House Windows, Stucco, Attic insulation etc
 

Have a few question on some things, and hoped to get some help here.

I'm about to do some work on the house I own here in Vegas. The house was built in 68, and still has all the original products asked above on the house.

Windows. They are the aluminum, single pain windows, that during summer time, you could cook an egg on the glass, or on the inner window sill.The summer heat, and or winter cold leak thru them as if I just had screens instead of glass. I'm looking to upgrade to new windows all the way around. Which products should I be looking at that will survive years of dry nasty hot heat, and cool winters.

I have that sexy 60's house siding on the house, and I plan on ripping it all off, to have the house stuccoed like some have done to their houses in the hood. It will help with the heating/cooling issues, as will the windows, but I have an issue. I have metal bars on all of my windows right now, and I am worried about not having that type of security/deturent on the house. I just have ALOT of nice things in the house I own, and really dont want to make it easier for somebody to do their next Xmas shopping. Should I keep the bars ? Will the new windows provided good protection ? Are Rolladan (sp) security rollers worth it ?

The Insulation in the attic is as old as the house. I feel its pointless to do the new windows, and stucco for energy reasons (and to make the house look better, and worth a little more), and not do new insulation.Being I live in the desert, what type of insulation should I look at, for longevity reasons. I plan on installing attic fans to blow out the hot air during the summer, but still feel I should upgrade/replace the old stuff.

I am on a budget, kinda ($10,000 to $15,000) to get this work done. I'm just needing a direction, and some advise on what to do. I know there some on here with this experience, so all the help with be greatly appreciated.

thanks

$10k to $15k seems like the cost of one project, not three. Are you planning to do yourself?

As far as insulation you may be able to augment the existing material with the confetti type (treated paper product) insulation. Home Depot sells the stuff by the bale and you can rent the blower as well.

If your house has a ridge vent then be careful investing in a whole house/gable fan. The air that the fan pulls will be through the ridge vent and not from/through the house. An attic fan that resides in your ceiling will fare much better. I'd also add natural or thermosatically controled roof/vent fans as well.

Double pane windows when you stucco, replacement or if your ripping of siding new are cheaper usually, get the low e glass in Las Vegas. Thermostatic roof fans are like $75. Blown in insulation is cheap and effective if you don't use the attic for storage.

The stucco will cost $3000 for the whole house. No I wont be doing it myself, except for the removel of the existing siding.

What is a ridge vent ?

Thanks Hugh,

Here'a pic of a ridge vent. Supposedly extends the life of roofing materials and lowers temp in the attic, therefore in the house as well.
They basically cut a slot at the peak of your roof (for the entire length)and install the plastic vent over the slot. It is then covered with matching shingle to blend in. Cobra is the brand I've used. BTW, modern ridge vent systems can look better than the one pictured below.

http://www.certifiedroofing.biz/ridge_vent_closeup.jpg

http://www.roofsaver.com/images/Howitworks.jpg

I've heard active rood venting (powered fans) may use as much energy as saved. I would focus the time and bucks on blown attic insulation and additional passive ventilation. Both can be DIY jobs.

Double paned windows are a must, and if your budget allows go for the low E coatings.

Can't help you with the stucco. Hire some Mexicans. Err, maybe not. :)

FWIW, other passive venting options are Turbine type (looks like a chefs hat) and gable or soffit vents. The soffit vents can usually be installed very easily. Round ones only need a hole saw.

These components will work best when used together to create a free flow.

http://www.askthebuilder.com/artman/uploads/col442.jpg

http://www.cornerhardware.com/howto/images/ht076_2.jpg

http://images.doityourself.com/stry/...nsulation7.jpg

http://www.trimco-upvc.co.uk/soffit%20vents.jpg

i have seen self contained solar powered units. sweet!
15k is not alot of cash. good windows cost some serious dough.

If you're ripping off the siding, you might have straight access to lay insulation on the exterior walls. With that and dbl pane windows you're going to notice a significant decrease in your AC bill. You might want to think about pulling the permit yourself as Owner/General contractor and subbing the work out. Personally, I would stay away from these "Window Replacement Companies" who advertise on the radio. I've heard nothing but horror stories. Alot of it can be done by you (minus the stucco) and you can save alot of $$$. Good luck

Ok, I do NOT have a ridge vent on my roof. The roof was reshingled about.,..,8 to 10 years ago. Now, I do have intake vents on the house, but they are alot smaller then whats pictured above. I also have sofit vents on the house (some in the front of the house, some on the rear. I just know ive been up in my attic during the summer, and my GOD was it hot. VERY hot.

I'll take some picks of the above tonight, and post them in this thread.

I did as a matter of fact. He was doing a house on my street, and asked him to come down to my house and give me an est. He did, and said total cost would be between $2500.00 to $3000.00 to stucco my entire house.Ive seen the other homes he's done, and so far, they look great.

I'll look into that.

Didnt know that.,.,interesting. I was more looing at 30 years of improvement in the insulation. I would assume todays insulation works alot better then the stuff developed 30 years ago.

that sound like a great idea.

