thanks for all the comments. Babs - good idea about using the EC broken apart in other rooms. We had initially thought we would just use it in the basement when we finish that out. to those of you who would NOT match the mantle to the FP, would you match it to the wood trim? Floors (HW)? Something different? Also, the budget is an issue here as well. The built-in window seats are figured into our cost estimate, as is a generous (I think) FP allowance, so it may not be too much more to add the entertainment center built in. BUT - that being said, we are already holding our breath waiting for the bank appraisal to come back. We have awesome credit and a decent income, but the appraiser mentioned looking for comps that have sold recently (not new builds, though I would hope she'd compare to those too if there are any). But we've seen older, outdated 5beds selling for a fraction 1/3 to 1/4 less than our estimate. Wish one of them would work for us, but they are not all that inticing on paper. Being such a large family, we have pretty unique needs too. We'll see how it pans out I guess. ANSZ - the windows are NOT necessary. The larger bank on the back of the house faces south and into the woods. That is the view we really want. That side actually faces the neighbors house, though there is a decent band of evergreens and some large walnut trees there, and a good acre or more between the houses, so not really looking directly into them. Also, the house has a significant roof overhang, which is kind of a mixed blessing. We are worried about the house being "dark" and want the windows to provide as much natural light as possible, but that side won't be getting a lot of direct sun. But the downstairs is very open. I thin the dimension when you add in the walkway that runs from the front door to the back porch and the kitchen, it is about 34 x 19. Those windows end the long wall, so the architect recommended SOMETHING there to break up the wall. Also, given our large and growing family, we were planning on the window seats providing additional seating for family get-togethers without us needing to make the room larger. KSWL - I THINK they are the same size, or certainly could/should be. The drawing program is pretty simplified, and I don't like how it protrays the "snapshots" that I post. It looks better on the mock-up inside the program, but even that is simplistic. The initial plan has them drawn the same, but it is a bank of two together only on the right side of the entertainment center, with the fireplace in the corner on the left, not flanking the EC. in that drawing, each individual window (both in the bank of two and bank of 3) are the same.

I would use the self sealing membane they make for window flashing. It is the same stuff they use on roofs, but in a narrow strip. I'm sure they sell it at the big box stores. It works much better than tar paper. The reason the pressure treated wood cannot have direct contact with any metal other than stainless, is they changed the pressure treating method to eliminate the arsenic. The new formula reacts with metal and eats right through it. It has to be galvanized a certain way or stainless. Here is a link that might be useful: Protecto-wrap

Don't bother with removing those additional pieces unless they are covering some large void. Even in that case, you can drill a hole and fill (don't overfill) that section. Shop vac out all the old fiberglass that you can readily get to. The issue is not insulation as much as it is stopping the air (as you noted). That being the case, a small skim layer to seal the envelope would accomplish about 85-90% of the value of the retrofit. Do yourself a favor and get a foam gun. Don't bother with the straw stuff. It is more cumbersome and less controllable. Make sure the can is warm and slightly mist the area that you are going to apply the foam to. These low pressure foam are water based cures. Don't worry about making the substrates super clean. Once you work with the foam, you will quickly realize that it sticks to everything.....trust me. Do not try to fill the larger void in one pass. You will get over expansion and leave yourself with a mess inside, outside, or both. Fill the gaps with multiple passes of the foam if they require a larger fill. Get some disposable tips for the gun and don't remove the can from the gun unless you have another can going on the gun. This will prevent the foam from curing in the gun barrel. Thankfully these guns will still be available after the Executive orders. Good luck.

We recently purchased Fleetwood windows and doors for a new home construction - modern/industrial style. The product is expensive, but also excellent quality. Their swing door is simply the bomb! Their patio doors are also super nice. We went with the mid-level ball bearing rollers which allow large 8h x 5'w patio doors to roll like a dream. Everyone notices this - and that's what sold us on their product to begin with. The FSB door handles are very sleek. We later discovered Omnia makes a comparable design, for a 5th of the price of FSB, so we are using this on all our interior doors for a matched look. We have some very large windows, some are 8'h x 10'w, with a single mullion. Fleetwood can handle large sizes. All of Fleetwood's sizing is custom - there are no "standard sizes." You spec what you want. That means, of course, that you must know what you want and know how to spec their product. The Fleetwood web site and overall product marketing are simply awful, however. The product naming is meaningless, confusing and unmemorable. This is another manufacturing oriented company that has not learned what it means to be consumer facing. This is a shame and ends up wasting a lot of time just trying to remember what you were interested in and why. Also, you can not purchase directly from Fleetwood and must use a distributor. We got several bids and some were twice as high as others. Also, they offer differing bargaining leverage to their distributors based on their gold/silver/whatever status - another antiquated bugaboo if you are the end buyer as I was. I literally spent months compiling my order to make sure every window and door was spec'd to the "T" - this includes window style, glazing parameters, sizing, door swings, sill heights, thermal options, finishes, hardware, etc. I found the distributors did little to help me value engineer - i.e. trying to compare pricing between window style A and B became difficult to impossible. Windows and doors are speced from the exterior - somehow I got turned around when specing my corner windows. Luckily the glazing on both sides was close in size, so we were able to install the corners windows upside down, caulk over the existing weep holes that were then at the top of the frame, and cutting in new weep holes at the bottom of the frame. Otherwise, this could have been a costly mistake. I had also attended a trade show where Fleetwood had a booth. One of the salesmen told me about ordering a casement window that opened inward, with an different cam handle, which was a nicer option since screens would then be on the exterior rather than the interior. This is just one example of the level of detailed knowledge that can be obtained, but it takes a lot of leg work to get there. The distributors we dealt with were little more than order takers and had none of this level of detailed knowledge, nor would they commit to doing any measuring before placing an order or even checking my specifications for accuracy, like noticing my corner window error. That was all on me. When all is said and done, Fleetwood is expensive, looks great, functions great, is top quality and the noise blocking is amazing. The web-site, product marketing and sales process really need a major overhaul. Fleetwood can do super oversized sliding windows, which no one else seems to do. Their rollers and overall design for patio doors and hardware are excellent and if your project calls for a swing door - the Pacific 3500 is must have real beauty. But do shop around, not all distributors and installers are equal here. If budget allows, it's an excellent choice, just plan on doing a lot of homework before placing your order.