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living & dining rooms, part 5:
replacing the window
bill gates need not apply
One of the most attractive
features of an arts & crafts style house are the windows. They're usually
split panes in simple geometric patterns, very beautiful, very unique.
Our house is no different.
We have a lovely picture window with a leaded glass upper, a set of
tri-pane upper windows, and a dining room window divided into thirds, each
double-hung sash windows with a tryptic mullion on top.
And despite all the
horrible things we've said about the previous owner in the time we've owned
this house -- and the even worse things we've wished upon her person and
progeny -- she at least had the good sense to leave the windows alone,
which is to say that they're all original to the house. Well, knowing her
it might've been laziness as much as good sense, but whatever. The windows
are great.
Unfortunately, the dining
room window had seen better days. The outer sill had begun to rot -- on one end, it was disintegrating -- and the sash cords had long since stopped working.
All but one of the the windows didn't even open. One of the side windows was so bad that the
glass was actually falling out of the frame so it had been caulked --
CAULKED! -- into place and then the entire window was caulked shut.
(Unfortunately, we forgot to take "before" pictures to show the exact degree
of damage to the window and exterior sill.)
When we had the house
inspected, the dining room window was the biggest item on the report. So
it's not like we didn't know it would need to be addressed sooner rather
than later. The problem was, we didn't want to lose the character of the
old window and we weren't sure we'd find someone who could help us save it. Sure, we could replace it with
a super efficient double window, but why? I mean, it's not like the house is
the model of heat
efficiency. And anyway, this is Oregon, not the Arctic.
And then there was the
whole interior around the window to consider. The window is integrated
into the paneling and casements so the idea of ripping all of that out
just made us sick to our stomachs. Even if all of that could be done, how would
we match the existing stain? And what about the sash weights and cords?
And how far would we have to cut into the outside of the house to get rid
of the wood rot?
We knew it was going
to be expensive to replace that window, let alone try to
have a custom window done in the same style. But there was no way to know
for sure until we actually had someone come out and look.
The first contractor that
came out to give an estimate laughed outright when we suggested we wanted to
try to use the original glass. Our timid idea of not ripping out the
paneling surrounding the window? A derisive snort and patronizing
eye-roll. Subsequent contractors reiterated what the
first one said, that our best bet would be to just rip out the whole
thing, frame it out, and put in a standard size modern window. And no
matter what, it was going to cost us a kidney and possibly an appendage to
pay for the work.
Not having a kidney to
spare at the moment, we
procrastinated. We were talking to our
neighbors one day about the whole thing because their house is much like
ours. Turns out, they had a similar problem with their own dining room
window and the contractor they hired to replace it not only did a
FANTASTIC job, he was able to replicate the original style completely.
(For our Portland friends, if you EVER need a contractor,
just email us for his contact info. EVER.)
So they gave us his
number, he came out, took fifty bazillion measurements, didn't laugh
scornfully when we said we'd like to use the original glass if possible,
and reassured us that the rotted sill could be addressed without taking
off the whole side of the house. As it turns out, he only took out
the individual windows themselves without ripping out anything, didn't cut
gigantic holes into any siding, didn't tear away
any of the paneling, didn't remove the casings. It was the most painless home
improvement experience we've had. You do remember the
carpet incident, right?
We were gobstopped when he
returned with the finished windows. The only way to even tell the
difference was that the stain on the new windows wasn't aged and weathered, but even then,
he'd managed to meticulously match the dark color of the rest of the
casing and paneling. And with the exception of the lower central window -- which was the largest and most fragile and had accidentally broken while
the windows were being put together -- each window had the original glass
panes, imperfections and all.
By the time he was done,
the outer sill was fixed and protected against further deterioration, all
six windows were installed and sliding smoothly in their slots, the sash
cords were fixed, the exterior was primed, the interior was stained...
..and we had our beautiful
dining room window in its intended glory.
from left to right
#1 -- The exterior of the
finished window. Note that Alan replaced the windows themselves, NOT the
casings (which are what you see in the picture that need to be painted).
Everything you see that's neatly painted was done by Alan.
#2 -- Extreme close-up of
the sill on the left, which was pretty much completely gone; most of the
rest of the sill was falling apart. It's all been fixed and tightly wrapped in
aluminum siding material, sealed, and primed. You can't even tell that the
sill is aluminum-clad unless you're up close.
#3 -- Extreme close-up of
the upper windows. It's really too bad we don't have the "before" pictures...it's
hard to fully appreciate the full impact of the finished product without
seeing what it looked like.
from left to right
#1 -- The interior of the
finished window. Note again that Alan replaced the windows without having
to tear out the casings or any of the surrounding paneling. All six
sections of the window now open, including the center. (previously, only
the lower left window opened, and then, only a few inches)
#2 -- Extreme close-up of
the lower right windows. Alan applied several layers of stain until it was
the same color as the surrounding woodwork. Only the lack of weathering on
the windows themselves differentiates them from the casing and paneling.
#3 -- Extreme close-up of
the upper left windows. You can make out the newly functioning sash cords,
which are attached to weights inside the casing that allow the windows to
move up and down smoothly. After spending two hot summers without being
able to open up this side of the house, being able to finally open these
windows was one of the biggest payoffs of any project in the house.
#4 -- Hobbes is enjoying
the fruits of Alan's hard work, namely, sitting in the window for the
first time. (This is the window that was held together almost entirely by
caulk.) Note the odd position of his head. Despite the fact that he's too
big to fit comfortably in the narrow window, he was determined to sit
there. This is not uncommon behavior for him. |
