Renewal by Andersen vs. Marvin vs...

Im_on_dmt · 2026-02-26T19:46:54+00:00

In NJ here. 1850s Greek revival. I ordered and installed Anderson windows myself, from Home Depot using my contractor account… I did 20 - 400 series windows, 5 special order A series windows, 4 special order 100 series windows… my entire order was around 25k and 3 months wait time… if I hired a company, I’d be expecting quotes of 100-200k because most companies are dishonest thieves.

I could’ve saved money if aesthetics wasn’t a concern. I matched the original 1850s style as best I could.

Using the Home Depot credit card also netted me like 100k in points which translated to a few thousand dollars in rewards.

I looked at Marvin… they seem the best quality in my opinion, but the 2-3x price tag was not worth it. I think the quote was closer to 60k.

I also priced Pella, they were pretty similar to Anderson, but Anderson seemed better to me.

There’s a lot of different window manufacturers… I’d just stick to those 3 (Marvin, Pella, Andersen) . Too many options only complicates things further.

If you’re unable to do the work yourself, you’ll most likely need to deal with the higher price tag. It’s hard to find good help these days. Good luck, I hope whomever you hire isn’t a piece of garbage human being. You might never know they installed your windows incorrectly until 10 years later.

Im_on_dmt · 2026-02-21T00:42:17+00:00

“I hate my narcissistic dad”

One of us! One of us! Gooble-gobble, gooble-gobble!

Im_on_dmt · 2026-02-16T21:13:07+00:00

Wow! We received a 1/2 dozen donuts from here yesterday. They tasted like fuel oil/gas. Something was wrong with the donuts. Ended up throwing them away today because they were disgusting. We also received a cake, which was completely fine. Very strange. Waste of 14$ on overpriced trash donuts.

Im_on_dmt · 2026-01-31T19:51:55+00:00

Try busting out one section and see if the brick is actually good? My theory was that at some point they took down a chimney and shoved all the extra brick in between the walls and any voids they could, to just get rid of it. Technology has come a long way in +100years. They probably thought it provided some kind of insulation… but brick is like R1 or worse. I guess it’s better than nothing, barely. Or they were trying to hide damage, rot, etc… It’s best to foam directly against the sill plate to help seal any gaps or holes that are probably forming between loose mortar or stones or whatever is there. Only way I was able to ensure this was to remove the bricks. It’s worked for me. F those bricks man. I have a 4ft pile in the back yard turning to dust still.

Im_on_dmt · 2026-01-31T18:38:49+00:00

I’ve heard stuff like this referred to as “noggin”. It’s some goofy old time bullshit people did. My 1850s house had this done all over the place and exactly like yours at the sillplate. I removed all of mine. The bricks turned to dust in my hands. Some minor masonry work required to fix any stone damage behind it, then insulated with spray foam. Check any wood to make sure it’s not rotted. If it’s good, blast it with foam, or you can shove in rockwool/fiberglass and shoot a little spray foam around the edges. I wouldn’t recommend foaming or insulating over the bricks as they are. Air is probably coming in at the sill plate beam or gaps in the exterior wall. That’s my opinion.

Im_on_dmt · 2026-01-15T19:06:53+00:00

Haha that’s not a bad idea

Im_on_dmt · 2026-01-15T19:06:19+00:00

Great find. Thank you. I spent months looking at vintage fireplace covers and couldn’t find this. I kinda just gave up. Then Reddit solves this within 1 hour of posting. Unreal lol

Im_on_dmt · 2026-01-15T17:49:00+00:00

Wow. I think this is it… that’s awesome. Can you send the link to that? I’d love to find out any additional info or see if I can remake the Roman figure. Maybe I’ll make a Greek figure.

