December 16, 2015

Dining Room Windows - 1st One In!

In my first post about this project (here), we left off puzzling over how we were going to install those odd-shaped windows.

Where we left off. The side light is there because the

They're going to go on either side of the old dining room chimney.

We discussed taking down the old chimney, but that would
have cost more money and time than we wanted to spend.

Removing the old window was the easy part.

This was the very first window we've replaced that actually had a header! We replaced eight windows prior to this one, and every single one was simply stuck into a hole in the siding and nailed in place.

Old siding + stud + drywall + cement board = 5.25"
On top of that, we were adding 1/2" siding panels.

I've mentioned that the dining (and living) room walls are cement board. The builder nailed them to strips (not sheets) of drywall. None of that is coming down, and neither is the original wood exterior. We've been adding our new siding on top of that.

Tar paper and siding covering the window opening.

After cutting out the opening, Dan built the casing.

He made his own sill.

Inspections by Snoopervisor Meowy

Something to nail the moulding to when we get to it.

First set of windows are in!

So far so good! We need to finish with the insulation and it needs to be caulked, trimmed, and painted. However, Dan would like to get the other one in before we get much further along, so he can remember everything he did with this one. :)

35 comments:

Quinn said...

looks lovely!
Yep, just like knitting - do the second sock/sleeve/glove before you forget what you did on the first ;)

Ed said...

I'm with Dan, I like to get them all to the same point so I don't forget and so I can reduce the number of tools I have to walk over/around before going onto the next step which requires a totally different set of tools.

Leigh said...

Exactly!

Leigh said...

I ought to know better, but somehow, I always think I'll remember when we get to the 2nd one, LOL.

Farmer Barb said...

YEA!! It is going to look like you had them made for the house!

Leigh said...

Well, we did make them for the house. ;)

Frank and Fern said...

Looks good, Leigh. Isn't creativity part of a homestead? You plan, then change it, plan, then change it, and when you get down to completing the final project it seldom comes out exactly like the plans because of running into unforeseen circumstances. The visual effects of these windows will be very nice. I look forward to seeing more.

Fern

Anonymous said...

Great job, them windows can be bugger's anyhow! ;) Love your inspector....all inspector should be like Snoopervisor Meowy.....clever name too....LOL! :)

Leigh said...

Pam, all my cats have that title, and they all live up to it, LOL

Leigh said...

Thanks! I recently got the first coat of paint on the barnboard and it looks really good. Can't wait to see it trimmed out and that painted too.

I love the creative part of homesteading. I don't think our house would be nearly so unique if we'd done it another way. No complaints on my part!

Sandy Livesay said...

Leigh,
Beautiful work you two!!! I can totally understand why Dan wants to continue on with installing all the windows. Besides, as we get older it's hard to remember all the steps without writing them down.

Theresa said...

Nice job, and it is so much easier to do all the steps for two rather than dragging it out twice!

Renee Nefe said...

looking good! Glad you had a good snoopervisor for inspections. Always an important part. ;)

Florida Farm Girl said...

Man, I can't believe the work Dan does. Adding the new siding over the old adds another layer of insulation, you know. Merry Christmas.

Rhonda from Baddeck said...

You and Dan are such creative thinkers and doers - the window looks great!

Mike Yukon said...

Looks good so far. I like the angled tops, nice touch!

Leigh said...

Sandy, I always think I'm going to write it all down so we'll remember, but so many changes happen in the actual working out of the thing. Better to do it this way!

Leigh said...

It does feel like dragging it out that way. Dan wishes we'd done the windows for both bedrooms at the same time for this very reason. As it is, it will be years in between. Oh well!

Leigh said...

Later, after we set the window in the casing she came back and wanted to jump out the opening again. She caught herself, fortunately. Then she looked at us as if wanting to know where her door was!

Leigh said...

Yes, that extra insulation is welcome! Especially in an old house like this one. Every little bit helps.

Leigh said...

Thanks! It comes from getting such good deals on odd lots of things like windows. I admit we are sometimes amazed ourselves. :)

Leigh said...

Thanks Mike! We liked the tops too, until after we got them home and had to figure out what to do with them. Fortunately Dan always manages, and manages well. :)

Su Ba said...