Replacement windows are very easy to install yourself. I put double pane low E vinyl replacements all over my house. Home depot charges $100 for installation of each in the little sizes (~3x4). I will only hire a contractor for the large 5x8 I have left.

Aurel

It may be worth a call to your electric company. We get rebate offers occasionally from Edison here in SoCal. I got free attic insulation many years ago.

Here's the pics I promised.

As you can see, my intake vent are small. You cant even put your head thru the hole (s).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...A/HPIM0036.jpg

And here are the soffit vents on the back of the house. I have the same amount on the front of the house.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...A/HPIM0037.jpg

I prob should make the intake vents much bigger. Maybe that will help push more hot air out.

The ridge vent can be retrofitted if you have that same shingle available to cover. It s relatively inexpesive. Your gable vents do look a bit small but not too bad.

If you're ripping off the siding for stucco then do complete replacement windows. That's different from replacement widows that use the existing frame for installation. You end up with a smaller window.

Those are actually for hot air out in the upper picture; these can be replaced with a gable fan to pull out the hot air rather than putting holes in the roof for fans/vents. Installing larger ones may do the trick too.

I'll look into the ridge retrofit. Problem with the gable vents is my attic space is the size of two of the above house put together, plus its wider.I should the same size gables the above houses have, of which I think I'll do myself.

I planned on the complete replacement windows. Just seeing which product would hold up in my climate, with my sun exposer, of which half the house gets hit from 10:00am to 7:00pm, and its above 100 by 10:00. I'm thinking of getting the colored sun blocking screens to help with the cooling of the house from the direct sun exposer.

I'm going to do that, expand the size of the gables on both sides of the house. I think that will make a big difference. It gets hot out here, and I want to make as comfortable as possible in the home, and in the wallet.

Take your $13K, put it in an interest bearing account, and you will not live long enough to outlast the outgo in dollars to the house you have now. SO F the upgrades and live with what you have, its a lot cheaper.

Anyone want to challenge this??? Bet you can't do better, no matter how well insulated or ventilated the house is.

I just put $250K into upgrades in my CA house, mostly to shut up the wife. Super insulated, R30 or better, double Payne windows, argon filled, super low e.

After the first year, I was able to calculate, that my ggg grand kids may see a benefit, if the house is still here and gas and oil still go up exponentially.

I sell and install windows for a living. I'm an independent. Windows are rated in U-factors so you don't see how bad they are. 2 x 4 walls with stucco and fiberglass are R-13. 12" of insulation in the attic rates R-30

A dual pane window is an R-2 and the best you can buy is an R-3+

Now, there are 3 types of energy loss (or gain), conduction, convection and radiation. Let's start with radiation. Most radiant heat enters through light transmissible surfaces such as glass or skylights. The warmth is felt locally on the floor or on your skin if you are in the light. Easy to stop that and the UV damage that comes with it. Cover things up. Oh, you don't like a dark house? Then get the LowE which stands for low emissitivity. Blocks 86.7 % of the UV and helps considerably on the longer wave lengths that heat.

But, that's just part of the story. First, it's only one 3 energy sources. And, add up the total square footage of all your glass and compare that to the total SF of all you ceilings that have an attic overhead (or roof) and all exterior walls. Pretty small percentage, eh? I thought so.

Conduction: The sun is out and the walls and windows are getting warm. This in turn warms the interior. That's why we don't put the fridge next to the stove. Insulation slows this process down. That's all, slows it down. So you can keep up with it using less energy.

Last one, convection, the biggest factor and my favorite. I can change the feel of your home with a roll of plastic and some tape. I'll wrap that puppy up and no air will move in or out. No more hot spots or cold drafts. Just a nice even temp with the fan on. No way? Yes, way. Any window you buy will be better weatherstripped than products of 20 years ago. They have to be, even the cheapest one to get a certified label for air and water infiltration. But what about the rest of the house? Under doors, pet doors, range hoods, bath fans, electrical outlets (as small as they are) contribute a little leakage and there's plenty of them. The list goes on.

So, yes, I sell and install replacement windows and I have Volkswagens, Porsches and Maybach's. Spend what you like. At R 2-3, they all pretty much do the same thing. As I mentioned above, to keep you from comparing fenestration with built up wall and roof systems, they give you a U value. A window with LowE is .35. Dual pane clear is .50 You can get down to .25 with that blue stuff on the office buildings.

Even though I sell windows, I think overall weatherstripping and adequate heating and cooling go a long way toward saving energy. Nice windows improve the look of the house, increase the selling price of the house too. So, looking at actual dollars saved by installing windows is missing the point, me thinks.

I like to call them furniture for walls.

zeke,
don't see you that often in ot...must not be a fan of all the bs floating around here, my bet. ;) congrats on hitting the 5-figures crowd i see..we registered here the same month..and i thought that i didn't have much of a life! :D just ribbin' ya, buddy..

Wow Zeke, that was very deep.

Thanks for the hints and reminders of the other factors (Under doors, pet doors, range hoods, bath fans, electrical outlets ). I'l take care of those, plus some you forgot.

I installed Hurd low e double pane w/krypton gas w/ Fla tint.

outstanding and heavy to move & install compared to Andersons.

