86 x 42 storm window question..

[WindowsDirectCinci]

Did you see samples of Lindsay and Provia? The Pinnacle from Lindsay is 90% the same product as the Provia mentioned. I say 90% because they are more or less using the same parts although the other 10% which is the most important is the manufacturing differences. .05Ai vs .11 Ai for Lindsay. Lindsay does offer a factory applied brickmould for full tearouts but not so sure about Provia

[rebar]

Did you see samples of Lindsay and Provia? The Pinnacle from Lindsay is 90% the same product as the Provia mentioned. I say 90% because they are more or less using the same parts although the other 10% which is the most important is the manufacturing differences. .05Ai vs .11 Ai for Lindsay. Lindsay does offer a factory applied brickmould for full tearouts but not so sure about Provia

No, I haven't had time to look at any windows yet, and not to worried right now as I don't live in my basement and have aluminum coil stock covering it. I also don't buy into the super low air infiltration numbers and the savings. I feel my house needs to breathe a little because it was built in the 70's with 4" walls. If I replace all 17 windows in my home with high end low Ai windows (cha ching) I doubt, no I know, I would not recoup the price and possibly create a sick house.

I'm also not to sure about vinyl windows. How long before the vinyl starts to degrade due to UV rays? Can anyone recommend a high end aluminum clad window manufacture?

[Guy]

The Lindsay window is made here in MN. I use it for full frame replacements religiously!! The fixed brickmould has a snap on cover to conceal mounting screws. I have had great luck with these windows for years. As for your concerns on vinyl it will last longer than you will if installed properly. I strip these openings to the brick and mount the new window in place with Tapcons. It's something we do here in our sleep. I don't recommend making this your first try. I get my windows a lot cheaper here because we just pick them up at the factory. It's a time consuming job if you don't do it a lot. We cut out certain parts of concrete and know exactly how to do it. A non seasoned installer is going to overcharge for this install every time. Just because the fear factor is holding them back. We also custom bend aluminum to cover all the exposed brick face just to blend everything together and protect any infiltration of air or water. Pick your installer wisely!! Also make sure your window pits are at least dug out 8" under the opening. You should have a good 12" base of pea gravel under that. Good Luck!!!

[HomeSealed]

Did you see samples of Lindsay and Provia? The Pinnacle from Lindsay is 90% the same product as the Provia mentioned. I say 90% because they are more or less using the same parts although the other 10% which is the most important is the manufacturing differences. .05Ai vs .11 Ai for Lindsay. Lindsay does offer a factory applied brickmould for full tearouts but not so sure about Provia

No, I haven't had time to look at any windows yet, and not to worried right now as I don't live in my basement and have aluminum coil stock covering it. I also don't buy into the super low air infiltration numbers and the savings. I feel my house needs to breathe a little because it was built in the 70's with 4" walls. If I replace all 17 windows in my home with high end low Ai windows (cha ching) I doubt, no I know, I would not recoup the price and possibly create a sick house.

I'm also not to sure about vinyl windows. How long before the vinyl starts to degrade due to UV rays? Can anyone recommend a high end aluminum clad window manufacture?

Good advice from Guy. No concern on vinyl, particularly with a quality product. They will far outlast wood clad in almost all circumstances.
Regarding the tightness of the home, it would be wise to do a little more research on that. 1) a 1970's home really isn't all that tight. 2) the idea is to get the home as tight as a drum, and then the indoor air quality and ventilation are controlled by design, with controlled being the operative word. There are scientific ways to measure, optimal rates for ACH, etc. An energy consultant would be able to assist if that became an issue.

