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Ophelia
she's baaccckkkk ;)
Member since 5/06 23378 total posts
Name:
remember, when Gulliver traveled....
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talk to me about replacing windows!! and/or reinsulating the walls of a cold room/addition on the back of a house
we are probably going to have to replace our windows. they appeared at the time of inspection of have been relatively new, but our house is losing heat...our heating bill was over $600 this month (gas and electric) so we are bleeding from somewhere.
we've already insulated around the doors and that barely helped. the windows are our next step.
I am completely unfamiliar with the terminology and what we would need...and although double hung sounds enticing  I want to make sure we are getting our money's worth.
so if you have experience in this, can you tell me what I should look for/expect. we have 17 windows to replace...though we may do one floor at a time for now.
TIA
Message edited 1/22/2009 3:49:22 PM.
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Posted 1/22/09 2:25 PM  |
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itkocak
Member since 7/07 7639 total posts
Name:
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!!
Message edited 11/22/2011 10:19:18 PM.
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| Posted 1/22/09 2:34 PM |
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Ophelia
she's baaccckkkk ;)
Member since 5/06 23378 total posts
Name:
remember, when Gulliver traveled....
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!!
Posted by imthekevinofcindyandkevin
First thing you should do is assess if that is indeed where you are losing heat. One way is to go around to each window with a lit candle checking for drafts.
You may be losing heat from the roof in which case you would need to add insulation.
I'm no expert but before you spend alot on new windows you may not need I would try to pin it down to an exact cause.
is there some kind of professional that could help suss this out???
I agree with you and I don't want to be premature (or spend where there is no need).
I can do the lit candle thing this weekend.
the upstains seems to maintain heat slightly better than the downstairs...not sure if that would have any bearing on the roof being the culprit...
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| Posted 1/22/09 2:38 PM |
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itkocak
Member since 7/07 7639 total posts
Name:
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!!
Message edited 11/22/2011 10:19:26 PM.
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| Posted 1/22/09 2:40 PM |
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Ophelia
she's baaccckkkk ;)
Member since 5/06 23378 total posts
Name:
remember, when Gulliver traveled....
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!!
Posted by imthekevinofcindyandkevin
Posted by Ophelia
the upstains seems to maintain heat slightly better than the downstairs..
that's cause heat rises so the heat from downstairs eventually winds up, up there.
 but if the heat was escaping through the top...my thought is that it wouldn't be that much warmer.
of course, I am naught but a woman and uneducated in such matters  
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| Posted 1/22/09 2:54 PM |
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itkocak
Member since 7/07 7639 total posts
Name:
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!!
Message edited 11/22/2011 10:19:36 PM.
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| Posted 1/22/09 2:56 PM |
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babymakes3
Almost there!
Member since 7/06 7376 total posts
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!!
I wouldn't replace the windows unless you know for sure its the windows.
I'd worry more about the insulation in the basement and attic first. Also, the insulation around your heating hot air ducts or water pipes providing heat to your rooms.
Plastic covering on the windows will help. My IL's have huge windows in their house and lose a lot of heat because of it. They saved a ton on heating by using a window-plastic in the winter. They sell them at Home Depot or Lowes. They bought a good quality plastic that you can see out just as well as if it was plain window. (Growing up in a 100-year old house in MN, I'm used to plastic on the windows in the winter!)
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| Posted 1/22/09 3:05 PM |
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Ophelia
she's baaccckkkk ;)
Member since 5/06 23378 total posts
Name:
remember, when Gulliver traveled....
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!!
Posted by babymakes3
I wouldn't replace the windows unless you know for sure its the windows.
I'd worry more about the insulation in the basement and attic first. Also, the insulation around your heating hot air ducts or water pipes providing heat to your rooms.
Plastic covering on the windows will help. My IL's have huge windows in their house and lose a lot of heat because of it. They saved a ton on heating by using a window-plastic in the winter. They sell them at Home Depot or Lowes. They bought a good quality plastic that you can see out just as well as if it was plain window. (Growing up in a 100-year old house in MN, I'm used to plastic on the windows in the winter!)
thank you! we may try this.
I think there is an additional culprit as well...there were two additions added on to the house which we believe were not properly insulated. it is ALWAYS 10 degrees colder in the den than it is in the rest of the house, and everything is open to each other.
I know for sure the den needs to be re-insulated...but I am not sure I am ready for that yet....
ugh. this is the suck to blow part of homeownership.
thanks to both of you.
and Kevin, I am JUUUUSSST east of Ulster, in Orange...and sadly they don't offer the service.
I am in contact with the NYSPSC about what my options are in terms of an energy audit. thanks so much for the idea.
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| Posted 1/22/09 3:27 PM |
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Kara
Now Zagat Rated!
Member since 3/07 13217 total posts
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They call me "Tater Salad"
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!!
Could certainly be the additions, too... When the additions were added, did they expand the heating system or assume the current system would take care of the additions?
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| Posted 1/22/09 3:31 PM |
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JKinCT
Gonna be a big sister!
Member since 11/07 1559 total posts
Name:
Korin
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!!
I live in a house that will be 100 years old next year. We use the window plastic also, DH got it at home depot. It does help for the time being.
We are also in the process of replacing all of the windows in the house. They are just so old and not energy efficient at all.
