Stucco wall
I understand that ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
How do I prevent window drafts?
I live in Florida. I have noticed that in the Winter it seems that the cold air leaks through the windows and into the rooms. This, of course, raises my energy bill for heating (yes we have to turn on ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Can I fit an extractor fan in a window?
We have a basement flat and we suspect that the bathroom exhaust fans do not go anywhere, which causes a fair bit of damp in the flat which manifests itself as condensation on the windows in the ...
5
votes
1answer
169 views
What do I need to do to add stools to my vinyl windows?
I own a "cookie cutter" house built in 2006, and all of the windows are the thin vinyl kind with no trim at all, but I like the look of having a window stool. Is there a standard practice for adding ...
4
votes
1answer
756 views
How do I build a square window frame in an off-square opening?
The original windows in the bedrooms in my old house were huge, far too big for the size of the rooms. At some point a previous owner replaced them with much smaller windows, building a frame to hold ...
