My first house I owned with my ex-husband had a porch added onto the side of one of the bedrooms, and they left the window in, so it overlooked the new stairs down into the basement. Frankly, it just looked bizarre, and made setting up furniture on that wall very difficult. You don't say what the rooms are going to be where you are "losing" the windows, but if you are concerned about the loss of light, I would recommend "replacing" the window with a tubular skylight in the ceiling over where the windows are gong to be walled over--they add a shocking amount of light, and I love mine. In my kitchen, which had been very dark, now I keep thinking the lights are on when they are not, it's just the tube bringing in the sun. Carla in Sac

If you use the correct procedure and work carefully it is very easy to do. First off, give yourself plenty of room to work. Begin by marking where you want the stub out to be, then make a horizontal line on the wall about 4" above and a second horizontal line about 4" below. Begin on either line at a point about directly above the point where you wan the stub out to be and punch the saw into the wall, then cut horizontally until you feel a stud. Next gpo back to your starting point and continue cutting the horizontal line in the opposite direction until you feel the stud on the opposite side. Now go to the other line and repeat the process. You can then cut down on each end, keeping the saw tight against the stud and remove the sheet rock. Keep the sheet rock intact because it will fit back in the hole perfectly to close up when your done. Cut two pieces of 2x4 about 3" longer than the distance from the bottom to the top of your hole. On either side of the hole slip a piece of the 2x4 in so that the 2x4 is sistered tight against the existing stud and the tips of your 2x4 are slightly behind the sheet on both the top and bottom. Secure the short 2x4 to the stud with a couple screws. Now measure the horizontal distance between your new 2x4's and cut a piece of 2x4 to make your blocking. Insert the blocking and secure each end with a couple screws, then you can attach your drop ear to the blocking. Once you have the drop ear mounted mark the location of the drop ear on the sheet rock panel you cut out, drill a hole for the stub out, then set the sheet rock back in the hole and secure it to the 2x4's on each end with a couple sheet rock screws. At this point you will have a slight gap equal to width of the stab saw blade to mud and tape.

First, I would never wash an antique quilt in a washing machine, at least not one which has an agitator as the quilt will get wrapped around the agitator and will more than likely be ruined. I would also never wash a quilt containing wool or silk, nor would I dry clean an antique quilt. Wool and silk are especially fragile. Dry cleaners use strong solutions and are more likely to hurt a quilt rather than save it. Also, there must be no damaged areas--areas where you can see the batting poking out, rips, or places where the dyes (or other things) have eaten through the fabric. These are too fragile to withstand cleaning. Most quilts in good condition (without damage mentioned above),can be cleaned first by vacuuming. You need to get a screen, fiberglass window screening available by the yard at your hardware store works well. Tape or sew binding on the edges to prevent the sharp ends from pulling threads or snagging the quilt. Prepare a large table, or the floor by laying down a white sheet. Place the quilt on top, then the screen on top of that. Take a vacuum which is set at the softest suction possible by adjusting the air flow and hold the vacuum OVER the quilt (not directly on it). The vacuum will suck up dirt without pulling up the fibers. The screen helps prevent any damage to the quilt and holds all the fibers down. Vacuum the entire top of the quilt, then turn it over and vacuum the back side. This often is enough. Some cotton quilts may be cleaned in the following way, but it is important to test the quilt to make sure that the dyes are stable. Test each of different fabrics as follows: take a try Q tip and rub it over each of the fabrics. IF the color transfers, then it is likely it will run. If it passes this test, then dampen the q-tips and rub it on each of the fabrics. If it comes off onto the q-tip, then it will run. If you have come this far without it running, then for the discolored spots, you can mix up a solution of non-chlorine bleach, specifically, I would use oh bother...Oxydol? It is in a blue container...and it is a really good addition to your washing...darling daughter is singing in my ear and I am having a hard time remembering. I'll check in the basement later. Spot treat the areas using a spoon or a piece of muslin to tamp it on. Draw some cold or at most tepid water into the bath tub...put in approx. 2 T of Orvus paste (you can get this at quilt shops, from Clotilde, or from some Livestock supply places (cheapest there....it was originally designed for washing Livestock--it is straight sodium Lauryl Sulfate and is gentlest on your stuff) into about 4 - 5" of water. Buy one of the Woolite or CArbona "dye mops" to absorb dye which leaches in to the water...as a precaution. Lay the screening on top of the water and place quilt on top. Put dye mop on top of that. Pat the water through the quilt, not wringing. continue patting. Do not let the quilt soak as if the dyes go into the water and resettled, that is what contributes to the running of the dyes. Drain off water, and run cold water through until the water comes off clear and no suds. Press water out of quilt. Use towels to blot more water out. Lift the quilt on the screen (textiles are at their weakest when wet) and lay the quilt flat to dry...either on top of a clean sheet laid on the floor or outside. If you are putting the quilt outside to dry, cover the top with another sheet so that nothing falls on the quilt. Inside, put a fan on the quilt. After the top seems dry, turn it over and let the back side dry.

I cut a wood block the height of the sill extrusion the full width of the window. That gave a good base for the AC unit. It fit pretty well as after that.