hot house

First things first. No. I didn't blog yesterday. I was just too busy. Since this isn't a contest, I think it will be okay. Thanks for understanding.

On to today's post. We have a "hot" house. Okay, warm is more like it.

Let me explain.

Bill has been working on our windows. We have casement windows that are original to the house. I refuse to replace them. They are just too beautiful and can be just as efficient as new windows (actually more because there's no waste in the landfill, and new windows just don't last as long, these have been in the house since it was built in the 1920's). The key word is "can be". One of the Commissioners does window restoration. He spent a lot of time talking to Bill about re-glazing windows. We actually had his business partner out to give us a quote.

That was eye-opening. So we decided to re-glaze the windows on our own to save several thousand dollars.

Bill has been working on the storm windows, one at a time, after work and on weekends. He started in the dining room, because one of the panes in one of the casements was cracked. We actually started with the casement, not the storm.

It looks a lot easier on tv than it actually is.

Then we found out the product we were using is quite possibly the worst one of its kind.

After research and several trips to the store, we found a better product and got the casement glazed. It's not pretty, but it was the first one. I say we, because I did 1/80th of the work. Bill did most of it. He really should take all the credit. Although I am trying to be the cheerleader to keep him motivated.

I should also explain, that it's not just about re-glazing the windows, although that is a major part of it. Bill also stripped the wood down, re-stained and put polyurethane on them to help them last longer.

There used to be felt around the edges as weather-stripping. Most of that has worn off, so Bill also found a rubber weather strip that will not only keep the cold air out in the winter (but keep the cool air in, in the summer) but it also helps hold the storm in place. That means no more screws. Did I mention that the storms used to be screwed in place? Big ugly screws, with big gaping holes.

We also had new glass cut. Mostly because as Bill was trying to remove the old glass, a couple of panes may have broken in the process. He learned that just simply trying to scrape out the old glazing wasn't the easiest way and could potentially break the glass. Using the heat gun, however, loosened the old glazing and makes it much easier to pull the glass out in one piece, thus saving money because we don't have to buy new glass.

All this to say, yesterday he got the new/old storms back in the windows in the dining room. What a difference!!! You used to be able to stand next to the one window and actually feel the cold air rushing in through the gaps around it. Now you feel nothing but warmth. The dining room is significantly, noticeably warmer.

I am so happy with how good of a job he has done. The windows look fabulous and I'm just so geeked that we (Bill) can do this to save us money. He'll be a pro by the end and he'll never want to do it again.