Windows

We have done some repairs and minor renovations over the past several years to the house including fixing leaking pipes, painting, laying brick flooring through the kitchen and hall way and carpet in the bedrooms. Basically just to get the house "up to snuff". Most recently my Dad replaced the entire kitchen with new cabinets and quartz counter tops. This changed the entire layout of the kitchen from a small, boxed in area to an open-concept kitchen the flows in to the current living room.

One of the very first things we purchased for the renovation were our windows off of Craigslist. We knew that most of the windows in the house needed to be replaced for aesthetic and functionality purposes. The previous windows were original to the house and had thin aluminum frames and non-impact glass. They were worn and not very pretty to look at.

I started searching for windows on Craigslist. My wants were: new, impact, and pretty. And boy did I score! One day I stumbled on an ad for hurricane impact, PGT brand windows that a contractor bought but never installed. We picked them up that weekend, several months before we even started construction on the exterior. We basically got five windows (4 long, rectangular ones and one oval) for the price of one of the windows retail. Score!


We installed them ourselves with some helpful instruction from our friend, Jim, who is a builder here in town. It was a long process. Each window took roughly a full day to install. That seems like a long time but we basically re-framed the entire house from the outside in. Because the dimensions of these windows were TOTALLY different than the existing windows, each wall had to be re-framed with new 2x4's and headers. We added a long rectangular window to our new dining room and an oval window to our laundry room where there was no window before. People, it was a cave in there before! Dark and dingy and sad. I am one of those crazy people that enjoys doing laundry (I like folding fresh clothes, so shoot me) and I did not want to spend my 'zen time' in a dark, scary cave.

Before the oval window install. Welcome to my lair.

Andddddd after!

And because everyone loves a good before and after side-by-side comparison...

This photo shows the existing window and the outline (in blue painters tape) of the new window. HUGE difference in size and shape!

Marcus painting the waterproofing on the windows

Our friend Jim who is INVALUABLE for advice and tips when it comes to the house. Thank you, Jim!

We also had to buy two Jeldwen windows (full price from Home Depot, :sigh:) for the Master Bedroom and the Guest Bedroom. These windows needed to meet Egress Codes so we didn't have a whole lot of choice with these. I like them though. They are lower to the ground than the old ones and are really nice in the bedrooms. Both look out on to the back yard. Harper already loves sitting and looking out of them. They're right at her height level.

Well, hopefully I haven't bored you too much with a post entirely devoted to windows. I have at least 1,000 more photos of each stage of install of each window so consider yourself lucky. More photos to come of the windows actually in the wall!