On Sat, 23 Oct 2010 11:14:41 -0400, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:



The windows are the originals from 1956, when the house was built. The next
coating they'll get will consist of dead presidents. New windows, in other
words. The current ones look great when they're painted, but this is Western
NY. It gets cold here, and I'm tired of doing the clear plastic dance every
October.


I painted more double-hung windows then I want to think about.
A 1/8" crack in the glazing was all I needed to redo a window.
A broken sash cord meant new chains and a complete window refurb.
Back then Ben Moore primer and gloss was the ticket. All oil.
I'd cut out soft spots and fit with new wood.
I'd replenish dried up wood with boiled linseed oil rubs.
Ah, the smell of boiled linseed oil!
The effortless sliding of a well-balanced and fitted window!
Those were the days!

Then in '97 I bought my current and probably last house.
Built in '59.
The windows were already needing some work.
Two years later they were looking worse.
I resolved to tackle them next year.
The next year they were even worse, but I managed to put my past
behind me, and ignore them. It hurt a little.
As the years went by I tuckpointed, put on a new roof, electrical
service and central air.
I did put on 2 triple-track storms where I pulled the 2 big window A/C
units. Screwed one in so it was binding from the get-go too.
Didn't even paint and reglaze the windows first.
Didn't refit the binding triple-track either.
Felt pretty bad about all that.

As the years went by my wife's garden flourished, the town put new
sidewalks in, redid the street and put in all new curbs.
My house looked real nice - except for the windows.
Every year the windows looked worse, just terrible.
I felt bad when I looked at them. But not real, real bad.
Pretty easy to think about something else.
The triple-tracks storms were in bad shape too. Latches broken off,
binding, sweating and icing in the winter.

My wife never complained about me not doing the windows, because she
wanted swing out casement windows. She hated the double-hung windows.
I swore by double-hung. All I ever knew.
No way I would pay for new windows when I already had windows.
That's just silly.
Every year I told her she'd like them when I fixed everything up.
She just smiled or frowned, depending.
And I felt guilty every fall past painting season because I hadn't
done a thing with the windows.
Wasn't too hard to put the guilt aside pretty quick, but it would pick
up again in the spring.

Then I heard from family about a guy who worked in a factory that made
vinyl-clad thermopane windows, and had a side business installing
them. Cheap.
Compared to the big outfits, real cheap.
Had him over, had the wife select what windows she wanted, and all my
window problems were gone in a couple days.
26 windows - every one, including the basements.
All window maintenance gone. Frames flashed with white aluminum.
Cost 4500 President Washingtons, and worth every one.
Been about 5 years and all the windows look good, work fine, there's
no drafts and my heating bill isn't worth talking about.
I sleep well once again.

It's real nice not having those old windows nagging me.
But the best part was how proud I feel when I think about how lazy I
was never painting those old windows. Didn't expect that bonus.
First time being lazy worked out for me.
Not that I recommend that, but you should give it some thought.

--Vic