Home improvement - where to start?

[drainer]

Why are you still talking to me?

It won't meet egress, because the new window is....







SMALLER.

You think the cheap assed developer who built your house put bigger windows than minimum necessary?










Why don't u stick to what u know?












Draining bedpans

Of course it won't meet egress.

Because it doesn't have to.

Because it's grandfathered in.

My windows are already biganyway. They currently exceed the current requirements.

Your assumption is all windows will be too small to meet egress, which is just dumb.

You really like to argue, don't you?

 

[drainer]

70x60

24 inches from the floor

I'm good to go.

Next, can you tell us how fit testing for N95 respirators isn't necessary? LOL.

 

[Why_was_I_banned]

70x60

24 inches from the floor

I'm good to go.

Next, can you tell us how fit testing for N95 respirators isn't necessary? LOL.

Why are you talking to me?

 

[drainer]

Why are you talking to me?

Because you love to argue.

And I enjoy your effeminate neuroticism.

 

[Autoprax]

I still disagree that neuroticism is bad.

Excessive neuroticism is bad.

Neuroticism is a super power that needs to be controlled.

Same goes for psychopathy.

Get that sh!t under control and get to work helping the society.

 

[Why_was_I_banned]

Thanks for your support

 

[drainer]

 

[Oceanslide]

So we want to redo our kitchen
and maybe make more of an open floor plan
and maybe extend out a few feet, and maybe sliding glass doors to the back yard
but it might be extending over the sewer line
possibly the gas line too
and I don’t know how close the the property line I’m allowed to build

so I have no idea where to start to get a ballpark number of what this would cost
or if a push out of 2 feet is 60k less than 6 feet
or if this is going to raise my taxes by 5k per year or 20k per year

ive heard an architect would be the first step in the job, and a general contractor would coordinate everything
but whats the best way to start, with little to no investment, to get a general idea of what is worth doing

thanks any thoughts

 

[Oceanslide]

Que Horible

 

[Autoprax]

He seems more like a psychopath.

From my understanding, psychopaths deceive and sociopaths just don't care and don't worry about deception.

I have students like this.

I teach with a really open style and it's like catnip for antisocial personality disorder.

My eye for character disorders has sharpened with time.

The best is when psychopaths see you watching them watch you.

Anti social personalities thrive on draining your energy.

The key is to put a drain on their energy. You do it with a smile on your face in the guise of the calm helper.

This guy's thinking is the same as DT's.

 

[PJ]

Oh - replacement windows.... Did mine about two years ago – a 1960 Split Level with original windows in New York. Great reputable local contractor – had to use a contractor and not a window replacer since we wanted three additional windows and two enlarged and Renewal by Anderson who had just done a nice job in my office wouldn't enlarge sizes - window replacers generally don’t seem to want to enlarge sizes. The contractors salesman said we wouldn't need an engineer since the town would accept his drawings. He said we could get double hung in place of sliders (which a lot of other houses around me have done). I wanted new replacement windows sized out to the original rough opening with new jambs and moldings inside too. The salesman was agreeable but softish on those issues so I looked up the instructions of the proposed replacement window Mfr. which said to size and install to the rough opening. I wanted 1" deep by 4" wide Azak plastic trim around each window also. The Azak instructions said to install the window with its outer screen portion flush with the Azak trim.

I added (hand wrote) to the contract they sent me "All windows to be installed per manufacturer's instructions or better". This way I knew I would get what I saw in the instructions which was good. Manufacturer’s instructions generally show a very good installation.

The installer came to measure – I assumed that since we had a run of the mill 1960 split level with aluminum frames he knew how much to add to what he could see to get to the rough opening. He didn’t. They started Thanksgiving week, the project Mgr. was on vacation. He started with the enlargement of a bedroom window and the add of a second window the same size. He wasn’t putting a 2 x 6 double header over the new windows so I asked to see the town approved drawings – oops there were no drawings – no approval, nothing. So I said do some replacements – there’s no permit needed. He put a couple in, he put them inside the existing indoor jambs and were smaller and closer to you inside than the originals and they put a small molding around inside the jambs to hide that lousy installation (which is how they all will try to do it – beware). Whoa! No drawings – not installed per Mfrs instructions. I issued a stop work order.

