Q. I have 35 windows to replace in my 100 year two floor house. I recently got three estimates, one from Lowes Thermastar Pella double-hung vinyl, but they feel cheap at the store. Home Depot offered a cheap American Craftsmen that has horror reviews. I am currently considering Pella's Encompass line, order directly from manufacturer, does anyone have any reviews about this line or other suggestions on good windows to consider? Thanks!

A. In an old home like that vinyl windows would look out of place. Most of the major window manufacturer's make whats called 'tilt pak' These are replacement sashes and will tilt in for cleaning like the modern windows do. you just replace the sashes within the existing frame so there is very little to demo and the current trim stays in place. You can get wood inside and aluminum or vinyl out side. And they are also dual pane.

Q. I just had three old aluminum windows replaced with custom fitted vinyl, double-pane insulated ones but I continue to feel a bit of a draft in the area beneath the window to the floor. Is this normal or have my windows not been measured correctly? The brochure they gave me after installation says its normal to feel cool air because that's the warm air inside bouncing off the cold window and then re-circulating. But I'm not sure?

A. I would suggest actually determining where a draft is coming in. Something that produces smoke, like a cigarette, or a match just after you blow it out. Even if you have a problem and the installers are willing to come back, the weather conditions at that time would be a concern, if it's calm they will not find any leaks. Most windows and doors, even new ones will leak a small amount, unless they are permanently sealed, under certain windy conditions,

Q. I let the technician do that after I told him it would be too expensive to replace the compressor and then he offered to reconstruct it for less money.....now after one day it does'nt release any cool air plus my windows are covered with an OILY Film...

A. A/C compressors in today's world are nearly impossible to rebuild in the field (shop). The bodies are made of aluminum, the bolts are made of steel, and when it's worn, it's worn, more like shot to hell. If you windows were covered with an oily film, sounds to me like the compressor blew out the evaporator core and that the system busted and blew out the refrigerant oil inside the vehicle which is why the oily film and why the system is not blowing cold. The only solution is to change the evaporator core, change the a/c compressor, change the reciever/dryer and orfice tube, run a vacuum on the system, check for leaks and charge it up. Hope that helps.

Q. I mean, an iron round profile and an iron square profile are round/square shaped but they have nothing inside. You can fill it with a different material, and you have a whatever filled profile. But if the profile is solid, all iron? Is that "solid round profile" and "solid square profile"? I was talking about profiles, not tools. This is, for example, an L-shaped profile. http://www.sonarc.at/Zinema/Lighttray_step_1.jpg A hollow round profile is a pipe, a solid round profile is a round bar. I was wondering if the correct term to call a "non hollow" profile was solid. Sometimes these profiles are hollow, but filled with another material, and in that case the name (for example) is "glass filled profile". Is a solid square shaped profile called as such, or is it called just square bar? I am translating and I had to come up with a way to render what in Italian is called a "profilo circolare pieno" and "profilo quadrato pieno", that, in English, means "solid round profile" and "solid square profile", or in the first case a round bar and in the second case a square bar. This is a "profilo circolare pieno" http://imgs.tootoo.com/80/be/80be08e3e9f6ad2a90beb18d7de9bd5c.jpg This is a "profilo quadrato pieno" http://www.metals-b2b.com/b2b/pics/Sainless_Steel_Square_Bar.jpg

