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DIY home improvement thread.

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inliner311

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So I went and tried to reduce the draftiness in my house last winter. I put in new windows in the upstairs a couple years ago and it made such a difference upstair that now the downstairs just feels uncomfortable. I went around trying to seal up the old windows and try to make the doors better. I will eventually do the downstairs windows when I get the time.

I tried a bunch of different things but caulking cord, which is a clay like product that is pressed into 6 or 7 cord like strings on reel that you can tear off and seal gaps, seem to work best. The windows are better but it take a while to press the stuff in on every window and now I have to redo it all since we opened them all in the summer. I also used caulking cord to seal up the fireplace glass enclosure because we used plastic and after a while it would breath so much in and out that it broke the tape sealing it.

We have a real drafty door which I haven't really figured out how to seal well while being able to easily lock it. I've used regular weather stripping and it takes some serious pushing or pulling on the door to close to keep out most of the draft.

Anyone else try to tackle this kind of stuff? Any products end up working well for you?
 
I have a glass sliding door that I think just lets the cold right in. I need to get that thing replaced. I'm really not sure how old the current windows are here. I've only been here a little over a year.

I also want a privacy fence.

I may or may not have to decide between the two for next year.
 
I have a glass sliding door that I think just lets the cold right in. I need to get that thing replaced. I'm really not sure how old the current windows are here. I've only been here a little over a year.

I also want a privacy fence.

I may or may not have to decide between the two for next year.

Glass sliding door could be an easy fix to try to seal out the drafts. You can replace the pile weatherstripping and maybe add it to the areas that are letting air in. When it get cold enough you can just the back of your hand to feel for small drafts. Small drafts add up and if you can properly seal a sliding door or multiple windows, you will feel a difference.

With the windows, if they are metal or vinyl you can just redo the weather stripping and it will help alot. Personally I don't think wood windows are worth the effort to seal every year if you can swap them for newer windows. They leak too much and the year in year out effort will add up to where new windows will save you time and effort.

Also building interior storm windows could be an option. They seem simple enough to make and I have thought about doing it.
 
I am not a home owner, but I have an apartment that was built in the 1930s and an understanding with my landlord that I can do improvements since I am locked into a livable rent control in a non-livable city. Eventually I plan to buy a place, so I can screw up this one all I want and pretend my fuck ups never happened when we leave.

Our outdoor temperature is ideal so I don't mess around much with windows. We paid for new bay windows to be installed in my bed room, and they sealed wonderfully up until last year. In my living room, we still have the original wood windows that are like 90 years old. Now that the "new" aluminum bay windows are ten years old, they are giving me problems. They get stuck and dont seal completely anymore. In other words, they suck just about as much as the original wood ones.

I remember how bitter cold Cleveland winters can be. I just suggest that if you pay for new windows, don't go the cheap route like I did. They won't last.
 
I am not a home owner, but I have an apartment that was built in the 1930s and an understanding with my landlord that I can do improvements since I am locked into a livable rent control in a non-livable city. Eventually I plan to buy a place, so I can screw up this one all I want and pretend my fuck ups never happened when we leave.

Our outdoor temperature is ideal so I don't mess around much with windows. We paid for new bay windows to be installed in my bed room, and they sealed wonderfully up until last year. In my living room, we still have the original wood windows that are like 90 years old. Now that the "new" aluminum bay windows are ten years old, they are giving me problems. They get stuck and dont seal completely anymore. In other words, they suck just about as much as the original wood ones.

I remember how bitter cold Cleveland winters can be. I just suggest that if you pay for new windows, don't go the cheap route like I did. They won't last.

Bay windows are heavy and I think proper installation is key to making sure they last. Was the window originally a bay window? If it wasn't, my guess is the weight of the window isn't properly supported.
 
Bay windows are heavy and I think proper installation is key to making sure they last. Was the window originally a bay window? If it wasn't, my guess is the weight of the window isn't properly supported.

Yeah it was originally a bay window, San Francisco was known for them and originally made by German immigrants by hand in the 1930s. So there are actually two individual smaller side windows and one large window in the middle.
 
Yeah it was originally a bay window, San Francisco was known for them and originally made by Grab immigrants by hand in the 1930s. So there are actually two individual smaller side windows and one large window in the middle.

I wonder if they just need to be lubricated and the brush pile weatherstripping needs to be replaced. There probably alot of dirt and crap in the tracks after 10 years and weatherstripping might be worn down and dried out.
 
Not to hijack the thread but seems appropriate...any DIYers in terms of furniture, etc?

My wife rarely lets me because "you take forever" and etc etc but I have snuck a few projects though.

Office desk I recently completed, "farmhouse style," did a neat graywash finish (stain dark walnut, then wipe on mixture of half white paint / half water...finished with ~3-5 coats water-based poly). Gonna make some matching shelves to put on wall behind it.

Empty corner in new house needed something so built some floating corner shelves.

Actually built this at old house as a kitchen island for more storage, fits perfectly in new house as a coffee nook, and it matches the hardwood perfectly. Wish I made the top out of 2x instead of 1x, looks kinda wimpy but whatever.

Refinished this TV stand "shabby chic"....used to be just black....looks great but now wifey doesn't think it goes with the room so probably gonna get rid of it
 
I made these today for the MiL.

Sterling Silver with Lapis.

noAK6Rr.jpg
 
According to the adverts on the radio, yes. I believe they block off each room they are working on.
 
Do companies replace windows in the winter?

I assume they do. They could just tape up the window opening or block off the room. If you have storm windows then they probably wouldn't have to do either. Also if you have storm windows, I suggest keeping them. I've seen them take them off because some companies say they aren't needed but they do protect the new windows and reduce outside noise by quiet a bit.
 
The lady I bought my house from was medically incapacitated and pretty much sold the house "as is" without much in the way of warranty info and things like that. I scheduled 4 different companies to come out and give me estimates on new windows. Turns out the second guy's company did my windows and they are still under warranty until 2045. Saved me over $9000! They're going to send a guy out to fix a bunch of seals and replace one of the windows outright.

Feels like I just was given pile of money after I had mentally resigned myself to paying that out. Looks like I'm going out for a nice dinner to celebrate!
 
The lady I bought my house from was medically incapacitated and pretty much sold the house "as is" without much in the way of warranty info and things like that. I scheduled 4 different companies to come out and give me estimates on new windows. Turns out the second guy's company did my windows and they are still under warranty until 2045. Saved me over $9000! They're going to send a guy out to fix a bunch of seals and replace one of the windows outright.

Feels like I just was given pile of money after I had mentally resigned myself to paying that out. Looks like I'm going out for a nice dinner to celebrate!
That's awesome. I wonder if there's any way to find out who installed the windows at my home, and see if they're still under a warranty.
 
That's awesome. I wonder if there's any way to find out who installed the windows at my home, and see if they're still under a warranty.

When it's warmer out, you can open the windows and try to look for a stamp or label of who made the windows. Each manufacturer only has a handful of installer in each area so it shouldn't be hard to track down who installed them. Just use the manufacturers website to find who installs their windows in your area.
 

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