In the previous post, I mentioned our first plan of attack was to fix the windows. We definitely had our work cut out for us. You know something's not quite right when you're happy to find one of your window panes has been taped in.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Steel casement story, part 1
We have 9 gorgeous steel casement windows manufactured by Hope's. We have three different sizes/kinds in four areas. They've suffered from many many many years of neglect and many layers of paint that clearly wasn't the kind they needed to keep them from rusting. A shower covers the left half of one, which you can see from the outside, but not the inside.
When we bought the house, our first angle of attack was to FIX THE WINDOWS (not just the steel ones), so that the elements weren't coming in through the broken glass and not-closed frames.
The steel windows are not original to the house, but were put in in a series of additions sometime after the 1930s, when Hope's became Hope's. The entire shed dormer addition to the big attic/library was once windowed with them, but sometime in the past some previous owner ripped out two of them. The old trim was still there, but the outside wall had been resheathed and sided, and then some other owner had cut a giant, badly planned hole in the wall for a window air conditioner.
In our consideration for how to deal with that hole, we decided we might just need an air conditioner up there as well, so instead of just walling it over, we put in a new window, which does not match the casements at all, but is there for a purpose and certainly looks better (and is more weatherproof!) than the nasty hole that was there. I do plan to use the original trim around it, so at least that will match. The window stool was partially rotted where water was getting inside the hole, but I salvaged enough of it to work on the new window, which is considerably smaller. It might look odd on one side where I had to cut it a bit too short because of the rot, but I really want to keep the old wood, so we'll manage with it looking ever so slightly off from perfect.
I digress! Most of the casement operators were badly worn and when they did work they did so only after pushing or pulling the window a little first so the gears would catch. A few of the handle locks were completely missing, and one is broken. I contacted Hope's, and they got back to me very quickly. However, I was distressed when I discovered replacements from the manufacturer would run me in the neighborhood of $150 per operator. Quick math told me this was $300 per window, $2700 for all of them! Just to open and close the existing windows! I balked. That was a quarter what we paid for the whole house, and that didn't even include the prices for the locks, which my brain can't even remember after the drooling sticker shock on the operators. I considered just getting 4 for the downstairs windows (the most important ones to close properly, since they're right on the ground and an open casement window = a door). I wanted to have some with Hope's on them, so a future owner would be able to discover the same thing about the windows that I did. I'm still debating this.
A friend told me the machine shop at the local college would probably be able to work the original hardware so the gears would operate. This is another thing I need to check into.
I did a ton more research, found a lot of sites that offered window hardware. I had a very difficult time finding any hardware on any of these sites to match my windows. I measured the screw hole spacing, then I measured again. I swear, these guys had the strangest, most non-standard sort of spacing (4 and 1/8 inches on the operator, 1 and 13/16ths on the handle...thirteen sixteenths?) and I just couldn't be certain that my measurements were right, because nothing I could find matched them.
Then I discovered Blaine Window Hardware, which had a ton of stuff. I got very very excited that I'd find my operators. I didn't. BUT. The handles were there! $29.50 each. That's in the neighborhood of $60 per window, but they are exact matches to the handles I already have, so I only needed three. I ordered two, to make certain they would work. They fit, but didn't come with fasteners, and no standard one would work due to the way it was shaped and the length having to be exact. So, grabbing a fastener from another handle, we made a trip to Lowe's to try to match it. After half an hour adventuring in the specialty fastener drawers, we did. They look a little odd as the color doesn't match, but for now I just rejoice in the fact that I can lock the upstairs windows.
After I ordered the locks, I kept looking for the operators. Site after site passed by. Truth, Fenestra. No, no. Finally, Hope's! At Robert Brooke and Associates, there they were. $22.95 per operator. I bought six and had them shipped for around the price of one from Hope's. Thankfully, they do come with fasteners. With the six that I have I figured I would replace the more non-working ones in the attic, and bring those downstairs, since at least downstairs you can push the window all the way closed from the outside. The old ones from upstairs say Hope's, and work a little better than the ones that were downstairs, I imagine from less frequent use (or abuse). Now I can both crank the upstairs windows open/closed and lock them. It's quite the coup.
Next up, adventures in restoring steel casement windows!