A. If you went to a steel supplier, I might think you would be referring to the difference between bar stock and tubing. The solid iron would be 1x2 (or whatever dimension) square (also rectangular) iron bar or round iron bar while you might come across copper tubing or steel tubing or even square tubing. Often it is actually flat stock (or sheet metal cut down) that has been bent into a shape and then welded shut at the factory. Within the electrical and plumbing fields round "tubing" becomes "pipe." And particularly within the electrical field pipe is also known as "conduit." Some larger dimensions of square conduit that has one side removable is known as "channel" or a "raceway." There are other variations like "J" channel for sheet metal that is bent into a certain shape at the factory. You might also see references to aluminum angle or 1x2 angle if one side is bigger than another. "Angle iron" gets it's own reversal of the word order in common usage. We refer to galvanized angle iron for headers over bricked windows and doors. Sometimes the bend has a specific purpose and the name derives from the usage. Corner bead for drywall is a special kind of angle stock. But in the field of carpentry many things are made up these days. A solid oak beam would be different than the hollow "box" beam even if they had the same outer dimensions. I once helped build a 35' long box beam to support a sail plane wing that weighed less than 30#. It can be a very strong and light type of construction. And even the solid beam may simply be a laminate beam bonded together from many smaller pieces. Along the same beam you might attach a "ledger" strip to form a kind of an angle on which you could hang joists. On older homes a columb at the front of a house might have been solid but now-a-days the same piece might be referred to as a hollow columb. The same verticle construction of wood on a certain style of barn may be called a "post" for "post and beam" construction. That post could be solid or hollow but the old ones were trees cut square or left round. If I were to make a miniture copy of a post and beam construction I would probably use 1/8th " up to 2" "dowels" to mock up the posts. "Dowels" are often used for hobbies but I am not sure exactly how large you can get this solid round stock. But I think it is interesting that the Austrilians will often call dimension "lumber" (1x4, 2x4 4x4 etc) "timber." Another common shape is an "I" beam. I once made a verticle "I" beam out of wood as the foundation for a fake chimney that was formed of boxed plywood. Hope you could find what you were looking for here.

Q. My brother is paying for siding on my home! (he is a wonderful brother ,by the way) He told me to get estimates. for windows also. I dont know what to ask for! I need the old siding removed,and i want to keep the price down, since he is paying for it! Please Help! Thank you! The first answer that i recieved from John was fantastic! Thank you So Much! This is an old house at least 50 yrs. old. My dad and mom built it! They had no experience building! It is a plain ranch type home with wood siding .the wood is really moldy and is roten. Ineed to know what type siding to go with? there are many types! I not able to wrap the house myself. ( i wish i could,I'd like to !) But physically i am not able! That is the main reason why we are hiring someone! I am checking around the neighborhood,to see if good work was done! It is not easy finding someone you can trust! I will consider all advice given to me! And thank you so much! I would like to get it done during the summer, I have heard that the windows are put in first! So i know that will take time! Thank a 3rd time!!!! WoW JOHN! You are great! After all that imformation,NOW COME AND DO THE WORK! LOL Take care! All OF YOU will sleep well tonight ! Knowing you helped this unexperienced woman!! Sorry thats inexperienced!

