Need help!! Bad Contractor job on vinyl window hail damage
tigereye
11 years ago
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tigereye
11 years agotigereye
11 years agoRelated Discussions
need help...bad rainstorm...wet drywall/insulation new build
Comments (9)serious mistake in judgement someone really screwed up where was the job foreman--is it the builder himself or someone else does your builder carry insurance on this job everything has to come out that was wet because it is not like water damage in house that is already built where a window was left open and rain came in but about those pix it is difficult to tell how some of that water damage got where it is did some leak from second floor into top of first? why do you have plywood floors on ground floor--is there a basement? I am used to cement slab foundations on first floors is it possible this house is not graded correctly and is getting rain water from ground overflowing into the first floor--that is another problem if that occurred...See MorePlease help with vinyl siding questions for contractor
Comments (16)Hello, All. Somewhere in my reading process it was said facia (is it fascia - sorry about that) and soffiting vinyl are manufacturered thicker than normal vinyl siding. I did considered it a non-issue but thanks to you I've written it down to ask the contractor. If I can get thicker I'll get it. Going back a long ways a roof's overhang wasn't often enclosed except maybe for some guttering on the edge. The exposed rafters sure were a good place for wasp and hornet nests. In the 50's or 60's contractors began covering the area. I doubt if the words facia and soffit had come into being before then. Facia board covers the edge of the roof rafters and runs the entire perimeter of one's house. Where needed guttering is nailed over the facia. Soffiting covers the area beneath the roof rafters from the facia edge to the house. A few years ago I built a house that was left open between the overhanging rafters. This allowed air to flow from the outside, into the attic, and on out the ridge vent. Air flow was primarily to retard hot weather damage to the roof, and it kept the house a little cooler. Being the rafters were open the soffiting was preforated to allowed air to flow but kept out bees. Where I now live was built in the mid 60's. It does not have opening between the rafters. My current soffiting is unpreforated plywood, so the vinyl soffiting without preforations will be okay. My guttering will be seamless and I highly suggest it. I've had and heard too many stories about seam problems with the 10' section stuff. But I suppose it may have depended on how well it was installed. I talked to a couple of my kids (I'm widowed) about colors. I told them I wanted a color "standard" that would be acceptable for a number of years. Please rememeber, this is for me and not a recommendation. I have white vinyl windows. They said the facia, soffit, window trim, and door trim should be close to the same color as the windows. They said from their observations of new developments that's generally the case. So, I chose that color a little off white, called linen. My downspouts will be the same color as the vinyl siding -almond. My guttering will be the same as the trim - linen. I know what you mean about getting away from the colors you have. At my age my vision is probably a little shorter than most of you readers. I'm doing more what might be acceptable to others whereas if I were younger I may or may not have other thoughts. Screw in bolt brackets for guttering is typical, I think. Sure is better than nail in. The brackets expand the width of the gutter with a screw going through them, through the vinyl facia, through the facia board, and into a rafter. I'm not familar with any other type of supports. I'll keep reading this topic for a while, Folks. I'm trying to gain enough knowledge to ask the contractor the right questions. Regards, Gene...See MoreImproperly Installed Vinyl Windows
Comments (1)You said you're in CA? If so, I don't think you have to worry about this clown. Did they file a preliminary lien notice before starting work, or within 20 days thereafter? Is the window supplier getting paid from that lien, or a separate one? If no preliminary lien notice was filed, it's too late for them to do anything. If there are legit prelim lien(s) already pending, still don't worry. The building department is on your side. The inspector is your friend. This is what they are for, consumer protection from bad builders. As long as the permit remains incomplete, the contractor can not do anything with the lien. Advise the contractor that you know the law, and at this point he just needs to cut his losses and go away. Advise him that he would find a better use of his time, learning the correct way to install replacement windows. It will be the only option that has the slightest chance of paying off in the future. Here is a link that might be useful: you need to read this...See MoreNewbie & really bad windows / energy costs - need help