When we bought the house, our first angle of attack was to FIX THE WINDOWS (not just the steel ones), so that the elements weren't coming in through the broken glass and not-closed frames.
 |
| The previous owners were such handy folks. I know their neighbors were demanding help from them all the time. |
In our consideration for how to deal with that hole, we decided we might just need an air conditioner up there as well, so instead of just walling it over, we put in a new window, which does not match the casements at all, but is there for a purpose and certainly looks better (and is more weatherproof!) than the nasty hole that was there. I do plan to use the original trim around it, so at least that will match. The window stool was partially rotted where water was getting inside the hole, but I salvaged enough of it to work on the new window, which is considerably smaller. It might look odd on one side where I had to cut it a bit too short because of the rot, but I really want to keep the old wood, so we'll manage with it looking ever so slightly off from perfect.
I digress! Most of the casement operators were badly worn and when they did work they did so only after pushing or pulling the window a little first so the gears would catch. A few of the handle locks were completely missing, and one is broken. I contacted Hope's, and they got back to me very quickly. However, I was distressed when I discovered replacements from the manufacturer would run me in the neighborhood of $150 per operator. Quick math told me this was $300 per window, $2700 for all of them! Just to open and close the existing windows! I balked. That was a quarter what we paid for the whole house, and that didn't even include the prices for the locks, which my brain can't even remember after the drooling sticker shock on the operators. I considered just getting 4 for the downstairs windows (the most important ones to close properly, since they're right on the ground and an open casement window = a door). I wanted to have some with Hope's on them, so a future owner would be able to discover the same thing about the windows that I did. I'm still debating this.
A friend told me the machine shop at the local college would probably be able to work the original hardware so the gears would operate. This is another thing I need to check into.
I did a ton more research, found a lot of sites that offered window hardware. I had a very difficult time finding any hardware on any of these sites to match my windows. I measured the screw hole spacing, then I measured again. I swear, these guys had the strangest, most non-standard sort of spacing (4 and 1/8 inches on the operator, 1 and 13/16ths on the handle...thirteen sixteenths?) and I just couldn't be certain that my measurements were right, because nothing I could find matched them.
Then I discovered Blaine Window Hardware, which had a ton of stuff. I got very very excited that I'd find my operators. I didn't. BUT. The handles were there! $29.50 each. That's in the neighborhood of $60 per window, but they are exact matches to the handles I already have, so I only needed three. I ordered two, to make certain they would work. They fit, but didn't come with fasteners, and no standard one would work due to the way it was shaped and the length having to be exact. So, grabbing a fastener from another handle, we made a trip to Lowe's to try to match it. After half an hour adventuring in the specialty fastener drawers, we did. They look a little odd as the color doesn't match, but for now I just rejoice in the fact that I can lock the upstairs windows.
After I ordered the locks, I kept looking for the operators. Site after site passed by. Truth, Fenestra. No, no. Finally, Hope's! At Robert Brooke and Associates, there they were. $22.95 per operator. I bought six and had them shipped for around the price of one from Hope's. Thankfully, they do come with fasteners. With the six that I have I figured I would replace the more non-working ones in the attic, and bring those downstairs, since at least downstairs you can push the window all the way closed from the outside. The old ones from upstairs say Hope's, and work a little better than the ones that were downstairs, I imagine from less frequent use (or abuse). Now I can both crank the upstairs windows open/closed and lock them. It's quite the coup.
 |
| New handles on the left window, old ones on the right. Ditto on the operators. Will eventually replace the operators on the right window, but for now it's not necessary since we can open the other windows and just leave that one closed. |
 |
| The fasteners don't match, but that's okay! Really! |
Next up, adventures in restoring steel casement windows!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Adventures in caulk-slinging
I love caulk. It's fabulous for weather sealing and waterproofing things like the edges of bathtubs and sinks. I love loading up a caulk gun and squeezing the stuff out into a perfect bead. Even a not-so-perfect bead, if it happens (and it DOES). I love the POP feeling of puncturing the foil seal for the first time. It's wonderful stuff.
There are, however, certain applications for which it should not be used. For your reference, I will list a few of these things here.
There are, however, certain applications for which it should not be used. For your reference, I will list a few of these things here.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Weekend wrap-up
Gorgeous weekend. Yesterday was quite blustery, but today was downright wonderful. We lazed about at home, headed to the house.. then realized we had no keys on us. So I drove back home while Alexis worked on a patch and read outside on the patio in the lovely spring weather. We finally did get to do inside work, and we took care of a bunch of stuff.
Alexis worked on more patches and getting some nails out of some trim we wanted to bring home. I scraped the ceiling some more and started working on another wall, in addition to moving piles of stuff to more convenient locations and sweeping up the results of my work on the ceiling. Oh, I gave the wall another coat of paint as well. We then knocked off early to come home and enjoy the rest of the fabulous day with our munchkin. Lots of photos after the break.