The contractor drew drawings and sent them to the town. The inspector called me and said the enlarged and all new master bedroom windows were too small to meet current egress code – and I’d better be careful about putting double hung in place of sliders since the double hung opening is too short to meet original construction egress and I need an Engineer’s approval for all size changes and new. A long story short – I re-did their drawings myself - bullet pointing on the cover sheet all the egress, R value etc. stuff that the inspector wanted – marked up the contractor’s product data sheets also, I showed each requirement and what we were doing clearly. I got it stamped by a Professional Engineer (a relative) and approved by the town. They re-ordered all new windows (a 2nd batch) which are at or very close to the original rough opening (indoor jamb dimension + ½” in each dimension since the jambs were ¼” thick). They put everything in right – great job, great workmanship but I was on them at each new thing to be sure it was right. And I was holding their money – timely progress payments dropped off by me at their office for sure but always holding enough to give them a reason to come back. They were a good contractor, they fixed their mistakes.

My unified theory of ranch house egress:
Windows were always double hung and higher than they were wide - sometimes very high for ventilation, there was no AC yet in the old days. If you opened up the bottom of a window there was 22” + or so of height for egress which seems to be about the old general rule although I could find no old code online. Enter the Ranch House – for styling the windows were wider than they were high. I think that the slider window was invented to meet egress code on a ranch house, with 28” or so of height. Sliders kind of suck as windows – hard to put an AC unit in etc. - I think it was all about egress. Casement windows can provide egress in a ranch house also. But put a double hung window in a ranch and you’re down to a 15” height or less. Generally from what I found researching this (and this is how the rules are in my town) if you replace a window in kind with the same size and type (slider for a slider) window with the largest opening offered by the manufacturer in that size you meet code for a replacement. If you enlarge or add new you have to meet the new code for egress which Why_Was_I_Banned has stated here. I also saw some online chatter that on the West coast some towns require a replacement window to be enlarged to meet the new code.

In my case we liked double hung anyway and the big windows which meet new egress are taller than wide so double hung suits them. So our back master bedroom wall got new double hung. The two bathrooms, kitchen and laundry room all on that back wall had no egress requirement (mostly only bedrooms do) so we did them all double hung too so that whole back wall matches. We did the front and side (mostly bedrooms) with sliders, so we meet replacement egress and they all match on those sides.

My theory of replacement windows:
“Replacement” windows don’t have the nailing flange around them like new construction windows do. This leads some people to think that they are always to be installed in the old jambs quick and dirty. I disagree. I think that the flange on a new construction window needs an expensive mold for its manufacture so they are only offered in certain sizes which change over time as styles change because to offer every conceivable size would not be cost effective. Replacement windows can be had in any size because they cut the channels to length and then assemble. The instructions show the replacement installed in the rough opening and if done well, like mine, I think its fine, and you don’t have to change the character of the house.

I can PM anyone here my window submittal so you can see what information worked for me. Also I can email my building Dept code questions and the inspector will answer. I always look it up in town code and show in my question to them that I did by quoting what I found so they know that I at least did some work.

 

[CCKeith]

doing retrofits windows in an 8 unit bulding ritght now just found title 24 new rules reqire U rating less than .30....da fuq? so can;t replace aluminum with aluminum? have to settl for shitty vinyl??? could be costing 8000 more now. HELP

 

[Why_was_I_banned]

doing retrofits windows in an 8 unit bulding ritght now just found title 24 new rules reqire U rating less than .30....da fuq? so can;t replace aluminum with aluminum? have to settl for shitty vinyl??? could be costing 8000 more now. HELP

Is it possible to mitigate with other energy saving measures? But new furnaces for 8 units is pretty expensive. What about solar on the roof?