That's a pretty neat looking window. I'm such a novice that I'd be at a loss on how to frame the space out properly to install it.

Seeing you working on the house projects has made me feel guilty about being stalled on my own place. Guess I ought to get out the tools and get to work on my walk in closet again. I'm about half way finished now but I haven't worked on it in weeks. Dan is putting me to shame. No, let's put that in a positive perspective.....Dan is inspiring me to finish my closet project. Thanks!

Unknown said...

The comment about the chimney kind of jumped out at me. I am guessing that the chimney doesn't work very well. It is an exterior chimney with nothing around three sides so it is a "cold" chimney and they never seem to work very well. The draft is poor and they plug up quickly with creosote. If you can fit a 6" stove pipe down the chimney, you are in luck because then you can turn your "Cold" chimney into a "Warm" chimney. Once the stove pipe is in and sticking a few inches proud of the top of the old chimney, stuff some rock wool insulation in the corners between the old chimney liner and the stove pipe at the top of the chimney. (Just enough to block the airflow out of the old liner) Then fit a finishing ring around the stove pipe and the top of the chimney. The tricky part is cutting the hole in the stove pipe where you'll be hooking into down near the bottom, but that doesn't have to be perfect because you still presumably have a decent liner in the old chimney. The liner doesn't have to be perfect either because the stove pipe is now your liner. I did this to the old farmhouse we bought that had a similar chimney where the inlet had been covered up in the basement. I stuck a MIRCO stove in the basement. I still think this was the best $350 I've stuck into our house project yet! The MIRCO stove cost me $150 at an auction 3 years ago. $200 for 20 feet of stove pipe up the chimney and all the elbows from the MIRCO to the chimney and the chimney brush to clean the chimney which I haven't had to do because it stays perfectly clean. I check it each summer.

RonC

Sarah said...

Looks great! Sounds like Dan as a plan in striking while the iron is hot! It's hard to remember pesky details!

Leigh said...

It's the ol' "so much to do and so little time to do it in!" :) Sounds like you know how to handle tools, which is more than me (except for a hammer, screw driver, and pliers). When it comes to house projects I'm the gopher. Happy to be one too, 'cuz I really trust Dan when it comes to this stuff.

Leigh said...

Ron, I did not know that about the hot and cold chimneys, very interesting. Our old house has two of those chimneys plus a traditional "through the attic" chimney that used to service the old fireplace. Back in the day our house was heated with coal. The rooms not connected to the chimneys all have covered over spots in the ceilings were stove pipe used to go up and through.

Our very first house project was to tear down the fireplace and its chimney, build a woodstove alcove, and install our wood heat stove. We did not rebuild that chimney but used the insulated double-walled stove pipe instead.

I'll have to look up MICRO stoves. Dan sometimes talks about putting in a little potbelly somewhere, but I don't actually see that happening.

Leigh said...

Agreed! Thanks Sarah!

Unknown said...

MIRCO for Malleable Iron Range COmpany. Sometimes called a Monarch stove. Your basic wood fired kitchen cook stove like you have already. Don't need another, but a parlor stove would be nice. I went with the MIRCO because it gives the possibility of cooking supper if the power goes down. :o)

RonC

Jason and Michelle said...

Looks great!

Kris said...

Boy those pointed window are going to look terrific flanking the chimney. You guys are so clever. I have a cold chimney, but it draws well if I burn a few sheets of newspaper first to 'move out' the column of cold air. (I've also punched through a nearby wall, added a vent pipe, and allowed outside air right into the fire so the burn won't draw warm air from the house.) I always learn something from your posts, Leigh. Just hope there isn't a *pop quiz* in the future. LOL Keep up the great work.

Leigh said...

Thanks!

Harry Flashman said...

I don't know for sure but I think you won a nice prize over at Oklahoma Transient, Sandy's blog.

Leigh said...

Kris, good tip about burning a bit of newspaper first to improve the draw.

I think the windows will look terrific too, once the project is done. It's funny because we never would have chosen windows like that, but when we went to the surplus store those were the only thing that came anywhere close to the size we needed. The sidelights were the result of a lot of brainstorming. I think not having much money really forces us into creative mode on such occasions. :)

Leigh said...

Harry, thanks! I did indeed win a very nice book. Heads up much appreciated!