Alexis worked on more patches and getting some nails out of some trim we wanted to bring home. I scraped the ceiling some more and started working on another wall, in addition to moving piles of stuff to more convenient locations and sweeping up the results of my work on the ceiling. Oh, I gave the wall another coat of paint as well. We then knocked off early to come home and enjoy the rest of the fabulous day with our munchkin. Lots of photos after the break.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
YES, yes, OH yes.
We had a bit of a slow start today, but when we did get started we REALLY got started.
Alexis worked on patching walls in the upstairs bathroom while I finished smoothing out the last rough patches on our newly remade walls. While I waited for that mud to dry, I started scraping off the really horrible-looking ceiling paint. It looked like the plaster beneath would be completely ruined, but as I scraped I saw the horrible browny-non-color begin to fall away, and beneath this sometimes-bulgy nastiness, perfectly smooth plaster was revealed. I was delighted.
Of course, no news can be all good, so in some places the top coat of plaster was falling completely off all the way down to the scratch coat as soon as I took off the paint, and in one (very large, say 20 inch circle?) place the previous owners had patched the plaster with what I can only assume was caulk (!), but mostly, it was a very good experience. Very very welcome in a house that so seldom contains good surprises.
We ate a late lunch, and then...oh, then, I painted. That's right. Easter Basket ALL over the walls.
After the painting, I went back to scraping the ceiling. Each time I turned around and got a glimpse of the wall, I laughed gleefully. Once the paint dried, I put all the receptacle and switch covers back on, and took far too many photos. Purple makes me happy.
Alexis primed the trim around the windows, and I fiddled with trying to figure out how to put the old trim back up on the new wall without it looking weird. The plaster was much thicker than the sheet rock, and we didn't adjust for that on the back side, so now we have a little issue where the top trim isn't going to match the left trim properly unless we figure out some way to make it do so without looking too weird.
Alexis worked on patching walls in the upstairs bathroom while I finished smoothing out the last rough patches on our newly remade walls. While I waited for that mud to dry, I started scraping off the really horrible-looking ceiling paint. It looked like the plaster beneath would be completely ruined, but as I scraped I saw the horrible browny-non-color begin to fall away, and beneath this sometimes-bulgy nastiness, perfectly smooth plaster was revealed. I was delighted.
Of course, no news can be all good, so in some places the top coat of plaster was falling completely off all the way down to the scratch coat as soon as I took off the paint, and in one (very large, say 20 inch circle?) place the previous owners had patched the plaster with what I can only assume was caulk (!), but mostly, it was a very good experience. Very very welcome in a house that so seldom contains good surprises.
We ate a late lunch, and then...oh, then, I painted. That's right. Easter Basket ALL over the walls.
 |
| Sorry about the mess. One day we'll clean up! This is mostly a before. |
After the painting, I went back to scraping the ceiling. Each time I turned around and got a glimpse of the wall, I laughed gleefully. Once the paint dried, I put all the receptacle and switch covers back on, and took far too many photos. Purple makes me happy.
 | |
| VERY VERY HAPPY. Did I mention I love purple? |
 |
| I put the trim on for the photo. It looks good as long as you don't look at it from the side. Small window still needs trim. |
Alexis primed the trim around the windows, and I fiddled with trying to figure out how to put the old trim back up on the new wall without it looking weird. The plaster was much thicker than the sheet rock, and we didn't adjust for that on the back side, so now we have a little issue where the top trim isn't going to match the left trim properly unless we figure out some way to make it do so without looking too weird.
Friday, April 1, 2011
COLOR!
Our walls in the library/guest room are starting to resemble real, honest-to-goodness walls. I spend great swaths of time just rubbing my hands over the smoooooth surfaces. It's very exciting.
We finally picked a paint color for these newly finished wonders. It's called "Easter Basket" and it's a lovely light lilac. The paint was not cheap, coming in at about $36 all told, but hey, these walls deserve it. A few more tiny spots that need to be smoothed out when the weather warms up (oh yeah, who turned it back to winter for the last WEEK, huh?), and then we'll paint!
We finally picked a paint color for these newly finished wonders. It's called "Easter Basket" and it's a lovely light lilac. The paint was not cheap, coming in at about $36 all told, but hey, these walls deserve it. A few more tiny spots that need to be smoothed out when the weather warms up (oh yeah, who turned it back to winter for the last WEEK, huh?), and then we'll paint!
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