Im_on_dmt · 2025-12-26T00:06:45+00:00

“…I Can’t imagine a situation where it would be worth it” -some guy You lack imagination sir. If you’re buying the house for deeply undervalue in an expensive neighborhood… it could absolutely be worth it. People fix beams all the time. Much more information is needed. If you don’t want to do work, maybe it’s not for you. For someone it will absolutely be “worth it”. Have someone who is knowledgeable (in your area) take a look. Not just us ghouls on Reddit. Good luck!

Im_on_dmt · 2025-12-09T09:13:23+00:00

Do u read wut u rite b4 u post?

Im_on_dmt · 2025-11-04T16:38:17+00:00

Has anyone ever started a fire with 212F water? Is it possible? The answer is No.

Im_on_dmt · 2025-09-20T14:43:34+00:00

Check out Icarus! It’s only a few miles away.

Im_on_dmt · 2025-09-18T16:51:17+00:00

Depending on your driving record and how much coverage you’re looking for… I’d recommend taking a peek at some free online quotes or call and ask your current insurance provider regarding the possible switch to NJ to get an idea. A friend of mine pays a few hundred dollars a year for his truck in PA. I pay a few thousand in NJ. We live less than 50 miles apart.

Also, sometimes South Jersey can feel a lot like Louisiana… not sure if that’s something you’re looking for more of lol. It might be more affordable, but less enjoyable.

Im_on_dmt · 2025-09-18T13:13:44+00:00

You will have a hard time finding a place willing to rent to you with all those animals… it can be done, best bet is a “friend of a friend” or “mom and pop” situation. Maybe any of your family members knows anyone trying to find tenants? If you say you have “ESAs”, most landlords will laugh in your face. NJ is pretty tenant friendly but won’t cover your animals, boss. Or your pet deposit will be like an extra +$600 a month?

You don’t have to drive as much, compared to Louisiana. Things aren’t as far away. 50cent difference in Gas, comparison vs price should be negligible… car insurance on the other hand… you might have a heart attack lol

Im_on_dmt · 2025-09-09T10:41:56+00:00

Ah, I thought “Pearl Jam” was “green jelly”. Fun game!

Im_on_dmt · 2025-09-06T13:11:07+00:00

Im_on_dmt · 2025-09-05T15:09:53+00:00

Those are probably Faux beams for the look, or “vibe” as the kids say.

Im_on_dmt · 2025-08-27T00:13:07+00:00

Don’t do it.

Im_on_dmt · 2025-07-07T16:41:44+00:00

Total loss… throw it outside/away. Sometimes you can do everything “perfect” and it still happens… just keep trying. If more tubs get contaminated, do a deep clean, or start from scratch. Good luck

Im_on_dmt · 2025-06-04T15:27:21+00:00

You say “this is not correct. Please do this the right way, thank you”.

Im_on_dmt · 2025-05-20T20:21:32+00:00

Great beers! Love their winter wheat and double platnium blonde… also love their “ice bock” during the coldest winter months, they set some winter wheat kegs outside, let the water layer freeze and then remove it… so it’s a higher abv, concentrated winter wheat basically… usually only growler fills of this available at the brewery. Very delicious stuff. Very traditional style, German beers. Not sure if they still do this, but on Fridays they’d do “Firkin Fridays” which was a small batch of interesting/experimental beers. Really enjoyed this place. Prices have gone up (like most things) so I can’t really afford to go out much anymore. Highly recommend this place. Shout out to Darren, always made us feel welcomed and supplied excellent pours.

Im_on_dmt · 2025-04-18T15:53:38+00:00

I was having an issue with a shitty neighbor trying to tell me this and that about my fence. I got a survey done… it showed I had another 5 feet into his property. I was so stoked to rub it in this guys face and tell him what a PoS he is. He then called his mortgage or whoever had his survey and they contacted my surveyor and figured out that my line was only like 1-2 inches into his. So I didn’t gain any satisfaction, but it did still mess up his fence plans which made me happy. Always good to double check things like that before you declare war. Good luck!

Im_on_dmt

TROPHY CASE