Q. What is the price range for vinyl casement windows? We are buying a modern home that has only a few casement windows and we are looking for the cheapest way to replace them. Most of the other windows in the home are floor to ceiling and do not open. We will rarely, if ever, open these so we are looking for the best price. A friend is going to replace them for us so we just need the windows without the installation costs. Thanks!!

A. Depends on the brand name of course. I have seen the vinyl double-hung advertised around here for $150 each installed.

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 am a tenant of a single family home in Colorado. I have a very general lease that states I cannot make any alterations or improvements to the property without permission. It states I cannot place nails or screws into the walls, floors or ceilings without permission. Apparently I need permission before hanging up a picture frame. The landlord is denying the installation of a wirless security system through ADT which uses double-face tape for each of the magnetic contacts which would be on the vinyl-framed windows. He states he doesn't want it to be his problem and the windows are new and doesn't want them damaged. While I understand his concern, I feel it is a little compulsive to deny the application of non-permanant magnetic contacts that require zero drilling/nailing, etc and leave behind no residue. Is it legal for him deny the security system and in addition, must I get permission before mounting pictures, etc? Is it legal to stipulate these conditions in a lease in CO?

A. When you signed the lease you agreed to the terms. I've never seen a double-face tape that doesn't leave a residue. Either way, you signed the lease, so he can enforce it. It would be best for you to negotiate with him, maybe offer more of a security deposit, or offer to let him be there when it is installed.

Q. I would like to use affordable green flooring, but Marmoleum is way more expensive than Vinyl and I think it is a flooring you should have professionally installed. Tile and adhesive will cost over 1300 for my 300 square kitchen area, not including installation. Also, I have read many reviews of unhappy customers who complain about the maintenance of the floor and general disgust for the lack of sheen. I do not want to even think about investing into this floor if it will be hard to clean. I do not plan on staying at this house for more than 5 years, and would not want to have troubles selling bc of the kitchen floors. Also I want to try recycled PET carpet for the upstairs bedrooms, its seems affordable. (I do need carpeting, im not putting in hardwood floors) Any experience with Beaulieu carpet or any other recycled PET carpet?? I do have to pay for school, bills, and eventually next year i need to replace the siding and windows. (more issues with vinyl versus costly alternatives) Thanks!

A. I agree with you about the Marmoleum, there have been consumer issues with it particularly with maintenance and dullness over time. However, I have used PET carpet for client applications, rental units and in my own home. I find the performance to be superior, it has stain resistance and is easy to clean, it retains its brightness and the one I used in my own home and rentals has an excellent warranty.

Q. I installed a driver for my sound card, which is a VIA AC97 kind. i downloaded from viaarena.com. i also installed a driver for my chipset which is a VIA K8M400. when i restarted--no sound. so i tried to install a previous VIA installer that i have in my old hard drives, which i think is an older version (of the audio driver) and includes a VINYL DECK. still--no sound. i have a CD inno3d tornado universal driver CD (NVIDIA). i tried it, and still--NO SOUND! i have the klite codec pack, by the way. now i think i have done just about what i can, but it seems that there's something im doing wrong, or something i didnt do. please help!

A. Click Start Click Settings Click Control Panel Go to Device Manager Find the audio adapter, right click it, selete delete. When prompted to delete drivers too, say yes. Reboot. It should auto detect upon restart and hopefully (if you're connected to the Internet reinstall the appropriate drivers automatically). If it still doesn't work go to the manufacturer's website to download the audio drivers for your make and model. If it's an onboard sound card go to the appropriate Dell, HP, etc website. If it's a motherboard you swapped into the case, then go to the motherboard's manufacturers website. VIA AC97 is the chipset, but you wouldn't want to go to the VIA website. YOu can also try to find the discs that came with your PC or motherboard which should include drivers. Though they may be old they should still work then you can auto update through windows update to the latest drivers

Q. I was planning on black roof, but I've seen a lot of yellowish houses with brown roofs and my neighbor house already has that color scheme (ivory and brown roof). I will be changing my shutters to match the roof color. Currently my shutters are white. I have white windows, trims and doors. Any suggestions and pics will be helpful! Thanks.

A. With ivory-colored siding, you can choose just about any "dark, rich" color and it will be georgeous! Don't choose a light color, because it will be boring against the light color of the house. Just to demonstrate colors, I've added a couple of websites. One one, you can click on the little shutter pictures to see how the color would look, and on the other website you can play around quite a bit with different colors of siding, shutters, and roofing. I don't know anything about the companies....it's just a way to get an idea how your house will look with different colors on the roof and shutters. I personally like Federal Brown, Midnight Green, and Classic Blue. You're house will look beautiful in any of these rich colors!

Q. I have a red brick house with wood soffits and eaves. Instead of painting, I am wanting to replace the wood with vinyl siding. What color siding would go better with a brick house? I also need to know what color to paint the front door, shutters, and small concrete front porch. The windows frames are bronze colored. Any suggestions?

A. OK, since most of what is on the facade of your house is red or red based in nature (brick, bronze window frames), let's move with a complimentary color also on your house but one I'll bet you didn't even notice. I believe that the brick is the primary visual element of your house, with accents such as doors and shutters being secondary. Holding all those bricks together is mortar...up close, you can see it is a greenish gray. The size of the mortar joints is small however in relation to the size of the house. Knowing this gives us some latitude when picking a siding color to compliment the bricks. Your eye will want very badly to believe that a "putty" type of color matches the mortar. A very nice neutral, not too light and not too dark to go with the brick would be Benjamin Moore's HC-95, Sag Harbor Gray, another would be HC-111, Nantucket Gray. Both will be complimentary to the brick and will show it off. See if you can find a siding that comes close to one of those colors. Then I would steal a note from the brick and paint the door a lucious dark reddish brown as an accent, HC-64, Townsend Harbor Brown. Ordinarily I would pick another color for shutters but in this instance you have enough going on, paint the shutters the same as the siding. Voila! a tasteful and long wearing color scheme with sophistication. You didn't mention your roof color but unless you have a green roof, this will work marvelously with just about any other color. Best, Rodd http://www.exterior-house-paint-colors.com