[rebar]

The Lindsay window is made here in MN. I use it for full frame replacements religiously!! The fixed brickmould has a snap on cover to conceal mounting screws. I have had great luck with these windows for years. As for your concerns on vinyl it will last longer than you will if installed properly. I strip these openings to the brick and mount the new window in place with Tapcons. It's something we do here in our sleep. I don't recommend making this your first try. I get my windows a lot cheaper here because we just pick them up at the factory. It's a time consuming job if you don't do it a lot. We cut out certain parts of concrete and know exactly how to do it. A non seasoned installer is going to overcharge for this install every time. Just because the fear factor is holding them back. We also custom bend aluminum to cover all the exposed brick face just to blend everything together and protect any infiltration of air or water. Pick your installer wisely!! Also make sure your window pits are at least dug out 8" under the opening. You should have a good 12" base of pea gravel under that. Good Luck!!!

I was referred to A1 Siding in cedar rapids run by Bob Hustad. He showed up and I could tell he was a great guy who just oozed experience. He's 70, but looks 60's. He talked about the history of his business and when he was done I told him "he sounded like a great guy to work for" and secretly wondered why I worked for the state instead of a guy like this..

Anyway, I like him. BUT he only deals with Alside windows. And would have to fur out and cap the opening because he can only get a 84x42. And after a quick search of the forum here determined they are not a premium window. That really sucks, because he's qualified, but cant get his hands on a premium window.

Guy. Is there anyway you could describe better how you install windows in the concrete? Then again, I would probably lose the next good installer wanting him to do it your way.. Sometimes to much information in the hands of the customer is a bad thing.

Oh, one last thing.. Do most sliders (only way to get egress window) have drain holes that lead into the frame? Or pocket sill design?

Thanks!

[Window4U (IL)]

Oh, one last thing.. Do most sliders (only way to get egress window) have drain holes that lead into the frame? Or pocket sill design?

Thanks!

Rebar,
I've read in a couple of your posts including this one above that you are in a pickle trying to get a window that will meet egress in the size you currently have. I'd like to make you aware of a type of window that may work very well for you. It's called a tilt-n-turn window and the sash will swing inward giving almost the full opening as egress. They also tilt in from the top for ventilation too. They are available in vinyl, aluminum, fiberglass and wood from various manufacturers, though I've always bought them in vinyl. They also have a twin unit for wider openings where both sashes swing inward giving twice the egress amount. I use vinyl tilt n turns all the time for basement egress applications in the Chicago area and the northern half of Illinois with great results. You won't find a better window for basement window well egress applications in my opinion.

[TheWindowNerd]

Almost all slider have pocket sills.

The tilt and turn is a nice option but I am sure in this case way beyond the budget.

[Guy]

Rebar I applaud your enthusiasm on educating yourself on this project. You need to understand that we all install our windows according to our climate. I live in MN which IMHO has the strongest codes and guidelines any installer has to face. We go from 50 below in the Winter to 110 above in our Summer. There is almost a constant breeze here which cools you down or freezes body parts in a short few minutes. Not every installer here goes by the rule book. As a matter of fact a lot of them don't. But these poor installers are the guys I rely on to earn a great living. Cleaning up behind them is a great way to earn a respectful living. I've been doing this since 1974 and have literally destroyed most of the joints in my body from over usage. Still doesn't stop me from doing what I love!
Your window application for me would be a double crank out with swing clear hardware. This hardware is easily accessed by most manufacturers. Since you're at ground level your egress opening should only be 5.0 sqft instead of 5.7. Check with your local inspector. When I do these types of Windows I clear the opening out to the concrete blocks. You look like you have a stamped on brick face or something done on the block at the yard. I can't quite make it out. In most cases it will knock right out leaving you a smooth blocked surface to drill in to. Just make sure your installer verifies the blocks aren't hollowed in the middle with an open chamber. Removing the inside trim casing will give you access to the true RO. It looks like you have a lintel iron running across the top of the opening. This supports the brick above the opening and prevents any smiling lumber supports. If you don't have one make sure one is installed.
Since we remove all the wood down to the block we may need to chop off any over burden of cement or poured product. This is done quickly in most cases. It also cleans the opening up to slide the new unit in. Since you won't have any wood product left there won't need to be any capping of the outside. Only the bottom will get taped with aTyvek sill wrap to repel moisture and then a custom bent aluminum pan inserted on top of that. I order my windows a half inch smaller on width and height. Sometimes I go 3/4" if it looks goofy. The new window will have 1/4" gaps all around in a perfect world. These spaces are where we shim the window level and plumb. Once it's shimmed in place we drill a 1/4" masonry bit through the mounting hole and fasten with Tapcon Masonry Screws. The screw length coordinates with how much we have drilled into the wall. Anywhere from 2" to 3". We drill them out one at a time and fasten them separately. After we lock a screw down we check the level and plumb again each time. We will set the reveal of the sash with the last two fasteners.
We then caulk the outside with a urethane based caulk matching the window or exterior paint. Which ever works best. The inside is then foamed in place with a low expansion foam (Great Stuff Light Blue Can). The inside gets a custom jamb box or special trim to match the insides existing look. Clean it up and move on. Good installers will leave your house cleaner than when they arrived. We also clean each window so there are no adhesives or dirt on the glass.

