cant replace windows, just use the plastic or what?

[xSauronx]

so i have this huge wall of windows, and a couple of other large ones in my house. They are single pane. they suck. i don't have the money to even bother getting a quote to replace them. A lot of them don't open at all, so is there a more permanent sort of worthwhile solution to adding a 2nd layer to them than the heat-shrink plastic covering? We used some of the heat-shrink plastic on several last winter, and it helped some. The high ones i dont want to heat shrink every year or something. they cant open, it sort of seems like plexiglass tacked in up there would work but...only sort of.

i have a car on my radar before i do windows, so it will probably be 3 - 5 years before i am really in a place to do something permanent about any of them.

here is an example of what i have--the bottom row are small, sort of newer and double-paned, but the large middle and top pieces are singles:

 

[jpiniero]

Try bubble wrap on the window AND then put plastic wrap over it. Or blackout curtains.

 

[Binky]

Thick curtains would probably help a lot, but they would destroy the look. Those are nice looking windows.

You could also look into various window films. Here's one. It has "nano particles" (aka, BS). I have no experience with films except for basic privacy films.
http://www.energy-film.com/

 

[DrPizza]

Don't get a quote on having the windows replaced, except perhaps by a local contractor in the off-season when they're looking for work. There are tons of window companies out there that offer their own financing, etc. I've yet to run into one that wasn't a total rip-off. Twice in our old house, we had very high pressure sales pitches; I nearly had to throw one of the guys out of the house - he all but refused to leave.

Anyhow, you might be surprised at the low cost of replacement windows from your local lumberyard or even box store (Lowes, Home Depot). You can, of course, get a lot of features that add a lot to the price. But, to simply go from single pane to double pane, and get a tremendous savings from decreased heat loss, it's probably far cheaper and easier to do-it-yourself than you might think. Check out some videos on youtube for replacement windows. There are tons if different types of installations; most are very similar for replacing single pane windows, but there are differences in installation if, for example, you have all brick walls where the windows are. Most of the expense of manufacturing windows is equipment/labor, not materials. If I recall, there are large ranges of "united inches" - the sum of the length and width, that all fall under the same price. If you can use a tape measure, hammer, drill, and screwdriver, you should be able to handle the job yourself; figure around $150 per window. There are a lot of possible upgrades to get, but more expensive doesn't necessarily mean it's going to save you money on heating or that it's necessarily a better window at keeping the heat in. And many upgrades don't make sense from an economic standpoint of saving money in the long run. E.g., you're unlikely to recoup the extra cost to upgrade to triple pane windows through heating savings for a couple of decades. Though, if you live in a noisy area, it could be worth it for the sound reduction.

Anyway, here's a Consumer Reports article:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/10/how-to-choose-replacement-windows/index.htm

Note that it says it's a long time to recoup your investment - if you pay to have them installed. Simply using their numbers for your situation - single pane - it seems that it would pay for itself in a reasonable amount of time if you install them yourself. Though, if you keep the heat dialed back in the winter to keep your fuel bills lower, it's possible if not likely that with better windows, you'll raise the temperature, making it more comfortable. Thus, you won't necessarily get the financial savings, but you'll increase the comfort of your home.


Edit: oh geez, I didn't look at your picture. I think trapezoidal windows cost more for replacements. At a very quick glance, prices seem higher than I expected for trapezoidal. Though, I only looked at one company. Beautiful wall, btw.

 

[cabri]

As others said get quotes during off season. Also play the quotes against each other.

Daughter did this last year, $9500 initial quote(s) finalized 2 months later came in at 5600 with better quality and lifetime warranty.

 

[NutBucket]

I agree with the film/tint idea. Even a clear UV tint will make a big difference in summer.

 

[xSauronx]

Note that it says it's a long time to recoup your investment - if you pay to have them installed. Simply using their numbers for your situation - single pane - it seems that it would pay for itself in a reasonable amount of time if you install them yourself.

Edit: oh geez, I didn't look at your picture. I think trapezoidal windows cost more for replacements. At a very quick glance, prices seem higher than I expected for trapezoidal. Though, I only looked at one company. Beautiful wall, btw.

so heres the thing about my level of handiwork: i cant do finishing work. if it has to be decent looking and flush when its done, i am going to screw it up. i am just lousy at it. i can replace electrical outlets and fixtures and do some very basic plumbing...things you don't have to look at after, and things that are semi-fool-proof against problems after they are installed. and sometimes i have to fix up some of that.

so if i had to replace a door...i could maybe pull it off. that wall of windows? i will not do that well. i may try to talk a family friend into helping, hes a carpenter, i could maybe bribe him cheaply with a couple of good dinners. thats the best i could come out of it all

I agree with the film/tint idea. Even a clear UV tint will make a big difference in summer.

well i had pretty much resigned myself to the idea of doing the clear film to create a cheap second pane, we did that for some other old ones in the house and it definitely helps....but i didnt bother to tackle that wall last year. ill look into tinting soon, that would probably be reasonable. that and just the heat shrink layer will help, but i figure there was a chance there were products i didnt know about

 

[K1052]

Interior window inserts. Some are stretched clear vinyl and others are acrylic, cost varies but relatively inexpensive.

