Support options for wood bar across low windows?
Rachel L
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
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Verbo
2 years agoRachel L
2 years agoRelated Discussions
Low E window glasses for old house
Comments (6)I posted this reply in the windows forum - I will leave it here as well. Sapote, I would suggest that simply changing the glass to dual pane LowE does not make a great deal of economic sense. Insulating Glass (IG) windows make the most sense when you don't have small panels such as you have. In addition, you have steel frames that will pass heat quite readily no matter what you do with the glass. Steel frame windows are not particulary efficient and never have been. Adding money to them in the form of insulating glass is not likely to improve their efficiency enough to make the change worthwhile. I would suggest you have two options - first, if your primary concern is with energy efficiency, then replace them in full with new windows. This would completely change the look of your home and I would think not for the better. The other option is to bring the existing windows (single pane and all) to the highest level of energy efficiency yhat you can by resealing the panes and bringing them at least to the level that they were at when new. I would probably have trouble suggesting that option to someone in northern Minnesota, but then in northern Minnesota anyone who would put in windows like those needs a bit of head-work I suspect. But you live in a moderate climate in a home that was designed for that climate. You have the option of bringing the home back to what it was designed to be. Would there be times when the home might be less comfortable if you stay with the current design? Probably, but it is up to you to decide if it is worth preserving the character of the home. Good luck and I hope whatever you chose works out well for you....See MoreLow E glass for old house's window advices
Comments (14)Hi sapote, I also agree that restoring these windows is much better than replacing. They are architectually unique and should remain as part of the home. In your environment, and based on your concerns about "reduce the glare and solar heat into the house during summer", you should be more concerned about Solar Heat Gain Coefficient or SHGC than about U-factor. Note that in the article that you referenced they were talking about 5/8" or 1" insulating glass. How much space do you actually have for an IG unit? The thinner the airspace between the lites, the less effieicnt the IG unit. But, as I said, you should not worry about U-factor so that is less of a concern. The way to block direct solar heat thru your windows is by installing a LowE coating - as you have found from your research. But, not all LowE coatings are the same. You need a Low Solar Heat Gain or LSHG coating applied to the #2 surface of the IG. The LowE coatings with the best perfomance numbers at blocking heat and glare are generally tinted coatings - not tinted glass, that is a different material - but tinted LowE coatings. But, if you don't want tinted windows (glass or coatings), then you will want to investigate the newest LSHG coatings on the market which have 3 layers of silver in the coating. One example is Cardinal's LoE366. I mention Cardinal's coating because it was the first of the triple-silver coatings on the market and it is the most likely coating that you will find for the residential market. Again, U-factor is not the issue in your situation - although you will get some improvement by changing to and IG unit versus single pane, it won't be nearly as much as you might be expecting - SHGC is the more important issue with your situation. You can significantly improve your SHGC numbers by installing an IG with a LSHG LowE coating....See Morehow to support raised bar counter?
Comments (29)Benjesbride, good idea to message Joe. I'll do that once I'm done responding to everyone. Interesting proposed plan. He's had galley kitchens before and I tried to come up with one with everything he wanted in the galley but it never occurred to me to try a partial galley kitchen (blasted fuzzy brain). Thanks! One hiccup is that he'd have to build a false wall to house the plumbing lines to re-route them to the peninsula. He does not want to request to open the chase to re-route the lines inside the wall. He said it's a major PITA and likely won't be approved (he's remodeled several kitchens in the various condos he's lived in over the years). Anyhoo, adding a false wall is doable but it does reduce the length a bit. I guessed that a 5" thick wall might be enough but his contractor will be able to tell him if that's sufficient. Maybe he can get by with less. He absolutely will not go for a 24" fridge but he might consider a 27", given the right incentive. He's only ever purchased Subzero so I'm quite sure he'll stick with that brand. Other than seafood, he uses fresh ingredients and very little canned or boxed items for cooking so enough fridge/freezer space is a higher priority for him than pantry storage. I tweaked your plan, adjusting it to meet his requested goals. I realized one thing I forgot was to allow for a thicker wall behind the DW and sink cab to house the plumbing lines. That eats into the seating overhang, unfortunately. I kept the aisle at 42" but it could shrink down to 39". Tight for when he's giving cooking lessons but fine for when it's just him cooking. I eased the pinch on the left end of the dining table. It's still on the tight side, especially when it's set for 6, but it's better than the 18" I had spec'd in Plan A. There aren't any corners, which is nice, but there isn't any counter wider than 32 1/4" (to right of cook top). He's used to having nearly 60" of counter on the peninsula. That currently is eaten up by counter stuff (toaster, MW, coffee maker, blender, etc), nearly all of which will go into cabinets after the remodel. The only thing he intends to keep out is the toaster. Anyhoo, while technically he has nearly 60" of prep space, he has less than that in actuality. So perhaps 32 1/4" of prep room will be enough. It also has less base and upper storage. It might be enough but I won't know that until we go back up to weigh each plans pros and cons against his needs. Anyhoo, I'll present this as another option and let him decide. Thank you!...See MoreNeed help picking aluminum window brand and options for modern house
Comments (4)Hi, nilofera, I wish I could help you out more with advice on Kolbe and Marvin but our company doesn't work with Kolbe products and we don't often use Marvin except for some specialty window styles. We are a big fan of Andersen though. We highly recommend them because of the quality of the product and service. Here are a couple of houses we did this year with Black Andersen E-Series windows. They're both more traditional in style and they have Low-E 366 glass. The first one has grids and the second does not have grids. The second also has views from the interior of the house so you can see what it's like to look through the glass, sometimes the darker exterior makes people hesitant but it's hardly noticeable from the interior. We recommend Low-E 366 for our clients because it has a lower solar heat gain coefficient which benefits our Texas homeowners. A lower SHGC rating means the window glass does a better job of shading and preventing heat gain from the sun which is especially important for us in the summer months. I would recommend choosing the glass that's going to offer the best energy ratings. Compare the NFRC ratings of your windows and if the difference isn't significant then I'd go with the more affordable option as long as it meets energy requirements. What is your contractor recommending? - Ariana...See MoreSeabornman
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