Buick Electra
TB2K Girls with Guns
I Need to replace my wooden casement, (crank out), windows that were put in when the house was built in 1970 as the wood has rotted away and the guest bedroom gets a nice 18 degree breeze billowing through there in the winter, I too feel a nice breeze flowing over my head in the winter. My biggest energy-sucker is the sliding glass door that's in between the family room and the porch which has no insulation whatsoever, you can actually see the heavy weighted drapes flowing back and forth up against that sliding glass door even though I have door snakes on it. Both estimates from my first contractor and Window World are $2500 for the sliding glass door.
I've decided to do the replacement windows because I'm losing heat and air. I was an on 'Budget Balance Payment plan with my utility company, where the bill right before they switched over to Spring stated I was $118 ahead. Then my next bill comes and says I owe then $500
Even when I call them and the tried to explain WHY, I still don't understand, so yesterday I called them up and had them get me off the budget plan and just direct bill me for what I use.
That said I'm taking a poll on the manufacturer and QUALITY of windows you have a nd would recommend
I've already met with a contractor who said because I currently have casement windows I can't replace with sash windows - something about widening or encasing those original frames which would add more labor and that it was best I just replace casement for casement. They use Great Lakes Windows - Echosmart. I asked him to break the prices down by room because I might have to peace-meal this project together. When I got his quote, this is what I received.....
Then my washing machine repairman recommended Window World to me, saying they were no pressure and have been very happy with their windows for the last 5 years and had never has a problem with them since. Thinking Window World sounded like something out of a SNL sketch, like Broccoli City, I was a bit leery but scheduled them for an estimate.
While waiting for Window World to arrive my first contractor calls and says they don't make the same size picture window that I currently have up, and that I will have to go to a smaller picture window. My current window is 67" in length and 47" in height. I didn't think that was out of the norm but he did. I told him I would mention this to the other 2 contractors that were also coming to give me estimates and then there was a pause, then a "Hold on a minute" and then he came back on the line saying they maybe COULD preserve the size of my picture window. (Ahhhhh, Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!)
So Window World (WW) arrives , starts measuring then asks me what I want: Casement or sash windows. I tell him I would love to have those sash windows you can just flip inside to clean, rather than having to go outside on a ladder but that I was told by my prior contractor I couldn't have sash windows because this house was built out for casement windows. This guy just shook his head and told me I was dealing with the sales guy who wanted me to order the most expensive windows for His commission. He mentioned something about "wrapping" but that it would be no problem to replace the casements with the sashes. He did say the casement windows were the most expensive, but also hardest to break in to, but then again he stated, "If someone is intent on breaking into your home, neither a casement or a sash window will stop them. . IN my case they'd probably throw a big old rock through my picture window and ....Viola! They're in!
(3) of my 7 casement windows look like this....
Then I have an awning window in each bedroom
My choice is to put another crank-out awning window in or a slider and I can tell you the horror stories I've heard on the sliders so it looks like I'll have to replace awning for awning at $770 each Praising God there's only 2 of those and that I have 7 windows TOTAL to replace, including my sliding aluminum glass door. (We had 32 windows at the farm)
So WW gives me the estimate for the crank out/Casement windows with placebo wood grain on the insides and that estimate came to $18,259. I asked him mow much it would be if I went with the casement with NO WOODGRAIN and instead just white. That knocked of $2500, so now I'm down to $15,758 on the casement windows.
Then he drew me up a contract for the shash windows, just white - no color and they come to $13,860
Now, the have a lifetime warranty were all replacements and labor are covered for the lifetime you own the windows. A neighbor kid hits a baseball through the window, they will come fix it free of charge, but if a tornado takes out my window, my insurance will be paying them to come and clean up and reinstall new windows. If I ever sell this place my warranty, if the seller wants to buy it would cover them for free replacements but the labor does not go to them. That's only for the original purchaser.
They offer financing through Wells Fargo : an 18 months with 0 interest and you start making payment the following month they finish the job and be sure to pay it off in that 18 month time from or else the remainder of the balance will then have a 23% interest tacked on to it.
They also offer 50 months at 8%
And 120 months @ 10%
I have one more window contractor coming tomorrow and I'll see what windows they are pimping. and the cost. At least with WW I have 12 neighbors I plan to kibitz with about how their WW windows are doing and if they've noticed a difference with the heat and cold in their home.
