Friday, September 10, 2010

Casement Window

Please excuse my absence, we've been wrapping up the dumplings operation, no pun intended.

There has been this home improvement issue that has been bothering me, and as usual, I've dealt with it by ignoring it and hoping it will go away, which of course, it never does, especially in this instance.

We have a beautiful casement window by our kitchen sink, and it looks as if it was custom made, a fact I arrived at because I can't see any writing on the window indicating a company name, and MG, the previous owner, had woodworking in her blood. Her father I believe was a cabinet maker, and there are touches all around this house where you can see the hand of experience at work.

Either way, our window has been cloudy from day 1, a fact the inspector pointed out. The stain is between the two plates, so it can't be cleaned. Also, it means the seal is gone and no longer keeps out the cold as effectively.

I assumed that it would require some glass expert to come out, remove the window, and replace the glass. That is, of course, until I met JH and his magic bag of tools. I should have known that it was doable, but it took JH to come in and actually show me how to do it. I think his strength (one of many) lies in his ability to patiently stand back, assess and situation, and then formulate a plan. After looking at the window for a bit, he figured out what to do, and it wasn't that difficult.

Since he was on the cusp of taking his trip, he had things to organize, so he had to go. Now I had this massive window that needed a new plate of glass, and then the issue of putting the thing back in. He said he'd be willing to come over in the afternoon to help replace it, so with this knowledge, I felt empowered.

I took the window over to Portland glass and they measured it and said it would take a few days. I also ordered a mirror for our downstairs bathroom, another issue that has been bugging me for a couple of years, and then I brought the window home and confronted the issue of putting it back in.

My first thought was to just wait for JH, but after looking at the window, I decided to give it a go. Sure enough I got the thing back in, and didn't end up breaking it. Amazing.

Just goes to show you, you never know what you can do until you try... or at least until JH shows you how.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

“Just goes to show you, you never know what you can do until you try...” – I most certainly agree! It is not a bad idea to do some DIY around the house. You may think that you don’t have the skill, but once you put your heart into it, you can definitely do it. And look what you did on your casement windows. It looks like it was done by a pro! All it needs is some knowledge and a little determination and it will be possible. :-) [Clinton Comes]

Terry said...

It’s been two years after you’ve done this, and I know you haven’t looked back since. But, let me congratulate you for working on the window by yourself! Window repairs, no matter how small, are a delicate task and require experience to execute properly. But, this is a great way to get started. I hope you’ve done more DIY projects since this day! :)

Terry Arnold