Comments (9)My goodness, your situation sounds exactly like ours! We were paying $250 on average in 2002 and decided it was time to take action! We are in Central CA, just south of SF Bay Area. Same conditions as your place. High enough on a slope that regularly has to 60-MPH gusts in Winter. During the last storm, warning in our area was for 75-MPH wind. In the summer, the exposed slope can heat outside to 115-F easily. Burning heat. Expecting snow the first part of this week. We are planning our retirement as well and setting up our place to hopefully last 20+ years with no more big improvements. I strongly suggest using windows with the following qualities: 1. In sun exposed location, consider using fiberglass or aluminum clad. In shaded location or less exposed location, vinyl may be OK. 2. In Wild fire zone, forget vinyl and stick with aluminum clad. 3. Have at least double-pane. 4. Make sure the window has Low-Solar-Heat-Gain Low-E II (or even III) coating. 5. If your elevation allows, consider buying those with argon gas filled in between the glass panes. 6. Sites that help determine best measurements for our locations. Main link: http://www.efficientwindows.org/ I did a search for windows appropriate for CA - San Diego and this link takes you there: http://www.efficientwindows.org/city_all.cfm?id=6 You can change the search by changing it to "All glass types" instead of "Double Low-Solar....." just to see. You can also look at CA-Daggett if that more closely approximate your location. 7. If you are in Wild Fire zones, be sure to use tempered glass. It will buy an extra safety margin. Low-E II (or III) is a coat of material applied to the glass so that it reflects solar heat away from the house in the summer and yet able to reflect the interior heat back into the house in the winter. We have them on ours and it is absolutely fantastic. THis is a must. Some will certainly argue that vinyl windows are cheaper and do as well. We still have two Milgard vinyl windows left in our house. As a home owner who wants to live peacefully through retirement, I will not use vinyl. Vinyl is inherently weak chemically so other chemicals must be added for it to survive heat and cold and so on. Why bother? If you are willing to spend for long term satisfaction, go straight for fiberglass or aluminum-clad wood interior windows. Fiberglass and aluminum are both stronger than vinyl and require no special additive to stiffen them against heat and cold. As for Argon gas, it can only be used up to a certain elevation. Reputable windows dealers will know this and know whether they can order the gas for you. The gas fills the airspace between the glass panes so that solar heat cannot easily travel by convection from the outer glass to the inner glass. It can cook outside up to 115-F and the inside remains a cool 75. It is wonderful! As for brands, we used Marvin Windows (bought 4 years ago now). They make a fiberglass version too. Andersen windows is a good brand as long as you buy the higher end versions that meet your requirements. My relatives use Andersen in SF East Bay Hills area, one lives on Santa Cruz mountains facing the sea. We last shop for windows 4+ years ago so I can say nothing about other brands now. Our experience is that we paid for what we got most of the time. Go cheap, for sure it will have cheaper performance. Do research carefully before signing anything. Be very picky and let the shop know you are "picky". A bit of hard work now up front will save a lot of angst later. For contractors, make sure they know what they are doing. Some charge extravagant prices if they think they can fool ya. Some charge too low because they cut corners. You will need to get good recommendations and learn a bit about how windows are installed and then quiz the contractors. Then watch them like a hawk. They will need access inside and outside. For ease of access, we basically cleared everything away from our windows so they could move safely and swiftly without hurting themselves or slowing the job. Better we give them lots of room than hurting them or having them accidentally break something. Finally, a side note. We installed a 10KW Grid-Tied PV Solar system on our property and have paid nothing to PG&E since. It cost $75K at the time, state paid $25K rebate so we ended up with $50K. At current PG&E rate, we would be paying close to $300 a month even with new windows. We will "recoup" our $50K in 14 years. With PG&E rate about to go up again this year, it has been a blessing. You do not need a 10KW system to save. Most families use a 5KW to reduce energy cost. It is worth considering for your location. Good luck and Happy Retirement!!!...See MoreEcoStarRemodel
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