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johnm76
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RE: Ever notice how old houses have weirdly sized windows?
Man, the ruler shims made me laugh - I've seen some wild stuff behind old trim. Once pulled a window out of a 1918 bungalow and found a folded-up newspaper from 1932 wedged in as a “shim.” Guess it worked, but you can te...
RE: Trimming window openings without wrecking your walls
Yeah, foam can be a real pain - especially with old wood frames that aren’t always square to start with. I’ve used backer rod and flexible caulk (usually a high-quality silicone or urethane) on a bunch of 1920s windows i...
RE: Swapping Out Old Windows in the Mountains: Worth It or Just a Headache?
Yeah, the “character” of mountain homes is a polite way of saying nothing is square and every project takes twice as long as you think. I’ve done a handful of window swaps up here, and every single one has its own surpri...
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RE: Vinyl vs. fiberglass windows in the wild - what’s really easier?
I hear you on the “lifetime” claims - honestly, I’ve seen vinyl hold up pretty well in some homes, but it’s really hit or miss depending on the brand and how much sun exposure you get. West-facing windows are notorious f...
RE: Fiberglass window brands in the news - worth the hype?
That’s true to a point, but I’ve actually seen a bigger difference with good window installs than some folks expect - especially in older homes where the original windows were leaky as heck. Fiberglass does hold up well ...
RE: Quick trick to make painted window trim look less... sad
Totally get this. I’ve seen more than a few folks get a little too ambitious with a heat gun and end up bubbling the wood underneath. Not fun to fix, especially on old trim where the grain’s already raised. Multitool sc...
RE: What if you had to live in the desert for a year?
That’s a classic problem out here. Foam just doesn’t stand a chance against that desert sun - UV eats it up quick, especially on south and west-facing windows. I’ve had better luck with silicone or EPDM rubber strips. Th...
RE: Swapping old windows for new: did your curb appeal actually improve?
Yeah, you’ll definitely notice a drop in outside noise with new windows, especially if you go for double-pane or laminated glass. As for heating bills, I’ve seen folks save 10-20% - but honestly, it depends a lot on how ...
RE: Things I wish I'd known before new windows went in
You nailed it - the dust situation is just relentless. I’ve seen folks go full NASA cleanroom mode, and still, there’s always that mystery layer on top of the cabinets or inside a closed drawer. The zip barriers are a ga...