• Scam Alert. Members are reminded to NOT send money to buy anything. Don't buy things remote and have it shipped - go get it yourself, pay in person, and take your equipment with you. Scammers have burned people on this forum. Urgency, secrecy, excuses, selling for friend, newish members, FUD, are RED FLAGS. A video conference call is not adequate assurance. Face to face interactions are required. Please report suspicions to the forum admins. Stay Safe - anyone can get scammed.

New Windows

terry_g

terry_g

Ultra Member
Replacing some of the windows in my 43 year old house. Three new windows installed five more to go. Should be done Wednesday afternoon. I enjoy watching tradesmen work!
nov4.jpg
 
Lookin good! its on my list as well, dont remind me :p

i always seem to find something else to do/spend money on rather than windows...if some kid would just throw a rock through on i think i might get the motivation!
 
My dad and I changed the windows at my place. They were original to the 1952 house. Did a full replace, down to the rough opening. Found a little rot on one of the west facing windows. The insulation around the windows was the indoor trim and the outdoor trim. When I replaced the street side windows the noise level dropped after using expanding foam to fill the gaps. Sure helped reduce the heating bills!
Pierre
 
We did the windows in our house in Leduc 7 years ago. My dad and I did them. Only had 2 that we had to cut in. Huge difference in sound and house temp. Like others posted sealing around the new windows was a big help in winter. Now we are planning to do it in our new house in Airdrie. Prior owners were the do the minimum types, so some windows were replace about 10 years ago others are original. So there is like 4 or 5 different types of windows.
 
A company here in Calgary tried to sell my daughter in law a set of triple pane windows for $40,000 all she needed was a couple winders fixed.
 
Tom O said:
A company here in Calgary tried to sell my daughter in law a set of triple pane windows for $40,000 all she needed was a couple winders fixed.
Click to expand...

Well thats part of my dilemma, what the heck do you get ? like i have those single pane sliders from the 80's so just about anything is better, so does a guy just go get some double panes from HD, or do you spend the big bucks and buy triple pane, like whats the best value for heat/sound/cost....i really dont know much about windows, and i feel there is a lot of marketing like your daughter experienced
 
I bought double pane Energystar windows except for the two on the street side, which went with triples. The dealer suggested that I look at triples for these last two windows. The extra pane on a triple drops the noise substantially. What surprised me, was the cost to go to triple, 15 years ago, was not as crazy as I had been led to believe. The front bedroom has one window facing the street, so I made that one a fixed unit. Being a fix unit, the cost was about 60% of an operating one. In the living room I did same, as I never wanted to open the window to listen to all the noise.
On reflection after that, I should have purchased all at triple pane, better insulating value, but hindsight is always 20/20!
 
My experience is industrial/commercial. I've never replaced a home window in my life. I think much of this stuff ( triple /double, etc etc) is prolly highly dependent on the manufacturer.

Be interesting to get @TorontoBuilder's perspective on residential Replacement Windows.
 
Susquatch said:
My experience is industrial/commercial. I've never replaced a home window in my life. I think much of this stuff ( triple /double, etc etc) is prolly highly dependent on the manufacturer.

Be interesting to get @TorontoBuilder's perspective on residential Replacement Windows.
Click to expand...
Oh man, you want to get me in trouble dont you?

Windows are an item that one does not do for energy efficiency or energy savings. Straight up, NRCan found that after reviewing thousands upon thousands of window retrofits alone, the claimed savings was never acheived.

If you do replace windows, or build new each home and window should be assessed individually based on orientation, width and height, external permanent shading, and location wind and noise exposure. Energy efficiency is a package deal. In most instances going above minimum code windows costs a lot with no return in savings of energy or fuel costs unless you design for solar gain, which requires mass.

In retrofits, many if not most times the window is inserted into existing opening, leading to no benefit. You need complete tear out and then foam in place for air sealing. It's funny to see people pay a ton for tight windows only to install them in leaky opening.

IF it we my home, and I was in city and wanted to retrofit I'd intall triple glazing to minimize the noise of humanity which sucks
 
These new windows are double glazed. The old widows were from when the house was built in 1981. Several were starting to get moisture between the panes. The wood frames were starting to deteriorate and several were getting difficult to open or would not open.
It was time!
Six of the eight windows being replaced are done and there was no water leakage. I was worried I might be tearing a wall apart to replace rotted wood under the windows. So far so good.
They should be done tomorrow afternoon.
 
I had also understood that the cost savings from windows was kind of a moot point, you never really re-coupe that cost through your heating bill, also part of the reason i havent really been jonesing to change them out

in my case the noise reduction would be good, i have a 60kph road, frieght tracks, light rail tracks, and crossing 75 yards from my front window, most of the plastic trim you use to slide the panes open/close is broken, they are impossible to keep clean due to the road and the multi single panes, im also not sure there is any insulation between the trim and the RO

bonus for me, because this is a small 80's starter home and i have a grand total of 5 windows on the main floor (single story), 4 of which are stock sizes, i could drive down to hd and pick up a window off the shelf tonight....but are those windows even worth the money or are they total garbage... this i dont know
 
Thanks for that @TorontoBuilder. You didn't disappoint.

Not that I trust NRCan - there were a few guys I respected, but most were total flakes. That said, your response is excellent.

All the guys here have helped me realize just how blessed I am to be able to open my windows 24/7 and hear song birds in the daytime and owls, nighthawks, frogs, coyotes, and crickets at night.
 
We had all the windows in our 82' home done last year...or was it 22'?...crap...can't remember...
Got the schpiel about how this window can save you money, the rebates, blah blah blah...
For what the estimate was worth, and what little of a rebate there was against the premium grade...
I think we opted for 2nd or 3rd tier down.
The old ones were all the two panes that basically slid in grooves mitred in the frame...
We noticed a pretty immediate effect in temperature regulation.
Definitely quieter, now that I think about it.
We went with Centra. They came in with the best price, had solid reviews, and dealt with the small issues I found on the install promptly.
It wasn't cheap either. But nothing in the Okanagan Valley is...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top