Performed on Friday, July 16^th, 2010, this project saw the replacement of a small glass block window with a fiberglass double-hung replacement window installed in the Master Bathroom, a long room off the Master Bedroom.  The existing window was equipped with one block missing, replaced with an inefficient and insufficiently ventilating aluminum vent. 

Replacing a poorly venting glass block window

Built in 1959 according to county assessor records, this ranch-style single-family brick dwelling is in the south of Denver, and is owned and occupied by a young family of four including two little girls aged seven and five.  On the day of the installation, only the husband was home.  The window was exposed to the protected front porch of the dwelling, and faced north.  The day was hot, dry, and calm (96 degree high, no precipitation). 

I had held a long discussion with the buyer about lead safety prior to receiving the order, during which we decided that Egret would not do testing for the presence of lead in paint, but rather presume its presence and perform a RRP procedure.  Prior to our arrival, the husband had purchased a lead testing kit from Ace Hardware.  We carved away paint at two places, one from the exterior wood brickmould, the other from interior window casing.  Peeling paint from a spot on the wall a couple of feet from the window was also retrieved, and we watched the husband perform three tests with a device consisting of a dropper to introduce drops of water to each of two white pads.  The brickmould and casing samplings were negative.  The plaster side of the peeling sample showed a slight orange-pink tint in a dimpled pattern in a small area in the center of the 2-3 square inch chip, resembling a rash if you will, which he determined to be inconclusive for the presence of lead.  But I wanted to practice our procedures, so we went forward under the presumption of the presence of a sufficient quantity of lead in the paint to warrant the procedures.

We had staffed the job with one Certified Renovator (myself) and one Non-Certified Renovation Worker (Steve, an Egret master technician with over twenty years of window and door installation experience).  Steve and I met prior to commencing the work to review all site prep, containment barriers, worker safety, and clean-up procedures that I would supervise and primarily perform.

            I had shopped for containment and safety materials and spent $155 on disposables, 6-mil plastic, painter and duct tapes, safety tape, signs, testing wipes, cleansers and soaps, rags for cleaning, and the like.  Non-conforming equipment consisted of fabric nose/mouth protectors instead of certified respirators, and a regular vacuum in lieu of a HEPA vacuum.

            Steve laid out the exterior protection and signage, and I instructed the homeowner to stay clear of the bedroom wing of the house.  His wife and he had done a superb job of removing every single movable and personal item from the entirety of the bathroom.  Steve covered the commode, the wall cabinet above it, the countertop and drawer-fronts, and the floor with plastic.  I assisted him with the construction of the temporary door.  We taped a panel to the casing and out onto the bathroom floor, then cut a slit in it, and overlaid a panel to protect the cut.

Preparing the plastic door

            After removing the brickmould and casing, the window and rough sill, we cleaned the area by vacuuming.   The glass block, being framed in small wood jambs, was removed to the exterior, and bagged for disposal.  Vacuuming the entire area followed.  We misted the plastic, and folded it up, and after bagging it, removed it through the window opening to the porch.  From there, I cleaned every surface of the room save the ceiling, using wet cloths and in certain places (the floor primarily) a mild spray detergent.  This cleaning included the mirror, the light bulbs over the mirror (after a cool down period), and the tub area and all wall surfaces.  Important to note here is my wiping of the floor.  While complete, it was more cursory – my efforts were not retarded by the crevices at the walls and across grout lines in the white tile floor, but should have been.  Once the floor was dry, I completed the visual testing procedure using a bright LED hand-held flashlight.  I found but one particle of fuzzy insulation, blown in from the open window opening onto the counter while I had cleaned the floor.  I removed it in a cleaning cloth.

I divided the wet testing into two parts, one for the horizontal counter and tub surfaces, the other for the floor.  There was no window sill – the glass block unit had been set flush to the plaster, and cased in a picture-framed four-sided casing.  Neither test area was close to 40 square feet in area.   Upon comparing the counter test pad to the standard, we passed with flying colors.  The floor failed – the pad had two darkened spots that were similar if not darker than the standard.  I cleaned the floor again, this time encouraging the cleaning cloth into all crevices and joints.  Again dry, I retested the floor, and it passed cleanly.

