new front windows

 Finally the day arrived for our new front windows to be installed.

We have been working toward this day for years. I think I have mentioned before that we have had some of the exterior wood frame replaced, and that worked for awhile, but rotten spots kept showing up quicker than we could plug them with wood filler.

Every company we called for replacements was worried about what they would find behind the exterior "roofs" of the bow windows...worried that they wouldn't be able to make the new windows look good.

One fancy-pants company over in St. Matthews quoted a price of $16 thousand per window! One has to think that they pretty much didn't want the job!  Another company said we would need to hire a stone mason before they could do the job.

Finally we talked to Pella, and thanks to their positive-thinking installation manager, they said they could do the job and at a reasonable price.

We did go with regular windows rather than bows...about half the price but not quite as pretty. But for the savings, we'll get used to them.

We had to scoot all the furniture away from the windows to get ready for the installers.

Front Room...

And Family Room...

Family room first. Whoa! That is a big opening! The installers did have to fill in about six inches on each side to help support the lintel (a metal support piece above the window).

It had been built resting only on the outer edges of the old window frames.

There it goes...you can see no insulation in the top (or bottom) of the bow areas, just plywood.

I had some anxiety at this point!

But  they were quick to get the new window in place.

I mostly just stayed out of the way and stood at the kitchen counter cutting quilt pieces.

They moved over to the Front Room and quickly had the old window out.

And the new one ready to go in.

It was an all day job for them.  When they left they had trimmed and caulked the inside and vacuumed up around their work area.

They will be back to add the exterior trim.

Everyone was correct in assuming the wall behind the "roofs" would be rough. The installation manager said he is going to try to chip away the excess mortar to see if the rocks look okay under there. If not, he will come up with another plan.

We have to leave the protective film on the outside of the window until they are all finished.

I will show photos of inside and outside after the job is complete.

We have already noticed the new windows deaden a lot more of the noise from the highway. I think we will notice they block the cold a little better this winter, too.