Window Shopping

[ROACHBABY 0]

Ok, not sure where to post this, but hopefully this is the right spot.I just bought my first home, an old old house (109 years old), that I would like to get new windows on before the winter to save on utilities. A former tenant informed us that he has a bill that was almost $450 on month during the winter!!! He told us we should get new windows ASAP.The approximate window sizes are (only 4 windows total):2 - 29" x 88"2 - 34" x 77"The home is an old shotgun house and has very large windows in front.So we had 2 companies come out and give us estimates.Company A, who does most of their business in windows, said the would start at approximately $200 a window and then added a few other fees for repairing a sill here sills/ upgrading to "stimulus energy package" to so that we could get 30% back on taxes and a few other fees for exterior trim. All in all company A would do the job for $1,576.We were very happy about this b/c we were expecting much worse.Next we had company B come give us an estimate. Company B is a nation wide home appliance/ home and garden store that is known for being good at guaranteeing its products. We were expecting an estimate in the same ballpark, but they offered $3,481 for all 4 windows. Now, the sells man did stress how efficient their "wet windows" (I believe he called them) are. Apparently the glass is wet on the inside? No clue, but he also stressed how good his company is and you have nothing to worry about with them.Now, how can company B bid $2000 more? We were shocked at how huge of a difference there was.So anyone with any window advice please share, or if you know a good company in the Louisville, KY area please let me know.The extra 2K just seemed crazy, and the messed up part is that both of their display windows looked identical to my fiance and I. I was honestly thinking they probably get the windows from the same company.

[rivergirl 2]

i would suggest going with a window company as opposed to an all around company. I'll compare it to going to tim hortons for coffee or picking it up at McDonalds...sure, they do coffee but they don't do it nearly as well. I've also had a huge problem going to one of those home/appliance/garden type stores and buying renovation stuff..sure it was guaranteed, but only if you took the time to call the manufacturer yourself, hunt them down, find your receipts yourself, send them in blahblahblah....At least you know if you have any problems with windows from a window company, they will be able to come out, back their product and fix it themselves without having to go through a hundred other channels.just my 2 cents..

[Sickinfo2 291]

old old house (109 years old)A former tenant informed us that he has a bill that was almost $450 on month during the winter!!! He told us we should get new windows ASAP.only 4 windows total2 - 29" x 88"2 - 34" x 77"The home is an old shotgun house

Id concentrate on upgrading the insulation of the structure first, if it has any at all since even a large portion of houses didnt have any up until the nineteen fifties....Compared to the total footage of the exterior walls and ceiling, the window area you have is a very small portion of the efficiency problem the dwelling Since heat rises, Id start with investigating the attic insulation first. Its probably rock wool if it has any.... maybe blown fiberglass at the best. The local Blowes or Homeless Depot will loan you the blowing machine if you buy a few cubes of dry cellulose from them, and its pretty simple to do with a cooler full of cold beer and a helper for the eveningAfter that, the exterior walls are the next priority.... they are more difficult to inspect, but with a few tricks they can be handled reasonably well. Drill a small hole behind a picture or something, insert a small wire bent at a ninety degree angle, and see if it spins around freely behind the walls. Lack of insulation here will lead to more drastic measures like cutting holes in the sheetrock (or more likely lath and plaster in your case) to add the barrier materialIve pulled off a similar task by cutting a four inch tall section out of the walls directly below the ceiling, one about three feet from the floor, and another at the bottom. A small rope tied to a bat and fished from the top was used to pull it down thru the wall. After all the walls were completed this way I then installed crown molding, chair railing, and tall baseboard to cover the cut areasNowadays Id do the same trick but with cellulose instead. Nah, I take that back..... Id hire a professional to do it and drink beer while watching them do itYou may want to contact your local energy provider for a thermal efficiency audit. Most do it for free and will give you a better idea of where to spend money to get the best and or fastest return on your money

[speedz99 145]

i would suggest going with a window company as opposed to an all around company. I'll compare it to going to tim hortons for coffee or picking it up at McDonalds

I feel like there were better options for you to go with here. Just my two cents.