            Steve returned into the room, and I lifted the window into the opening from the exterior.  He set it, and proceeded to trim its exterior with new brickmould and case its interior as he would normally.  I twisted and folded closed the construction debris and cleaning and testing waste bags, and taped them shut, removing them to the rear of my enclosed van.

5 bags of window and lead safety debris for one window!

Les Jones, President, Egret Windows

Postscript – Just the day before we performed this installation, I had a discussion with a friend of mine about lead testing.  Ten weeks ago, he started a testing firm, received his certifications, and purchased an X-ray testing gun.  He intoned that his testing procedures run around $125 to $500 per dwelling.  We will revisit having testing done by him in the future, more particularly in light of his remarks about not finding qualifying lead paint on the interior of homes built later than 1960, and the inconclusive testing performed by our homeowner.

            This day was enlightening for sure.  I’m not convinced that my reading of industry literature claiming costs of $150 per opening for lead safety work is persuasive, yet I know now that the EPA’s estimate of $35 is horribly misleading.  (The ethical divide is interesting:  I always set the customer’s expectations low when it comes to installation timing or the price of a project.  I would rather surprise them with quicker installations and lower prices than they were expecting.  The government does the opposite – everything is to be rosy for the citizenry, I guess.)  We probably exhausted $20 worth of the $155 in disposables, maybe less.  And we were not employing expensive respirators that require filters, or a HEPA vacuum for which filters are expensive, or amortizing a Zip-Wall plastic-wall containment system.

Part of the new EGRET Lead Safety Work Kit

            But the preparation work, the clean-up, the testing and retesting, took more time than we expected.  If you throw in time we spent observing the homeowner’s test (or testing ourselves), discussing the matter at length with the customer in the meeting prior to the order placement, shopping for the materials, even time to prep common areas had we been replacing all of the windows, and heaven forbid, our time spent removing and replacing personal and moveable items had the homeowner not taken on that task, I would have to say that I had badly underestimated the time to be expended.  I didn’t keep a stopwatch on us, but I know I spent three hours total, and Steve spent two.  So $70 for his time, and mine?  Opportunity cost being what it is?  If he could have done it all without me, in say just two hours, we’re at $90 for a single window job.  Had we the additional testing for lead or personal prep and replacement time I just mentioned for which we could add one hour, the total moves to $125.

We have one more “free to the homeowner because we’re getting our feet wet” opportunity coming up next month.  We’ll be installing two double-hung windows in a home built in 1902.  Perhaps we’ll learn more there.

Location:

Littleton

Product Series:

Milgard Ultra Fiberglass

Related posts:

1. Lead Dust Control and Containment Guard the Health of Your Family

Danged interesting one though.

If you wonder if going green as a cause is more than a good reason to get into an argument with someone, this video will inform.  We found it compelling, intelligently done, and most important, short.  Short is good with this topic especially, because it’s usually not only a little boring but also irritating to our festering  guilt.  We like what she had to say about wood windows and doors, too.

It’s another hit from TED.com:  Catherine Mohr makes Green Decisions

And her blog chronicling it all:  Catherine Mohr’s House Blog

Enjoy!

Related posts:

1. HOUSES WE LIKE – The Mush Residence

Let’s start by introducing you to a home that demonstrates all of the above.  It’s a Los Angeles home designed by Studio 0.10 and it’s known as the Mush Residence.

I first found this house in a magazine on metal architecture.  While viewing the photos on the architect’s website (see the thumbnails under their narrative, and “prev” and “next” under each photo), take note of the zinc panels in relief on the exteriors.  Mounted on rails, they form a rain screen with airspace underneath to moderate heat and evacuate migrating moisture.

I found the structural glazing used in the stairways to be very dramatic.  The doors and large awning and picture windows are constructed of Ipe wood, and offer warmth juxtaposed with the zinc panels.  We seldom find interesting sheetrock details in our window and door replacement work, but the truncated drywall abutting and framing the stained window jamb in the kitchen is interesting.

ENJOY!

Click HERE to connect to the Studio 0.10 website’s discussion and photos of this residence

(Key Ctrl”+” to enlarge the narrative for easier reading on their website.)

Related posts:

1. Houses We Like – The Mohr Residence

Les:  James, I guess the best way today for anyone to get to know a firm is to look at its website.  Yours is very fun and interesting.  My review of it tells me you have worked and written extensively on the subject of color.  I think we can say you were instrumental in creating an industry, so-to-speak a specialty, that of color analysis and consulting.

