Windows and Doors

I am the third owner of this house.  The previous owners were here for seven years, and I have been here almost six.  That's 14 years from the initial owner.  I am going out on a limb and will suggest the house was built between 16 and 17 years ago, and I have been told that it was empty for almost one year between the first owner and the second.  That is the history and why the windows, which were made of wood in painted wood frames, had come to the end of their useful life.

My venture began last March when I gave up on the desire to hire local, Amish craftsmen and faced the reality I needed a reliable company.  I went to the "sort of" local Home Depot and put the process in motion.  I ordered Anderson windows clad on the outside and wooden on the interior. 

The original installation was targeted for August, but in the end it started on September 13.  At approximately 10 AM two guys in two trucks arrived.  The set to work (speaking in what I imagine was Polish) and began taking out the window in the kitchen.  They worked non-stop until 5 PM.  With only three sets of windows installed they were finished for the day.  They explained they had two stops in Effingham to make confirming measurements, but would return the next morning about 8 AM. 

They arrived at 8:15 AM and started again.  It was mid-day before the windows were installed and the two doors were removed. 

First the bedroom and then the living room.  I must admit that the removal of the bedroom door was daunting, but soon both rooms were void of a solid surface on the East Side of the house.  The afternoon clock continued ticking and I was getting rather nervous.  Would the doors be installed in time?

The workers continued without stopping.  Very little discussion, except about the doors.  Again, I was getting nervous.  What were they saying?  Were they worried that the wrong doors had been supplied?  Would they have to board the holes over with plywood and leave at 5 PM? 

 But they continued to work.  I checked on the installation.  There was daylight between the frame and the house.  The workers continued discussions in Polish.  The kitties were shut in the bathroom.  I couldn't let them escape through the openings. 

 

On the first day I had made the mistake of putting the kitties in the former woodworking shop.  Buddy had panicked and attempted to escape.  In so doing, he managed to scratch my wrist, causing home first aid to be implemented.  I took better caution on the second day.  The bathroom/closet was a much better choice.  They weren't happy, but I was not endangered in creating a safe haven for them.

The workers continued.  It was 5 PM, then 6, then 7 - daylight was failing.  They started cleaning up as the final sun rays dropped below the horizon.  Then, at 8 PM, the workers declared they were finished.  They handed me paperwork to sign off on the installation.  Told me a replacement screen had been ordered (one arrived slightly damaged).  They returned to their trucks for a 3-hour (minimum) drive home.  Their work was done.

 

The kitties were released from their temporary confinement.  The installation was complete.  The doors have special security features beyond mere locks.  We are happy.  Now the final finishes are required.  Yesterday I went an purchased the stain to make the windows and doors blend in with the rest of the interior. 

The purpose of the new windows is to reduce the amount of fuel required to keep this place warm in the winter.  Of course, they may even help reduce the energy draw should air conditioning be used during the summer months.  But in the short-term I am excited the project is 90% complete.  I can live with it now.  Hopefully, no more "fungi" growing in the sills, and no external maintenance should be required. 

 

Next I will discuss the saga of the screened front porch (and the battle against the indigenous critters).  But that will have to wait.  I need to enjoy the final bit of daylight seen through the new panes.

 

 

"Home is a shelter from storms - all sorts of storms." ~William J. Bennett