For those of you who have a non-wood stool, what material is used to trim out the rest of the window? You still use wood, correct? I have never seen a residential home with anything other than wood window trim (regardless of what part of the window trim we are discussing). So, to address the OP question...I will be using painted (white)oak trim for my window stools, and I will be using brick for my window sills. FWIW, I disagree with the above posters who have stated that it doesn't matter what the correct terminology is about a material or an installation. I think it matters very much, and it serves as one example of why homeowners so rarely get what they expect during the building process. By using the correctly defined terms (and by defined, I mean by the industry guidelines, such as the IRC, and not by Webster's dictionary), the homeowner gains a measure of control over the process. There are no disagreements over what was meant during a conversation about materials, and it forces both sides to have a true understanding of the details of the transaction. I'm on mightyanvil's side for this discussion...

Thanks again I found them (low stock) by searching for the item number off the old order form. JCP's "window Designer" is saying for window over 100" need two 216" long scarves, shows them overlapping over center window so tails hang down in between? Think I should order the same striped fabric and do scarves (I need to find/make medallions!) over all three "windows" in the room (bay, double window and slider), with the slider one hung at the same height as the others? Since this is FR (casual) should I look for old doorknobs (love that look), so should I just try to find plain medallions in satin nickel to match light fixture and my "cheap cleats" (drawer knob on a hanger bolt)? See the pic of the slider for finish on the knob. I also have 6 birdcage holdbacks that are kind of "U" shaped that I don't think I'll use in LR - so I can do the bay and the window with those, and slider with a matching (extra) rod if you think that will work. It would mean 1 big swag over the double window though - these have been discontinued too (at least I couldn't find them in the store again, and I never saw them online). Does anybody kno how you hang a swag from a "U" shaped holdback without the screws showing? Here is a link that might be useful: U shaped holdback

Absolutely sdello...the fact that it is freezing means that the shade is doing a really good job of blocking the heat from the house from getting to that window. akchicago, the two sheets of glass in your window is separated by a "spacer". This spacer can be made of several different materials, aluminum being one of the more common - especially if your windows were manufactured a few years ago or are of the "less expensive" variety made more recently...probably 80%, or more, commercial windows still use an aluminum spacer, while the number in residential windows has gone down dramatically in recent years. Aluminum is an acceptable material to use as an IGU (Insulating Glass Unit) spacer in certain environments and not so acceptable to use in others - because aluminum is an excellent conductor of heat. So to help avoid some of the heat loss conducted thru the spacer, some aluminum spacer manufacturers have come up with a "thermal break" concept that places a material that is not heat-conductive between the aluminum that is touching the outer glass and the aluminum that is touching the inner glass. This material in a sense "breaks" the thermal conductivity bond between the inner lite and the outer lite. Does it work? Yes, it does. Does it work as well as some of the newer spacer materials that are designed to be less thermally conductive? It works as well as some and not as good as others (how's that for a wishy-washy answer?)... The spacer material thermal conductivity argument is long and heated (actually, the pun was not intended) in the window industry. This thermal conductivity only affects the outer 2" or less of the glass. Inside of that 2" from the edge the glass will be the same temperature - in the same environment - no matter what spacer material is used. This is one reason why using U value is more important than using R value when judging a window's energy value, for example. But, along that 2" outer-edge of the window you can get condensation and moisture build-up because of that temperature difference caused by the spacerÂs thermal conductivity. It isnÂt just the spacer material, however. Using a LowE coating can make a big difference in the edge temperature, as can the choice of window sash material and even how the IGU is actually glazed into the sash as well.

These are very effective, functional brick sills which are designed and installed to prevent water from entering your house, and causing mold and deterioration inside your wall framing. Do you really want to remove all windows, hammer out these brick units, replace them with other sill pieces (what would you use...matching brick from your exteriors, cut to fit and slope away from the windows, or ???), reflash and replace windows, and repair damage to and repaint the interior wall surfaces? Really? Have your received any estimates on the cost of this?