Amazing thread! Great tips. I began salvaging the old double-hungs from our 1913 house we sold to a builder -- he gave me 7 days to get everything out I wanted and was amazed that I pluck so much: all the doors, windows, stair rail, cabinets, even the lovely trim around all the doors and windows. I used them to rebuild a house on our ranch in Texas. Fortunately I had a skilled carpenter who built the house around the salvage material. The next house he built required more windows, which I found through a demolition company who called me whenever they had a house with windows in good condition. Great way to harvest shiplap as well. We're in the process of building again, and this time my "picker" got windows that need work, so I sent them to a carpenter who is framing them so the crew can just slip them in like a store bought. The key is to get the entire window out, in the frame, and don't forget the weights! You'll save a lot of money if you don't have to build the frame and all the mechanisms of the weighted window. My attempts to deal with the vinyl replacment contractors has FAILED -- they simply refuse to take the time to pull the window out in the frame, like the pictures show above, they leave the frame and rip up the sashes as they pull them out. Crazy!!! I offer them good money, too. Fortunately we live in a neighborhood where anything pre-1940 is being bulldozed and replaced by McMansions. That's the best place to hunt.

+1. I would look at storm windows with LoE glass and additional insulation around the windows. The cost of lead paint containment alone is going to be around $100 per window so that only leaves you $250-$300 including labor. It can be done but you would be putting a very cheap quality window in that is likely worse than what you have now. If your home has poor attic and wall insulation, I would look more towards improving on that than I would about windows. Have you had an energy audit done? If not, that's where I would start.

You could use three anchors in each side no problem. Just pre-drill an anchor hole in each corner & one in the center. Make sure you put the anchor holes in a place where it won't impede the operation of the window. You may want to get an insert window off the shelf at a local DIY store that's already drilled and ready to go. This would save some time and make things easier for you. Before you pre-drill your holes, always shim behind each screw hole so there's support behind the anchor. If you don't shim the anchor will bow the frame or possibly pull through the material. Having eight anchors would be real overkill. Another important thing for you to do is get the right Tapcon screw length. My rule of thumb when drilling into block walls is no longer than 1" over the length I'm anchoring. Meaning if I have 2-1/2" from the inside of the window where the anchor seats to the block, I use a 3-1/2" screw (#10 or 3/16" shank). This gives you the best thread area to grasp the block wall. If you go much longer the threaded area on Tapcon screws will go past the area it needs to grasp to. Tapcon doesn't thread the entire screw from end to end. They usually only thread the end of the screw and it will go past the thin wall of the concrete block when tightening. That can cause some frustration for the day, believe me. Hopefully your new window opening will be about 3/4" larger in width & height than the window. This allows a 3/8" gap on all four sides for shimming and insulation. Ounce you have the window anchored in place use a low-expansion POLYURETHANE foam to insulate around the window. The "Great Stuff" low-expansion foam in the BLUE can is the best. Don't use the RED can, it will over expand and possibly damage the window. Do not use the DOW low-expansion foam (the white stuff that cleans up with soap & water). It will absorb water like a sponge after it sets up. Apply the foam around the center point behind the window in a 1/2" - 3/4" bead. Let the foam expand and dry before you try and cut it off or push it back. I usually take a utility knife and cut off anything protruding past the window. Ounce the urethane foam drys it also acts as an adhesive. Theoretically you could remove the anchoring screws and never be able to push the window out. I've tried it and it's the truth. I just can't see pulling out good anchors if I don't have to. Your now ready to caulk the gap around both sides of the window. I use a polyurethane caulk called QUAD around my windows (Vulkem will also work). Just try and keep it off your hands and cloths. It's nasty stuff! Also keep the dogs wagging tail away from the stuff or you'll be cutting some fur away. It's a good quality material that will move with the frame if it has to. It's also paint able if need be. You can use a silicone if it's in an area that doesn't require paint. Don't use any kind of Latex caulk because it eventually breaks down and washes away. Construction adhesive would really be non-functional in this situation. Stick with caulk, it's easier to use and stays flexible.

All openings in a brick wall of this type need a steel L-shaped lintel above the opening to support the wall above. The lintel will extend 3-4" on either side and be supported by the surrounding brick/block. If the current lintel goes all the way across, including bridging the embedded concrete block, then the entire opening is still supported after you remove the block and it should be fine. However, if it only extends across the coal chute, then you would need to install a new lintel to bridge the entire opening if you remove the block. Also consider how difficult it will be to remove that block. You can rent a concrete saw to make the cuts through the mortar, but its a heavy saw with a lot of torque. Its especially hard to handle when trying to make level horizontal cuts. If your foundation wall is double thickness (likely), you have to make the cuts from both sides, since most smaller concrete saws won't cut more than about 5-6" deep. You should also wear a respirator mask with a good filter, since the concrete saw mostly pulverizes the mortar and creates fine dust, and you are going to be very close to it. Bruce