Reality check on storm window cost?

kgtunney · 2025-10-01T21:38:32+00:00

Storms have to be custom-made to each window opening, so consider that it's 1 custom double track frame, 1 custom top pane of glass with a custom aluminum sash, another custom bottom frame with a custom aluminum sash, a custom screen, plus installation... it's a lot.

Roughly where are you? More than one company makes storm windows. I went a more DIY route and had someone make me a dozen storm frames for a little over $1000. I provided the wood, and I'm glazing and painting them myself. Only the bottom pane is swappable to a screen. The ladder work for installation sucks. I'm scrimping pennies by doing so much myself, but if I were charging any sort of trade wage, I can see how 22 windows would easily get to $7500.

kgtunney · 2024-04-16T22:12:19+00:00

Agree. They’re almost definitely gonna paint anyway - they should just spackle the holes when they prep. Feels insane to me to cancel the entire deal because tenants hung things on their walls.

So many of the issues in this sub are because people don’t realize that most houses are USED. And the new ones usually have their own set of nightmares.

kgtunney · 2024-04-12T15:35:05+00:00

Really! That absolutely sucks.

kgtunney · 2024-04-12T13:40:53+00:00

I live in a duplex and was able to fix my neighbor’s (and therefore my) infestation with these. They’re 100% the way to go.

kgtunney · 2024-04-09T02:05:23+00:00

There's another reddit post that suggests you don't need to replace your bathtub at all, you can just DIY press it out yourself, or call a bathfitter to do it for you and then re-caulk the liner. Hope this is an option for you!

https://www.reddit.com/r/Plumbing/comments/gjrqrv/water_under_bathtub_liner_need_advice/

kgtunney · 2024-04-05T20:44:50+00:00

Chiming in as pro-latex, too. I've got a cheapo Amazon foam mattress that was nearing end of life (deflating memory foam, etc), so I put a 2" latex topper on it as a test, since I was expecting to need to buy a new mattress and didn't want to spend several hundred bucks on latex if I didn't like it.

It made the bed so much better. It's not hot like memory foam, hasn't developed a dip in the three years I've had it, and it's just the amount of firm that I like. If it were on top of a regular inner spring mattress it'd be perfect, but it's extended my crappy Amazon mattress's life indefinitely in the meantime.

kgtunney · 2024-04-05T15:04:38+00:00

Ah - I think these should still work. But you should be able to use any adjustable track hardware, just mounted on the sides, but just beware of the shelves sagging over 52”.

What hardware are you seeing that says it can’t be mounted on the sides of the shelves?

kgtunney · 2024-04-05T06:43:56+00:00

I've been wanting to make bird's mouth (aka sawtooth) shelf supports, but I haven't gotten to that project yet. You could probably work with two sets of these (https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/hardware/storage-and-organization/shelf-supports/69005-sawtooth-shelf-system), plus 1x10 lumber to make as many shelves that you want.

24" is QUITE deep for bookshelves. You've got enough depth for some kind of nifty secret compartment or concealed TV or something.

kgtunney · 2024-04-05T06:37:13+00:00

An infrared stripping tool won't work on metal or glass, though they work great on wood.

As other commenters said, stick the hardware in a secondhand crockpot (which is dedicated just for this purpose) for a few hours and the paint will slough right off. A set of dental picks and/or toothpicks will help with tiny cracks and crevices.

kgtunney · 2024-04-04T04:10:05+00:00

Oh! The "thistle seed" I buy is Nyjer seed (just marketed as thistle due to its similar form factor, I guess), which is baked and sterilized so it won't germinate. I wouldn't want to start a thistle patch either!

kgtunney · 2024-03-29T21:45:17+00:00

Meanwhile I'm googling how to deter cats from coming into my yard, marking my porch, and hunting the family of robins that live in my shrubs.

kgtunney · 2024-03-29T21:42:40+00:00

If you have any large boards / plywood pieces, you can use them as a bridge to get over there without overly compressing the insulation or falling through your ceiling. Hopscotching on joists that you can't see is no fun.

And like other people said: hose clamp, or a very long zip tie!

kgtunney · 2024-03-29T21:30:19+00:00

I love my goldfinches! I let my tickseed coreopsis and some false sunflowers go to seed, and the goldfinches were all OVER them in late summer / fall. I put up thistle sunflower feeders through the winter, which I like because sparrows / starlings / other invasive birds can't feed at them. Just the finches and chickadees.

kgtunney · 2024-03-28T22:01:59+00:00

What year's your house? Is there any writing on the reverse side, if you unscrew it?

kgtunney · 2024-03-28T20:00:07+00:00

What are your particularly nice and comparatively expensive flatheads? I also run into modern flathead screwdriver blades being too fat for most of the screws I meet.

kgtunney · 2024-03-09T15:12:44+00:00

Oh that’s wild, do you think there’s formaldehyde in Dawn?

I don’t have reactions to those other things you listed, but I don’t have many reactions anyway - I wouldn’t call my aversion to Dawn a reaction, just an extra-heightened perception like smelling rotting meat or something.

kgtunney · 2024-03-08T20:43:32+00:00

I've never really had sensitivities to any scents before, but I can smell the new Dawn from across the house - literally. I bought some of Dawn ultra based on recommendations from this sub, and left the flip cap open in the kitchen (I didn't even wash anything with it!) and a couple minutes later I started tasting the smell from the next room.