A. Read below for choosing contractors. Do more research on siding and removal through google/yahoo searches. If you do have the siding removed, have the contractor give you an estimate on installing house wrap to the exterior under the new siding. House Wrap: When you go out in bad weather, you wear a jacket to protect yourself from rain, wind and other elements. A home should be protected in the same fashion. Without a protective barrier, the home can get wet, which can lead to wood rot and mold growth. Is there a better way to protect a home from these elements? Using a house wrap during the framing stage of construction will prevent moisture from entering the home. This will protect the house from rotting and from developing mold or fungus. Additionally, air infiltration through the framed walls will be blocked. The "best practice" for protecting your home from wind and water while allowing it to "breathe" is to install a layer of "house wrap" made of a thin layer of spun-bonded polyethylene. Here's how to do it: Start at a corner, but make sure you have 2 to 3 feet of house wrap to overlap the corner. Wrap it around the corner and continue nailing or stapling as you move. Wrap the entire building, including door and window openings. Use button nails or minimum 1-inch staples to fasten the house wrap every 12 to 18 inches along the vertical studs. Make an inverted "y" cut, or "martini glass cut," over the window openings. Fold the flaps in through the opening of the two sides and the sill and fasten them inside. Many builders do not install a drainage plane at all. The builders who do often install "building paper," a sheet of asphalt-impregnated felt paper, to protect the house from exterior water penetration. Unlike house wrap, however, building paper doesn't effectively reduce air infiltration because it has many seams, while house wrap is a continuous sheet with minimal overlaps. House wrap produces a breathable, weather-resistant barrier that will reduce energy costs and prevent wind-driven rain from entering the walls of a home. =============================================== Windows: If you are actually going to have the windows replaced, the best way to do this is replace the whole window including the frames. Have the windows removed to the rough opening. Many contractors will tell you this is not necessary. If the house is quite old, the space between the rough oping and the window frame is likely not insulated and sealed properly. Leaving the existing window frames in will not eliminate drafts properly. Also, it allows you to see if there is may moisture damage to the structure that has to be repaired. Here is an excerpt from this link: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/retrofit How Do I Decide Between Retrofit or New Construction Windows? (By: Bill & Kevin Burnett) Q: What are the disadvantages to retrofit windows as opposed to the advantages of new-construction windows? I've been shopping for new windows for my home and have found that labor and materials for retrofit windows is about one-half the cost of new-construction windows. I understand that with retrofit windows the old window is removed and the new window is installed into the old window frame, which certainly cuts down on labor. However, is there a quality issue? Can there be more of a chance of leakage around the window with retrofitted windows? Retrofit installers swear by their product. My contractor said he won't install retrofit windows. What's a homeowner to do? A: Retrofit windows are installed into existing window frames. New-construction windows are secured to the frame of the house by nailing flanges. The cost difference is related to removal and repair of existing window trim and siding. The major advantage of flanged windows is that they are one integral unit that is easy for the contractor or homeowner to install plumb and square within a framed opening. Retrofit windows are installed into existing frames, and if those frames are not plumb or square, there may be problems. To install flanged windows the old windows must be completely removed. Exterior trim (and often interior trim) will have to be removed, exposing the framing so the new windows can be nailed or screwed to it. Siding will also need to be cut back so that the edge of the framing is exposed. If you have a stucco exterior, installation will require some stucco to be chipped or cut away, then patched after the new windows are installed. Trim must be reinstalled. Finally everything must be repainted. Sounds like a pretty big job, doesn't it? It is. Retrofit windows, on the other hand, use the existing frame as the opening in which to install the new windows. No trim removal, no stucco or siding to repair. A seemingly much simpler and cleaner job. It can be. So what to do? From our perspective it depends on the type of existing windows you have and the exterior trim and siding involved. Most of our experience has been with the double-hung wooden windows that are common in old homes. To install retrofits in this type of frame, the old sash is removed, stops are installed if necessary and the new unit is attached to the old wood frames with shims and screws. A little caulking around the joints and you're done. This type of installation, if done properly, will provide an airtight seal. If your existing windows are the steel casement windows used in the 1950s or the aluminum windows commonly used in the 1960s, '70s and '80s, we'd suggest you do some serious digging into the possibility of using retrofits. If we were in the market to retrofit these windows, we'd undertake major research, look at some existing installations and satisfy ourselves with the looks, method of installation and quality of these products. All this being said, we don't think we'd be happy with existing steel or aluminum frames with new window inserts unless we were convinced that the frames were covered and the installation was airtight. Tip: We've always found it better to install flanged windows with screws rather than nails. If minor adjustments have to be made to properly fit the window into the opening, it's much easier to remove a screw or two rather than pull a nail with a cat's paw. Use stainless steel or zinc-coated screws. =============================================== Selecting contractors: 1/ Look up local contractors first. work out form the closest to your location. If some you trust has had work done similar to yours, ask them about the contractor they used. If they were completely satisfied with their contractor(s), ask for their telephone number. 2/ Select at least 5 your are interested 3/ Do a google/yahoo search on each of the contractors you are interested in; look for praises (check who is writing the praises to see if they have any connection to the contractor google/yahoo search the people giving the praise or references) 4/ When you are satisfied with at least 3 contractors per job, have the give you written estimates with details of work to be done, terms, guarantee(s), cost of extras (how much do they charge if they find something not covered by the contract), paymant schedules if necessary and whatever else you can think of to protect yourself. 5/ If the contractor tries to pressure you into signing the contract immediately with a high deposit (more than 15%) reject that contractor. Be careful, high pressure can be someone who sounds very convincing, but has many reasons why you should sign on the dotted line NOW. 6/ It is always good to have another adult with you when a contractor inspects the work to be done. 7/ If you do not get at least 3 written estimates signed by the contractor - not you (do not sign yet) , go back to 1. repeat until you get written estimates signed by the contractor - not you (do not sign yet). Read the estimates over with some who has some knowledge of the work that has to be done. This may take longer than you thought; do not rush into it. Research, resaerch research, helps. When you are ready choose by being informed. Good Luck