If anyone knows of a really excellent window, would you please let me know ASAP? Just don't bother with the Pella or Anderson windows WHICH USED to be decent, but seem to have gone the way of china, sacrificing quality control.
I've decided to do the replacement windows because I'm losing heat and air. I was an on 'Budget Balance Payment plan with my utility company, where the bill right before they switched over to Spring stated I was $118 ahead. Then my next bill comes and says I owe then $500
Even when I call them and the tried to explain WHY, I still don't understand, so yesterday I called them up and had them get me off the budget plan and just direct bill me for what I use.
That said I'm taking a poll on the manufacturer and QUALITY of windows you have a nd would recommend
I've already met with a contractor who said because I currently have casement windows I can't replace with sash windows - something about widening or encasing those original frames which would add more labor and that it was best I just replace casement for casement. They use Great Lakes Windows - Echosmart. I asked him to break the prices down by room because I might have to peace-meal this project together. When I got his quote, this is what I received.....
Then my washing machine repairman recommended Window World to me, saying they were no pressure and have been very happy with their windows for the last 5 years and had never has a problem with them since. Thinking Window World sounded like something out of a SNL sketch, like Broccoli City, I was a bit leery but scheduled them for an estimate.
While waiting for Window World to arrive my first contractor calls and says they don't make the same size picture window that I currently have up, and that I will have to go to a smaller picture window. My current window is 67" in length and 47" in height. I didn't think that was out of the norm but he did. I told him I would mention this to the other 2 contractors that were also coming to give me estimates and then there was a pause, then a "Hold on a minute" and then he came back on the line saying they maybe COULD preserve the size of my picture window. (Ahhhhh, Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!)
So Window World (WW) arrives , starts measuring then asks me what I want: Casement or sash windows. I tell him I would love to have those sash windows you can just flip inside to clean, rather than having to go outside on a ladder but that I was told by my prior contractor I couldn't have sash windows because this house was built out for casement windows. This guy just shook his head and told me I was dealing with the sales guy who wanted me to order the most expensive windows for His commission. He mentioned something about "wrapping" but that it would be no problem to replace the casements with the sashes. He did say the casement windows were the most expensive, but also hardest to break in to, but then again he stated, "If someone is intent on breaking into your home, neither a casement or a sash window will stop them. . IN my case they'd probably throw a big old rock through my picture window and ....Viola! They're in!
(3) of my 7 casement windows look like this....
Then I have an awning window in each bedroom
My choice is to put another crank-out awning window in or a slider and I can tell you the horror stories I've heard on the sliders so it looks like I'll have to replace awning for awning at $770 each Praising God there's only 2 of those and that I have 7 windows TOTAL to replace, including my sliding aluminum glass door. (We had 32 windows at the farm)
So WW gives me the estimate for the crank out/Casement windows with placebo wood grain on the insides and that estimate came to $18,259. I asked him mow much it would be if I went with the casement with NO WOODGRAIN and instead just white. That knocked of $2500, so now I'm down to $15,758 on the casement windows.
Then he drew me up a contract for the shash windows, just white - no color and they come to $13,860
Now, the have a lifetime warranty were all replacements and labor are covered for the lifetime you own the windows. A neighbor kid hits a baseball through the window, they will come fix it free of charge, but if a tornado takes out my window, my insurance will be paying them to come and clean up and reinstall new windows. If I ever sell this place my warranty, if the seller wants to buy it would cover them for free replacements but the labor does not go to them. That's only for the original purchaser.
They offer financing through Wells Fargo : an 18 months with 0 interest and you start making payment the following month they finish the job and be sure to pay it off in that 18 month time from or else the remainder of the balance will then have a 23% interest tacked on to it.
They also offer 50 months at 8%
And 120 months @ 10%
I have one more window contractor coming tomorrow and I'll see what windows they are pimping. and the cost. At least with WW I have 12 neighbors I plan to kibitz with about how their WW windows are doing and if they've noticed a difference with the heat and cold in their home.
If anyone knows of a really excellent window, would you please let me know ASAP? Just don't bother with the Pella or Anderson windows WHICH USED to be decent, but seem to have gone the way of china, sacrificing quality control.
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