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Who makes the best all wood windows?
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Frank,
I do.....Just kidding.
It depends on what you want this window to do?
Call back.
Ed. Williams
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Frank,
Boy did you just open a can of worms. This one could go on for a long time.
Wayne
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I was going to write the same thing, but then I figured I was being too much of a smart ass and killed the post.
SHG
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Ed, SHG, and Wayne,
Thanks for answering. First of all, there
is nothing to restore. I have aluminum storms
on a porch that has been closed in. The cottage
is a 100 year old cedar shingle box. I'd like
to replace the 13 storms with double hung wood
windows that will look like they belong in an
old cedar shingle house. I have seen wood
windows in the Brosco book (Brockaway Smith?),
but I don't know anything about the quality. I've
heard about various custom mills but I don't want
to go broke fixing up a porch. By the way, the
porch faces the Long Island Sound (CT side) so
it gets some pretty rough weather. I should also
say the cottage isn't winterized so thermal
ratings are not a major factor. Thanks again.
Frank Boyle
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For reasonably price double hungs that look like old windows, and since you don't need thermal panes, try Midwest Architectural. Prices aren't bad and they're all custom sized and pre-primed. I used them for screens on my house on the sound (looking at your cottage) and they were Ok. Not perfect, but well worth the price and with the right look.
SHG
*Frank,Around here, most of the builders use the same old, same old. Pella, Anderson, Hurd, etc.Couldn't say if they have what you need or not, but most are not built till you order them.The quality of these windows is about the same from one manufacturer to another, and the price is probabaly competitive.Sorry I couldn't help more.You should get a lot of other good info here from people who know more than I do about the various window places across the country.Ed. WilliamsSmart-ass Texan.YeeeeHaaaaa.
*Hi Frank,Why don't you Email brother Jim Blodgett with the specs and he can make em up for you?Gabe
*Sooooo ... 2 smartasses cancel each other out? :)
*Marvin makes a very good line of double-hungs (about $300 per). Try to see some samples of whatever brand you consider -- actually trying the window action and looking at the joinery can tell you quite a bit.I don't think anyone will disagree with the Marvin recommendation. There are other companies with equivalent quality, and some with lower prices. Search the archives.
*Marvins? On an old house? Forget it. The profile is awful. Quality is fine, but he doesn't need double pane, he needs something to go with an old cottage. Keep the old look. Anytime you're going to do windows for an older home, pella, marvin, hurd, etc. look all wrong. And custom doesn't cost any more. It's not good enough that they work; they have to look right. Whenever I see standard replacement windows on an old house, I know that the contractor didn't get the idea.SHG
*Good Afternoon my learned friend,(do you know what we call a lawyer in Cornwall with an IQ of less than 75? Your honor.)How long do you think its going to be before the general population catches on that custom made doesn't always mean more expensive?In fact, because you are dealing directly with (assuming an honest shop) the manufacturer instead of a manufacturer-wholesaler-retailer you can get what you want for about the same price as off the shelf and the small shop still makes a reasonable profit.Gabe
*Au contraire. Marvin makes an authentic divided light single glazed sash that looks terrific. Because the individual panes aren't quite lined up with each other, it looks far more consistent with the house than those dreadful "clip-ons." For energy efficiency, if you later want it, you can insert an "energy panel" into a rabbet on the sash; it looks much better than a storm and keeps the muntins clean. In New England, Marvin is king. The original windows on a typical old-ish house (less than a hundred years) are nothing special.Marvins come in 2" increments so you can probably get a good fit. They will pre-mull the windows if that helps you out. Do check around for pricing -- middle-men have different markups & someone might give you a quantity discount.
*Frank, I'm in the same area as you and Marvin woodies perform well here. There are several houses on Fisher's Island (across from New London) that have Marvin woodies and Marvin clad. They certainly get an environmental beating out there. Both kind have held up well, no regrets.Marvin definitely excels in style availability, and if you have the $$$, they can custom anything you desire. They are very flexible, and you can get nice design effects (and save $$) by using stock window sizes but with custom muntin designs. I especially like the SDL (Sim Divided light) option.
*The SDL double-glazed is quite nice, but very expensive for some reason. The ADL + energy panel is the most economical. I wasted a bunch of time trying to figure out their nutty pricing schedule. Custom = $$$$$$$; going from square to round top, for example, nearly triples the price. On the other hand, you can move the muntins around at no cost. We made an awning "Queen Anne" style this way -- just fax'd a sketch of what we wanted and they made it at the regular price. Go figure.
*While Frank didn't address this in his original question, a key part of a double hung window is the support system and the jamb material. I'm not excited about the use of plastic as universal jamb material - as a chemist I know plastic is temporary when compared to bronze or better yet copper; yet I can't find anyone except custom folks who will do that.Also, the window raising mechanism is usually some variation on springs - and metal springs are noisy and eventually fatigue. Once again, the old rope or better yet chain and weight system worked for many years very silently and reliably. Yes the weight well is not energy efficient but you can work around that. Now if a commercial manufacturer can meet these requirements, then I'm the first to buy them. But so far I haven't found anyone who makes what I call real, long lasting windows in a production operation. Hence I opt for the the expericenced custom shop - and I do pay a little more but I do have a product with a long track record of satisfaction and reliability.
*Speaking of raising mechanisms: I remember a This Old House where they rehabbed the old windows and replaced the rope/weight mechanism with something akin to a shade mechanism that fit into the space occupied previously by the pulley. This allowed the weight well to be insulated. Anybody know anything about this?Rich Beckman
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Who makes the best all wood windows?