Worked well in my old place which was a vintage high rise with drafty ass old windows. Heating bill went down from $250ish to $75 per month.

 

[xSauronx]

Interior window inserts. Some are stretched clear vinyl and others are acrylic, cost varies but relatively inexpensive.

Worked well in my old place which was a vintage high rise with drafty ass old windows. Heating bill went down from $250ish to $75 per month.

ah! so this is sort of what i had in mind but i didnt really know what to call it. that leads me to some good results, it looks like. did you find/order something online or use a contractor for this?

it might be tough to get something for the trapezoids, and ive got about a dozen in the house.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Films do not work very well for heat retention. They are good at blocking UV rays and reducing cooling costs. Seems you are most concerned with reducing heating bills. Double pane windows work by creating an air gap. Dead air space is an effective insulator.

I used the cheap plastic film on windows in the winter. I did not bother to shrink wrap it as that would cause the edges to separate quickly. Just stick in up there, looks like ass, but works OK. Plexi storm windows worked better.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Another approach. If the windows don't open, they can be custom manufactured and built for a lot cheaper than you think. There are glass companies that make these for big buildings. They are typically called glass packs. If the window is a certain size or height above the floor, they must be the shatter type....but you can order them argon filled and various thicknesses.

In my last house, I had 16 panes of glass that made up a large 10 foot by 8 foot window. I replaced all of the single paned glass with double paned for about $320 in glass packs and widened the frames and stops for maybe another $100 to accommodate the new width of the glass + air space. You can also get tinted glass too if you want to make them even more energy efficient....look at tax credits as well. You can claim that. If you wanted to tackle the project, you could work with 1 glass company and show them that picture. They'll likely expect you to do all the measurements so they don't get stuck with liability if the measurements are wrong, but they are used to precision work.

See if you can get at least 5/8" width on the double paned glass...(if possible without replacing the framing) You may have to widen the stops toward the outside of the window framing to make it work... A brad nailer, a paint brush, and some 50 year caulk and you'd be surprised at how easy the job is if you get some help lifting the panes into place.

 

[K1052]

ah! so this is sort of what i had in mind but i didnt really know what to call it. that leads me to some good results, it looks like. did you find/order something online or use a contractor for this?

it might be tough to get something for the trapezoids, and ive got about a dozen in the house.

I used the stretched vinyl ones from a company I found online. Upside is that all I had to do was measure carefully when you order and they simply slide in and are held by friction from the weatherstripping around the edge. I didn't want to drill a bunch of holes in my sills and still have them be easy to remove if I wanted to open a window. All of my windows were standard sizes/shapes so I didn't have to contend with anything too unusual. I honestly would have preferred to replace my windows but going through the hassle of getting condo board approval and spending 2-3x what it should cost (due to being 9 floors up) was unattractive.

Yea, trapezoids might be an issue but can probably be overcome. The kind that have solid acrylic might suit that use better.

 

[Drako]

LOL @ "His Masters Voice" in your back yard. :biggrin:

 

[xSauronx]

Another approach. If the windows don't open, they can be custom manufactured and built for a lot cheaper than you think. There are glass companies that make these for big buildings. They are typically called glass packs. If the window is a certain size or height above the floor, they must be the shatter type....but you can order them argon filled and various thicknesses.

In my last house, I had 16 panes of glass that made up a large 10 foot by 8 foot window. I replaced all of the single paned glass with double paned for about $320 in glass packs and widened the frames and stops for maybe another $100 to accommodate the new width of the glass + air space. You can also get tinted glass too if you want to make them even more energy efficient....look at tax credits as well. You can claim that. If you wanted to tackle the project, you could work with 1 glass company and show them that picture. They'll likely expect you to do all the measurements so they don't get stuck with liability if the measurements are wrong, but they are used to precision work.

See if you can get at least 5/8" width on the double paned glass...(if possible without replacing the framing) You may have to widen the stops toward the outside of the window framing to make it work... A brad nailer, a paint brush, and some 50 year caulk and you'd be surprised at how easy the job is if you get some help lifting the panes into place.

i will also have to look into this.

 

[rosacurtains]

may be you can hang up sheer curtains or those handmade decorations， you can find them online, they won't be too expensive and classifications are various.

 

[slag]

I wouldn't even go with just double pane. Our last house we went with triple pane windows with the UV coating and lifetime transferrable warranty. It was about 1k per window, but never ever ever having to worry about it again was nice, plus no storm windows, plus triple pane is much better than single or even double pane if you are looking at it from a noise reduction and energy savings standpoint.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I wouldn't even go with just double pane. Our last house we went with triple pane windows with the UV coating and lifetime transferrable warranty. It was about 1k per window, but never ever ever having to worry about it again was nice, plus no storm windows, plus triple pane is much better than single or even double pane if you are looking at it from a noise reduction and energy savings standpoint.

$1k per window is pretty high. If someone tried to charge me $1k per window, I'd brick the opening and mount TVs where the windows used to be.