That's it in a nutshell. Just make sure the installers pull the proper permits and get the proper inspections where required.
Good Luck!!!

[rebar]

Rebar I applaud your enthusiasm on educating yourself on this project.

I'm just A. retentive like that.
Hell, I told a installer I really like and respect, I didn't want his Alside windows because of what you guys said about them!

When I do these types of Windows I clear the opening out to the concrete blocks.

I have a poured foundation Guy. The brick "look" was a pattern in the concrete forms.

Since you won't have any wood product left there won't need to be any capping of the outside. Only the bottom will get taped with aTyvek sill wrap to repel moisture and then a custom bent aluminum pan inserted on top of that.

I think, by the time I remove all the wood.. The opening will be bigger than 86 x 42 since I can clearly see a step down in the concrete at the bottom where caulk has failed. Like the builder used a 2 x 6 buck in the opening when pouring the concrete and then simply left it there as a nailer.. But I have no idea.

As you can see, I'm in no hurry. I cant get over the fact I will be paying more for this one window, than I spent on the used car I bought for my teenager!

I guess the first step would be to buy and paint a temporary plywood cover I can install quickly after a fart around trying to remove the old storm. But by the time I figure out all the time and material of my farting around. I would have been further ahead hiring a good professional with access to premium windows. Its to bad your so far north of Iowa City Guy!
.

[Guy]

I used to travel all over. I still go down and golf in a Pella sponsored golf outing. I pretty much pick my jobs and work part time. I've beat this pour body to a pulp. I pretty much go out and terrorize bad installers and help consumers in court defending their honor. I love trying to figure out why things don't work properly or leak all over. I've seen some crazy things in my days as most of the guys here have. We should have a place for War Stories on these forums. I'm sure we could tell some amazing tales!

You don't need to paint up any plywood. Just cover it with plastic and make a lean to thing. You don't want to play with this in the Winter. Wait until Spring! Poured walls are the best way to go. It's the only way I do it up here. Just snap the forms together and pour. Try not to add any wood to the bottom if possible. Build it down from above if required. The higher the window sits the bigger the chance of leakage. Make sure you dig that pit out!! Any drain water must never come close to leaking in. You may want to set a drain pump down there to evacuate any overflow. I just run a two inch pipe into the bottom of a five gallon bucket barried below the gravel line. I then install the pump in the bucket and connect the hose to the two inch pipe. I use a simple flow switch to run the pump. I cover it with a durable screen that can hold some gravel. I run the drain pipe under ground to a good drainage area or the street. Unplug it in the Winter months or use heat tape to go year round. In most cases we just run it into the gutter drainage pipe or nearby. If you're going to do it yourself then take your time and do it in the warm months. If you order the new window correctly it can be done in a couple hours with help. Just pre-plan your work. Good Luck!!!