Replacing windows in old home to help with smoke season
HI everyone! We live in a very old house and have original windows (1914) in much of the house. The windows are extremely drafty and we have not been able to fix it with weather stripping. Many of our windows are large double hung windows that will need custom replacement. With smoke season now being a yearly issue, we see replacing the windows as a likely necessity for staying safe in the Bay Area. Has anyone done this? Do you have a recommended company that does a good job with these custom windows in old houses? Anything you feel we should be considering?
Thank you!
Mar 19, 2021
Parent Replies
Alas. We too have 100 year old original tudor style beautiful casement windows. Everyone comments how beautiful they are. We joke that they are purely decorative and live in fear that they will disintegrate every time a storm hits.They don’t work but sure are pretty to look at from 6 ft away.
Custom wood windows are very expensive. We budgeted to replace 3 windows a year because each window costs $2700. Your may cost a little less if they aren’t as ornate as ours. We used to work with the Frame Work but the owner retired. We plan to work with Hansen Wood Window for future replacements. We got a quote from them when we first began this project and they were our second choice. When the fire season comes, we put a big plastic sheet and tape them over all the old windows and doors and put an air purifier in each room. The plastic sheet balloons every time wind blows. Curse these very beautiful useless windows!
I am almost reluctant to share bc I don't want him to get too busy, but, my window guy is really, really good. He has built custom windows for me in my home at fantastic prices and replaced broken windows. He has also done many jobs for clients of mine with rave reviews. He can do the standard, low end, vinyl clad, dual pane or he can build custom wood - he is honest, kind, responsible, and really smart. Angel Gomez, 925-250-5203 - I would text him initially, use my name, Sarah Ridge, realtor - say I referred you and please be kind, he is a hardworking guy!
We used Renewal by Anderson. Yes, they are more expensive than your plain vanilla vinyl frames. But on the inside they look like wood frames yet are still a lot cheaper than real solid wood frames. All their windows are custom-built.
I've been considering something called an interior storm window for our house. If it works for you, it would allow the original windows to remain but provide a sealed window to keep the draft out.
Indow Windows is a company that custom fabricates interior storm windows but is very expensive. Their interior window also has a very wide boarder which makes the visible portion of the window smaller, which I don't like. I've been trying to find a less expensive option.