We have a 2 story 1930 Dutch Colonial revival - PO had alum triple tracks put in top floor and wood storms for bottom The windows to the home are 6/1 config yet the storms were 2/2 - odd - They had hanging hooks over each window that have not worked in yrs due to the windows not fitting properly. each Fall/Spring we had to put them up/down - very heavy & tedious task - dh put really long screws in casements to make them stay up - summer we put in the sort of beat up 1/2 screens We just had the ext of the home painted -painters removed all storms - we realized the cost to rehab the storms (strip, chaulk, paint) & screens would be quite a bit of $$$ The old alum triple tracks were in rough shape - So I did a lot of research - including getting quote from Adams Architecture - however they use pine - and they did not come painted - My other concern w/custom wood storms was I'm finding wood today is far less superior than old wood & too green - I've had so much shrinkage w/newly installed crown molding etc that I did not want the risk w/custom windows which when they shrink would cause signicant loss of energy value The Best triple track storm is made by Harvey - they cost more than the off the rack storms but they do have the market cornered w/the efficiency rating -link below no I'm not in anyway affliated - just lots of research led me there The good news was also when they were installed our detail oriented painter did not notice they were up - This guy notices everything! good luck Here is a link that might be useful: harvey

Yes, we did. It took a year of haunting CraigsList and the local junkyards/salvage places to collect all the supplies, then a few months of rehabbing the old sash we found. I just installed them a month ago, in the nick of time for a cold winter here in the Northeast. I was lucky in that the replacement folks left the original frames intact; they just pulled out the sash, pulleys and weights, but the jamb still had the pulley cutout. Once I found the right sized pulleys it was just a matter of reinstalling everything, shaving the sash to fit, weatherstripping, etc. Ha. "Just" a matter of that. But it's absolutely worth it. The new and weatherstripped old wooden sash, even without storms, are just as airtight as those cheap vinyls were. They were awful: poorly sealed, breaking and bowing, half of them wouldn't even open any more - of course, had they been a nicer high-cost version, perhaps we wouldn't have been motivated in the first place. But are vinyls ever nicer, high-cost versions... ? ;-) If folks are seriously that interested in the project, I'm happy to post a few pictures.

Well, the answer to the TDL v SDL question is easy. In true divided lights -TDL-each pane is installed in its own frame that goes clear through the window. In SDL there is some sort of grille appplied to one surface of the glass, or worse both surfaces, but there is only one pane of glass, so when you look sideways at any angle but dead on you can see the fakery. If I couldn't have TDL, I'd change to a different muntin pattern. You architect is correct, there would be a significant aesthetic loss. Especially since you don't have have that many muntins, in the first place. I'd economize elswehere to make sure I could have TDL. However, before I'd exchange the original older windows for modern ones, I'd look into getting them brought up to good consition, adding wooden storms, etc. This is often cheaper than quality replacements. (Though maybe not so much $$$ for the architect....) You could be saving original stuff and getting excellent energy improvement at the same. Problem is finding someone to do this work in your area. I have just located someone near me to work on my own windows, and delivered four there yesterday for an initial project to see how this worker does. If you keep asking around I think you'll turn up somebody. I found the guy I hired yesterday by keeping my eyes peeled for years and asking around all the time. When I saw a window in at the hardware store awaiting measurement for a reglazing, I recognized it as something that was being rehabbed. I looked it over carefully, and noted the contact phone number on the sash, and scurried home and called it. Turns out my guy does it all the time, but is so busy he never advertises. My advice: keep asking till you find the local version of my window genius. Molly~

I know that over at Old House Web, a number of folks swear by their Adams storms. I don't see the need for interchangeable screens in both upper and lower positions; lower screens should fill the bill nicely, except in rare circumstances where you need to open the upper sash for ventilation. (Like I do in my attic dormers). I bring this up because it is also a less expensive option. Casey