Q. I have a hail damage/siding insurance claim and a contractor that I signed a binding contract with to do the work if I got the claim. Now that I have the claim the contractor has written another contract for the work, with extra work I ask them to perform including gutters, facia, and wrapping all my exterior trim in aluminum. After the contract was signed, my contractor and I both noticed that the insurance company had paid for 13 windows to be wrapped in aluminum, and I only have trim on 5 of my window, leaving me with 8 windows that were paid for that I am not having the work done to ($967.00) which would go in my pocket. Now, the contractor says that they miss measured some things, and is going to charge me $742.00 more than the original contract. My question is am I still obligated to have them do the work, even though they have broken the contract? Remember, I originally signed a seperate contract stating they could do the work, if I got the Ins. Claim. Is that still binding?

A. You're not obligated to do anything if they have breached the contract. If I were you, I would get a lawyer immediately.

Q. Hi, I want to install new vinyl siding on my house, and I have got some quotes from different contractors However some have said that it is better to remove all of the old layers of different siding on the house and some have said just to remove the first layer that's aluminum siding and leave the layer under in place.....nobody offered and explanation as to why I should remove them all the contractor who sudgested to leave the older layers said that it was better for insulation.....is that true? what's the right thing to do and why ?

A. I have some experience with this. It really is a personal choice, and sometimes what is cost effective is better. But, I am going to assume from what you have told us that you have a house that was originally cedar siding, then it was wrapped with aluminum, and now you plan to put on vinyl. Whenever replacing siding it is very important to remove all previous layers and get all the way to the actual sheathing of your house. Sheathing rots and gets damaged over time and you can never have any idea of the problems underneath the original siding unless you strip it. If you simply cover it up with new vinyl siding it will only compound any problems with mold/rot that may be lurking underneath. The vinyl siding will create a cavity over the old siding where there is room for air and temperature differences that will make the vinyl siding more prone to warping over time, and that is on top of the fact that without the flat surface of the actual sheathing, it is more difficult to install the vinyl perfectly flat. My neighbor installs Certainteed vinyl siding on houses and ALWAYS removes old siding because even though it may cost more, the benefits to the consumer far outweigh the costs of having totally hidden problems or having to have workers come back out to fix things. As far as them telling you its better for insulation, thats not entirely true. Tearing down the old siding allows them to replace the Tyvek, repair any rotted out plywood and get a better seal around windows and doors where the most air is leaked in any house. So I'm not sure how true that is, sounds like a crock to me.

Q. I own a split-foyer style home, about 1900 sq ft with a two-car garage. It has twelve windows and siding on the top floor. I'd like to install new triple-paned windows and new siding with Tyvek wrap underneath. Companies and independent contractors have given me widely varying estimates for the work. Does anyone have a general idea of the cost? I know materials affect the cost but just assume I'm using mid-range products. Thanks for your help. I plan on buying vinyl windows and vinyl siding. I'm replacing wood-framed single-pane windows and aluminum siding.

A. New windows run in the range of $80 (really cheap self installed) up to about $200, look for a price around $125- $175 each installed. Vinyl siding is going to depend on the quality as well. Thinner is cheapest, thicker is more. It is sold by the square (100 square feet) and by the mil (thickness.) You should be looking at 40 or 60 mil siding as a minimum. The cost here is about $70 - $100 per square depending on style and thickness. As for the triple pane glass it is really a waste of money, 1" double pane is usually best. As to the tyvek you only need it if you have nothing for siding already IE bare walls (shakes, clapboards, T - 111 etc. don't need it) \ The cost to install siding will vary by how much work needs to be done to put it on. Your cost for the siding should be in $7,000 - $9,000 range depending on where you are it may be more or a little less. Generally it should be about $200 -$300 per 100 square feet plus trim and materials.