Zeke,

WOW, you explained everything. My house has more than 50% of the walls in windows. So going from cheep windows to really good windows dosen't do much. THats the result I am seeing.

So if you live in so CA or other moderate climates, you will not likely benefit a great deal if you have all the cracks sealed up??

As to wall furnature, thats a good one, a real good one. Gotta love a good salesman.

Gotta agree on the energy savings, but the noise and the drafts pushed me to replace the windows on the North side of my house which faces a freeway 1/2 mile away. In my home office where I am now, I used to hear the freeway and now its quiet. The first night I installed a double pane window in my daughter's room she said she was able to sleep without her head getting cold (head of bed up against window). Also the new windows slide open versus having to force the old ones open and closed.

I put a whole house attic fan in my house three years ago and love it. It cut my electric bills by HALF in late spring and fall. I do not turn the A/C on (and I live in Phoenix) until usually July as now the attic fan draws air through the entire house and keeps it cool. It also keeps the attic cool, which reduces the interior temps, so its a win/win situation.

Cost was under $200 and I did the work myself with the help of a friend.

I replaced a low e window on the east side of my house, and it was the single biggest difference to how my bedroom felt by about 9 am. I used to not be able to sleep in because I would get a sunburn. Moving from 20+ year old aluminum single pane windows made a huge difference.

Did it make my bills go down? Not too much. That with an AC upgrade, switching to all flourescents, and other efficiency projects have dropped my bills from year to year.

Probably the only cost effective project would be to the initial build of a house.

Big fans work great. I purchased a 47,000 cfm industrial blade fan, 57" blades and run it at 1/2 to 1/4 speed. Cost $160. It can change the air in the entire 3000sq ft house in just a few minutes on full and keeps the temp in the top of the 30 foot high living room the same as at the bottom. It is very quiet and beleive it or not, even on full tilt, you can only feel a gental change in air, no big woosh. Its quieter and works much better than any overpriced home type fan. The home type fans are worthless as they only move 5 or 6000 cfm on high and are noisey to boot.

Thanks everybody for all the helpful and educational tips.

Windows
 

Get Andersen Windows they have been making windows for over a 100 years, they have a large selection and are well made. Lots of great glass options (sun glass). I have Andersen Windows in my home that are 20 years old and they are easy on the energy bills and no maintenance. The Company has a very good website and stand behind the products a 100%. A saying I heard once, Only the rich can afford cheap windows. Good luck with your project.

I have Pella and think they are equal if not better than Anderson. But in any case both are much much better than most other windows.

On the other hand I have a house in NY that is over 100 years old. With the storm windows installed, I suspect that it is equal if not better than the newest windows on the market.

last I looked was 10yrs ago but the Pellas were good quality and offered more decorative than Andersons. My Hurds were the same price range as the Pellas but less decorative and more heavy duty.

I'm a Pella fan. I have a few rooms with Pella sliders and windows where the blinds are contained between the panes of glass. Love them!

Funny enough I have a pic of my whole house gable fan. This think is pretty heavy duty.



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1147443379.jpg

Ok all who have helped.

My next question is on Front Doors, and side garage doors.

Who is good, or bad ? Lowes/Home Dept ? Somebody else ?

I need to replace my doors, and frames as one unit. Are there any doors strong enough that I dont need to install Iron Bar doors like I have on the house now ? I dont mind them, and I would rather have them as a second barrier to keep people out.But if doors are strong enough,..,.,.,.,.,.,

I'm sure there are strong doors out there.....just bring your checkbook.

Is the "iron bar" door a storm door? They make them out of aluminum, steel, wrought iron.......

Re: House Windows, Stucco, Attic insulation etc
 

This house as is might be worth something one day. Kind of like an unrestored classic!

Cost isn't an issue, since it will protect whats inside. No, the door isn't a storm door. See pick below (Thru the windshield, you will see the front door)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...A/9774494a.jpg


I just want to limit the ability for somebody to get in.

Re: Re: House Windows, Stucco, Attic insulation etc
 

Ya well, its not worth the heating/cooling bills I pay.

Sell the house and buy one in a good part of town. Somewhere that you don't even have to lock the doors. Thats the best answer to the Iron door problem. Thats unless your very very rich. In that case you still leave the doors unlocked, but you have the dogs and security guards to handle the perimeter.

There is no such area in Vegas these days that you can leave your doors unlocked. I own my home, and feel, nor see any reason to get into paying a mortgage.I'm mortgage free, and love it. I have a chow who takes care of the rear, and sides of the house.I'm far from being rich, but when you see a Pcar, a couple Jags in the drive way, one would think ( the bright criminals) that we might be rich.

My basic question is, who should I use to install new doors ?Lowe's, Home Depot, an independent door company ?

I would get a quote from Home Depot or lowes then also look at an independent. Get references. a referral is usually best from someone who has had similiar work done.

I would think LV is similiar to St. Pete - you'll want to get someone who has been in business for more than 5 minutes...

You may be best off with a well regarded independent or store that specializes in windows / doors. HD and Lowes use thhird party contractors. From what I've seen some of these guys are not what I would consider top shelf.