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The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

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burd said:
Where do you live? How do you use fans and windows during the summer, day and night, to moderate these things?
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I installed continuous running fan with a moisture module, was really helpful.

I’ve had two energy audits, on both homes I’ve owned. Both times I was told that new Windows isn’t a great investment- adding insulation was better. Also caulking, weatherstripping and using plastic over Windows in winter in some cases
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

Deutsche Gopher Fan said:
I installed continuous running fan with a moisture module, was really helpful.

I’ve had two energy audits, on both homes I’ve owned. Both times I was told that new Windows isn’t a great investment- adding insulation was better. Also caulking, weatherstripping and using plastic over Windows in winter in some cases
Click to expand...

High quality wood windows (and patio doors) can't be beat, but they're expensive, since they require some expertise--inside and out. And, like solar energy, you have to spend time in the house to realize the financial gain.
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

burd said:
High quality wood windows (and patio doors) can't be beat, but they're expensive, since they require some expertise--inside and out. And, like solar energy, you have to spend time in the house to realize the financial gain.
Click to expand...

My dad once got a quote for new windows at his house. $75,000.
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

I'm getting a few patches of sod reinstalled. As thwy have died out. Price quotes vary pretty widely (to me). Makes it tough to pick one.
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

MadTownSioux said:
Seems excessive.
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That’s Anderson for you.

I got a quote from Renewal by Anderson for a single kitchen window and a double window downstairs and it was over $5k after “discounts”. I laughed them out of the house.

High quality windows are ****ing expensive.
 
dxmnkd316 said:
That’s Anderson for you.

I got a quote from Renewal by Anderson for a single kitchen window and a double window downstairs and it was over $5k after “discounts”

High quality windows are ****ing expensive.
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Andersen costs are a lot of marketing. I don’t know any builders or contractors who would recommend them over other brands.
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

I've installed hundreds of wood windows of all kinds, including Marvin, Hurd, Pella, Anderson, Kolbe Kolbe, etc. They are all very good windows, with some differences that make installation or operation slightly different. For many years, Anderson had the best reputation for support. They all sell casement and double hung lines, and some are better in the double hung line but not as good in casement. The high cost is usually not primarily the window itself but all the work on structure, siding and interior trim that makes replacement so expensive.

But it's hard to understand why we feel we need expensive wood windows when windowless sod huts were good enough for our forebears. Back when America was great.
 
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Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

I've been looking at upgrading/replacing things at the HPESE, since I've been here almost 17 years, and there's things I haven't touched. The list consists of interior doors, new hardwood flooring (possibly laminate), front door, and a completely new patio. The patio is 9 x 22 and it's deteriorating rapidly. I'm going to have it demo'd and expanded out to 22 x 22. Add in some appliances, and I think I can still bring this in under $20K. I've priced most of it, and the only really big variable is the patio work. My WAG is $10K on that part. Unless an emergency pops up, I'm not likely to get started until next summer.
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

dxmnkd316 said:
That’s Anderson for you.

I got a quote from Renewal by Anderson for a single kitchen window and a double window downstairs and it was over $5k after “discounts”. I laughed them out of the house.

High quality windows are ****ing expensive.
Click to expand...
How much were the other quotes you got?
 
dxmnkd316 said:
That’s Anderson for you.

I got a quote from Renewal by Anderson for a single kitchen window and a double window downstairs and it was over $5k after “discounts”. I laughed them out of the house.

High quality windows are ****ing expensive.
Click to expand...

I went with soft lite- about 7k for a sliding door and replacing a giant 111x64 picture window with 3 large double hungs
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

dxmnkd316 said:
That’s Anderson for you.

I got a quote from Renewal by Anderson for a single kitchen window and a double window downstairs and it was over $5k after “discounts”. I laughed them out of the house.

High quality windows are ****ing expensive.
Click to expand...

They are. We asked for a quote from either Anderson or somebody like that for double panes for 4 normal sized (not picture) windows and it came up $10k. We abstained courteously.
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

walrus said:
How much were the other quotes you got?
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I didn’t. The windows didn’t need to be replaced immediately. I was wanting a quote to start planning.

I need a new roof, new deck, and a few other things done. We’re thinking about taking out a home equity loan and fixing everything at once.

The deck I could probably do myself if I had to. The gutters and roof I can’t. The roof is pushing 20 IIRC and knowing the previous owner, he went with a ****ty shingle.

I’m going back and forth between going high end or middle of the road for all of it. No one factors in quality of shingle and we might move when and if we have kids to get to a better district. That won’t be more than 6-8 years from now. No need to put a super high end Timberline roof on if I’m only going to be here for a quarter or less of the roof’s life. All anyone ever cares about is age of roof.

Ditto on the deck. The cost of going high-end composite vs. pressure treated wood is so rarely taken into account. Don’t need a forever deck if we leave in 6-8. But we’d like a bigger deck and one that isn’t 20+ years old.

Gutters are pretty much the same no matter what, you might get a loci please bucks more for having leaf guard or some **** like that.

For replacement windows, the average schmuck probably won’t know the difference between Window World and Anderson.
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

This may be an impossibly insane question, but does anyone know if Home Depot does order online, pickup in store for paint? Or do you have to haul your *** in and brave the maskless hordes?


Edit: finally got through right as I was typing after being hung up on twice and then hung up on mid sentence. :rolleyes: I was being obnoxiously polite and still got hung up on as I started to thank the guy for his time. So disconnected from two stores and then hung up on. Nice.

Either way. Sounds like you have to go in or have it shipped. Guess I’m having it shipped. June 10th. Oh well.
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

dxmnkd316 said:
This may be an impossibly insane question, but does anyone know if Home Depot does order online, pickup in store for paint? Or do you have to haul your *** in and brave the maskless hordes?


Edit: finally got through right as I was typing after being hung up on twice and then hung up on mid sentence. :rolleyes: I was being obnoxiously polite and still got hung up on as I started to thank the guy for his time. So disconnected from two stores and then hung up on. Nice.

Either way. Sounds like you have to go in or have it shipped. Guess I’m having it shipped. June 10th. Oh well.
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Is there a smaller shop as an option? Like a locally owned Ace or Hardware Hank or something, or does it have to be Home Depot?
 
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