Maybe just new sashes, and not the frames. Get the old windows operating again? Just replace the rollers? I did a house with wood single pane double hungs. Restored them all, for less than replacing. And then no title 24 trigger.

Why do u hate the planet? 8k is worth a smaller carbon footprint. And i dont have to pay for it.

 

[CCKeith]

curernt aluminum windows are decrepit. no heat or ac in these units. have talked to my tenents about energy costs - most highly efficient paying <$30 month for electifc.

 

[Why_was_I_banned]

curernt aluminum windows are decrepit. no heat or ac in these units. have talked to my tenents about energy costs - most highly efficient paying <$30 month for electifc.

You own an apartment with no heat, no A.C. and decrepit Windows?

#CCKeithisaslumlord

 

[TheEl]

Whats everyones thoughts regarding replacing old windows and sliding doors? Vinyl seems like the way to go? The wife is really set on getting these fancy wood interior/aluminum exterior sliding doors but they are pricey as fook and cant help but feel like it will just be constant up keep/warping with the wood, especially being a mile from the beach.

 

[drainer]

Whats everyones thoughts regarding replacing old windows and sliding doors? Vinyl seems like the way to go? The wife is really set on getting these fancy wood interior/aluminum exterior sliding doors but they are pricey as fook and cant help but feel like it will just be constant up keep/warping with the wood, especially being a mile from the beach.

Vinyl sucks and will warp when it gets hot.

Title 24 energy efficiency standards seems to change yearly (see posts above) so might dictate what you can use.

I was told aluminum is a no go for windows in most of CA but to go ahead and apply for the permit as in some areas they don't bother checking the energy efficiency when you retrofit.

When I contacted the permitting department the inspector knew all about egress stanadards but was actually clueless in regards to Title 24 standards and said if I actually wanted to know this information I needed to contact mechanical engineering.

I don't know much about fiberglass windows except I've heard they last longer, require more upkeep, and are more expensive but much stronger.

 

[Why_was_I_banned]

Whats everyones thoughts regarding replacing old windows and sliding doors? Vinyl seems like the way to go? The wife is really set on getting these fancy wood interior/aluminum exterior sliding doors but they are pricey as fook and cant help but feel like it will just be constant up keep/warping with the wood, especially being a mile from the beach.

You might be right.

Stay away from Pella. Really badly made. Marvin are well made.

Nearness to the ocean isn't a problem, as long as they are well made and maintained. The biggest failure comes from not painting the tops and bottoms.

Personally, a double swinging door is less cost, more durable, and have the same opening as sliders. I'm 1/4 mile off the water.

 

[TheEl]

You might be right.

Stay away from Pella. Really badly made. Marvin are well made.

Nearness to the ocean isn't a problem, as long as they are well made and maintained. The biggest failure comes from not painting the tops and bottoms.

Personally, a double swinging door is less cost, more durable, and have the same opening as sliders. I'm 1/4 mile off the water.

Nice digs. We were thinking about the french doors but need to figure out a screen situation for bugs and rodents coming in the place. The dogs do a good job at killing most the varmints but sometimes they sleep on the job. A ground squirrel came in the other day and I had to scare it out.

So if not vinyl then fiberglass? Pricey too. Crazy how we complicate things as simple as a door. My neighbor has wood french doors and they look like they need a lot of upkeep...

 

[Why_was_I_banned]

Nice digs. We were thinking about the french doors but need to figure out a screen situation for bugs and rodents coming in the place. The dogs do a good job at killing most the varmints but sometimes they sleep on the job. A ground squirrel came in the other day and I had to scare it out.

So if not vinyl then fiberglass? Pricey too. Crazy how we complicate things as simple as a door. My neighbor has wood french doors and they look like they need a lot of upkeep...

Stained and varnished - recoat every 3 years.

Paint - recoat ever 5 to ten years. And they will last forever. If you slack off, you're screwed. Good aluminum clad exterior last decades with no maintenance