refenestration

There is nothing particularly photogenic about getting new windows. However, as I have been remiss in posting photos, I decided to attempt to make this an exciting account of this bit of domestic refurbishment here in our little casa by the sea.

After waiting a day for Raul and his worker to show up to do the big installation, they finally arrived at noon yesterday. They got right to work tearing out the old windows and putting in bright white frames. Then they left about 3 PM for comeda with the promise to return. Right after I left for dominoes (I won last night!) they showed up again and continued to work until about 8:30. They haven’t finished yet; there are still missing screens and some old windows that they didn’t get to. I thought they would be back today but no dice. Maybe tomorrow.

The old windows and sliders were installed when this house was built, almost 20 years ago. They are bare aluminum frames and over the years have become so pitted and corroded that there is at least one slider ~ from the living room out on to the front balcony ~ that simply cannot be opened anymore because the whole screen mechanism falls off the track and it is a real chore to wrestle it back together.

As for the windows, they are the crank kind with louvers, as seen here.


You’ll notice that two louvers are missing on the left side. I tripped over the garbage can lid and put my elbow through them. No harm done to me; shattered the glass.

In our upstairs bedroom the slats are wooden and painted the same blue as the front and garage doors. This picture shows the cranks that operate the louvers. Many of them are simply frozen shut with salt and corrosion. Note the lovely palm tree view.

Here’s what a 20 yr. old crank looks like (no snappy come-backs, please.)

They are all encrusted with salt, dust and basic beach-life corrosion. By this stage they are impossible to clean. The only thing to be done is to squirt them with WD 40 when we get here and hope they’ll open again next year!

The windows in the kitchen, which are not on the weather side of the house (they open onto the 2nd floor terrazzo) are in really bad shape. The screens are pulling away from the frames. Roy (previous owner) tried to hold them together with electrical tape but it finally came loose and it was clear that something had to be done.

They will all be replaced by poly-painted frames that are “guaranteed” not to rust, chip or corrode PROVEDED they are cleaned and oiled frequently. The cleaning I can see but oiling them will only make the sand and dust stick. However, this is a big investment so I guess WD 40 will stay.

Here's the replacement of the above mentioned kitchen window. Vast improvement indoors and out!

This is the replacement crank in the bedroom. Nice change.

When he left mid-day, Raul hauled away all the old stuff. I have no idea where he'll take them, probably recycle them for someone else. Nothing ever gets wasted. Use it well.

This is perhaps one of the most boring posts I have ever written. Who in the world cares about replacing windows? How can I possibly hold a reader’s rapt attention with such drivel? It reminds me of trying to make Shelton Strollers® chic!

So I will leave you with this beautiful sunset from last night.