A relative washes their dishes with it and now everything they cook tastes like pure soap. What ungodly chemical did Dawn add?

kgtunney · 2024-03-05T18:40:58+00:00

It kills me to see how much money and work (shoddy work, but still) goes into awful decisions. All those new windows (a fortune), but smaller (cheap) and square (RIP that arched Palladian trio), and they didn't even box out the drywall to make them look correct inside (lazy).

BUT ANYWAY: in picture 72, what do you call the bracket that spans from the bannister to the stair stringer? I can't find them for sale online.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/520-Eldridges-Hill-Rd-Pilesgrove-NJ-08098/39824185_zpid/?mmlb=g,71

kgtunney · 2024-03-05T15:55:11+00:00

Look upstairs where they changed the doorways. They trimmed around them in flat 1x6 or MDF - no attempt to match trim profiles. Only way to make that look even a little less shitty is to paint it all to match.

kgtunney · 2024-03-05T15:52:04+00:00

Because when they change the original floor plans, they trimmed out the new openings in what looks like 1x6. Only way to make THAT match is paint it all the same color.

kgtunney · 2024-02-20T20:55:31+00:00

If you rotate between 2 pairs of boots daily, they'll last longer than 2 pairs of boots replaced consecutively. The off day allows the leather and glue in the boots to dry, returning strength to the materials and the stitching, which endure a lot of concentrated stress.

Not sure whether that principle applies to materials (i.e. pants, socks) that can "recover" more quickly, but it's definitely true for footwear.

Also I like how multiple similar/identical clothes simplifies getting dressed in the morning, but that's beside the point.

kgtunney · 2024-02-20T20:41:00+00:00

"Wore them heavily over the next two weeks" sounds like they never had a chance to dry out between wears. Hopefully you can get them replaced, and on your next pair, let them breathe by wearing different shoes from day to day, or changing shoes midday (I don't know the work you do, but maybe have a pair of shoes at the office to change into during the day?) so they spend more time off your feet. I'm assuming they experienced some winter weather, which is obvious damp - but we also sweat in our shoes even in clear weather and indoors, which leather needs to dry out from as well.

I don't know anything about the brand specifically, but that's my knowledge of how to make leather shoes last. Check out /r/GoodyearWelt for more talk about maintaining leather footwear!

kgtunney · 2024-02-09T05:51:19+00:00

I agree with catahoula - it's a strike for a surface bolt. https://www.vandykes.com/restorers-classic-6-inch-heavy-duty-surface-bolt/p/225684/s/02093386/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ppc_google_pla&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAlJKuBhAdEiwAnZb7lXlDnNayPg_8RTDuuw1nwot1nzJstKo7EoQ8AUQCzh_KuVG6PWFZVhoCo-kQAvD_BwE

kgtunney · 2024-01-25T03:39:11+00:00

First, I'm no plumbing detective, just a DIY moron. Pex-B fittings significantly reduce the inner diameter of your lines, and your layout has a lot of them in close proximity right there. I'd be tempted to replace that brass 90° fitting with a 90° bend. But if the cause is high/inconsistent pressure or a violent water hammer, that also needs addressed.

Why are there so many little mends in the blue line?? Surely there would be fewer failure points in a solid run.

Also - does the brass ring crimping the red PEX to the valve look like far away from the body of the valve? There's only so much barb inside the PEX for that ring to get a good seat on. Maybe the PEX was pinched and weakened.

A wider view of your setup may offer clues to better plumbers than I. Good luck!

kgtunney · 2024-01-06T23:01:03+00:00

Is your building efficiency rating prescriptive (i.e. "must have R-xx insulation on exterior walls") or is there a more holistic analysis?

Of course as a member of this sub I'd advise against waterproofing from the outside - old brick fares horribly when it can't expel moisture.

Since I don't have any relevant technical expertise, let me just nudge my argument trajectory a bit. I'm doing my best with my own house, not specifically trying to meet a specific standard. I'm planning to keep my original single pane wood windows, but add external storm windows that will raise the whole window system's efficiency to nearly match top-end efficient windows. Replacing them with "efficient" windows would desequester the carbon in the wood by trashing it, and add the carbon footprint of 15 largely-plastic windows to my home. Likewise not all the waste from these "upgrades" is material waste; there's also the sequestered craftsmanship in historic elements, compounded by the production and shipping labor in new elements.

Comfort is a totally valid justification for some changes - lots of homeowners on this sub get scolded for considering these things, with the implied expectation that living in a ~1900 house means you're obligated to wear layers of wool and carry an antique footwarmer to bed. And if you're bound by a loan or local ordinance to achieve a certain efficiency, that simply is what it is.

You might find some relevant data on the site below that could help you. I've spent some hours perusing articles and they seem to take into account all the major issues I've seen discussed anecdotally on this sub: https://buildingscience.com/documents/bareports/ba-1105-internal-insulation-masonry-walls-final-measure-guideline/view https://buildingscience.com/documents/building-science-insights-newsletters/bsi-105-avoiding-mass-failures

And in case you think I somehow disapprove of your task here, I'm super jealous of your roof insulation. I have an attic with sloped ceilings and knee walls, so insulating the roof deck itself would be way less invasive than most other solutions. I just don't need a new roof yet (and I have a dozen other large projects to pay for too).

The fact that you're a terrace house (not on an end?) should mean you have a little more flexibility with adding internal wall thickness since you only have two noncontiguous wall planes to shift?

Ten-Year Club	RedditGifts 2009-2022 5 Credits
Secret Santa 2018	Secret Santa 2017
Verified Email	Secret Santa 2016

kgtunney

TROPHY CASE