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| Posted 1/22/09 3:41 PM |
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Ophelia
she's baaccckkkk ;)
Member since 5/06 23378 total posts
Name:
remember, when Gulliver traveled....
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!!
Posted by Kara
Could certainly be the additions, too... When the additions were added, did they expand the heating system or assume the current system would take care of the additions?
the laundry room has no vent at all. they built it out of the existing porch on the back of the house. we plan on converting that room to the bathroom at some point, so we will have to extend the heating system in there at that time.
the den has one vent, pretty much at the entry door from the hallway. but we have a huge bay window that is OOOOLLLLDDD and like I said, the room is so poorly insulated, I feel the cold through a RUG (plus padding and a wood floor) underneath my feet.
I think I am really daunted by the idea of re-insulating that room. especially since we JUST had the rug installed..before we knew how effed the insulation in the room was. 
the walls of the room have paneling on them...that looks like wainscotting all the way up the wall. I don't know what is going on underneath them.
ha..my window thread has morphed itself. that's good. I will edit.
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| Posted 1/22/09 3:48 PM |
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MrsRbk
<3 <3 <3 <3
Member since 1/06 19197 total posts
Name:
Michelle
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!! and/or reinsulating the walls of a cold room/addition on the back of a house
Posted by Kara
Could certainly be the additions, too... When the additions were added, did they expand the heating system or assume the current system would take care of the additions?
I was going to ask this same question.
I have two rooms in my house that were not getting enough heat. The room that is going to be the baby's room and the guest bathroom next to the room. The previous owners put in a central heating/ac unit in the house 4 years ago - spent about $11k to do so. I guess they decided to cut some corners and didn't have the duct work for the spare bedroom and bathroom connected to the unit. The ducts we found out were also NOT insulated. Because of the half azzed way the previous owners decided to do things, and we had no choice but the correct this since the baby will be here in less than 2 weeks, we ended up having to put in a separate heating unit in the baby's room. It's called a ductless heating system and basically looks like a wall unit air conditioner which is connected to a unit similar to what a central air unit looks like outside the house. It cost us $$$$ to do it too. If we tried to connect the duct work and insulate the ducts, we would have had to rip up the ceiling in our finished basement so they can find the trunk line and connect everything, it would have been a BIG and messy job.
I know this doesn't help, but wanted to share my experience in what we ended up finding out about why these rooms were not getting enough heat.
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| Posted 1/22/09 3:58 PM |
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itkocak
Member since 7/07 7639 total posts
Name:
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!! and/or reinsulating the walls of a cold room/addition on the back of a house
Message edited 11/22/2011 10:19:45 PM.
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| Posted 1/22/09 4:10 PM |
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tourist
Member since 5/05 10425 total posts
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!! and/or reinsulating the walls of a cold room/addition on the back of a house
Posted by Ophelia
is there some kind of professional that could help suss this out???
NYSERDA
may be able to help you. My co-op had an analysis done & received funding for improvements. I am not sure if they have something similar for individual home owners.
ETA- Here is the link to the part for home owners.
home owners
Message edited 1/22/2009 4:15:07 PM.
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| Posted 1/22/09 4:12 PM |
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JKinCT
Gonna be a big sister!
Member since 11/07 1559 total posts
Name:
Korin
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!! and/or reinsulating the walls of a cold room/addition on the back of a house
Posted by imthekevinofcindyandkevin
Sounds like you need to extend the heating system and insulate those walls. The wainscot, if nailed on is easily removed to see what's going on behind it. If it's glued you're flucked and will have to rip apart the entire wall and re do it.
We actually just did the insulation where they drill 2 inch holes in the wall and blow insulation in. We did it ourselves but I know my parents just did it too and they hired someone. It really makes a difference. They patch up the holes too, you would just need to repaint.
It sounds like more work than it is. It only took a couple hours. Most importantly you don't have to rip down the walls!
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| Posted 1/22/09 4:16 PM |
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itkocak
Member since 7/07 7639 total posts
Name:
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!! and/or reinsulating the walls of a cold room/addition on the back of a house
Message edited 11/22/2011 10:19:55 PM.
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| Posted 1/22/09 4:18 PM |
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Ophelia
she's baaccckkkk ;)
Member since 5/06 23378 total posts
Name:
remember, when Gulliver traveled....
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!! and/or reinsulating the walls of a cold room/addition on the back of a house
Posted by tourist
Posted by Ophelia
is there some kind of professional that could help suss this out???
NYSERDA
may be able to help you. My co-op had an analysis done & received funding for improvements. I am not sure if they have something similar for individual home owners.
ETA- Here is the link to the part for home owners.
home owners
I LOVE you!!!! this is awesome!!! thank you.
and thank you all for your suggestions! looks like I need to get busy!!! 
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| Posted 1/22/09 4:20 PM |
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smdl
I love Gary too..on a plate!
Member since 5/06 32461 total posts
Name:
me
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Re: talk to me about replacing windows!! and/or reinsulating the walls of a cold room/addition on the back of a house
Do you have a fireplace? Make sure it's closed if you don't use it (but make sure to only close it AFTER 24 hours you had your last fire).
You can lose a lot of heat to a fireplace. Stairs are also common.
Is the upstairs warmer than downstairs?
You can call a heating installation type company and ask if they do an assessment of lost heat. You can also ask a home inspector. Some will do such work.
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| Posted 1/22/09 8:39 PM |
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