James:  I have consulted on both residential and commercial projects, from single-family homes to high-rise buildings, in all fifty states now, and several foreign countries.

Les:  We appreciate your indulgence here, to give the residential window and door replacement customer a view to your experience, and a discussion on how to think about color in regards to the exteriors and interiors of windows.

       When I’m sitting at my customer’s kitchen table and I ask “So what color would you like the window frames to be on the outside of the house?” I often get blank looks in return.  Is this even an important question?

James:  I believe so.  I often say the windows are the smile in the eyes of the house.

Les:  I sense there is some history here…

James:  Yes, the Victorian house is a case in point.  In that era house interiors were dark and the windows small, to protect against the sun fading things.  The culture then was different too: having a tan meant you were a member of the working class.  Having lighter colored window frames on a Victorian works to open up the window, making it feel larger than it is. 

       Nowadays dwellings have large windows, even patio doors, with large expanses of glass.  Having a sunny, cheery interior is the goal, light is very important.  So now, how we color our windows is important again.  They are a focal point, and from their coloring come the colors of the complimentary building materials around them.

Les:  Today we find ourselves in more and more homes equipped with builder-grade white vinyl windows; horrible things.  Are you seeing opportunities to move away from them, and make more remarkable statements with color?

James:  You know it drives me nuts to see cold hard white used in windows and doors.  They’re glaring.  They jump off the house, and make the openings look like postage stamps.

Les:  We have one manufacturer that has 50 standard colors.  What would be better than white?

James:  Off white.  Light cream.  Light colors that don’t frame in the window and make it look smaller and dark.  Use colors that blend in with the surrounding building materials.  It’s about feel for most people, Les.  They want to feel warm, cozy, and comfortable in their homes.

Les:  Sometimes, there exists trim, siding, brick, or materials that are permanently colored.  What then?

James:  I advise folks always to use colors around their windows that will mitigate errors or unchangeable colors.  Matching makes more sense than introducing an opposing color or tone.

Les:  So start with off-whites, then fall back to brighter whites?

James:  Yes.  And dark colors come in last.  Remember, dark colors frame a fenestration, making it look smaller and darker.  And the same thing goes for the inside too.  We paint a drywall return a creamy color to help blend in the stark, cold white of the new window frame.

Les:  HOA’s have their influence here, too…

James:  Their tendency is to lock-in colors in the hopes of maintaining home and property values in the neighborhood.  In the 1980’s we saw drops in housing prices, yet still today we unfortunately have the brown or bronze windows then in vogue required for window replacement.

Les:  And other trends too?

James:  Yes.  Five to ten years ago, forest green clad windows were popular.  Now that color is out of fashion.  Homeowners are stuck with their tired and out-of-date clad window color.    

        We have to look at the adverse impact of these decisions.  Staying with the givens, the neutral and natural colors, and colors that exist already in the building veneers, is safest.  Curb appeal drives resale value.  Curb appeal sells the house.

Les:  Right up front with curb appeal is the front entry door.  Are there trends or guidelines our customers should observe with entry doors?

James:  The front door is where you add your personality to the house.  The door provides the punch color – it’s the tie with the suit.  The door’s demeanor changes how you perceive the house just as the tie changes how you feel wearing the suit.

       If you want a green front door, you may choose an old English green, and the door will lend a formal feel.  If you go with a bright yellow-green, you’ll get a contemporary, hip and together feel.  And the house helps determine this too – a simple house probably looks better with a painted door than with a richly-stained wood door.

Les:  So with windows and doors, in conclusion…

James:  Soften where you can, stay away from bright white if you can soften it, avoid dark colors that will define and darken, mitigate what you can, and go for the feel – warm and comfortable.

Les:  James, it’s been wonderful talking with you!  I’ve learned so much and I know our readers will too!  Thank you.

James:  My best to you, Les.

Les:  Folks, we invite you to contact the finest architectural color expert in the country for help in making decorating choices in your home.   James Martin and his staff are The Color People™, color consultants on residential and commercial projects in all 50 states and several foreign countries, with offices in the Santa Fe Art District right here in Denver, Colorado.  Contact James at: 

The Color People

920 Inca Street, Denver, Colorado 80204

303-308-0220

Email THE COLOR PEOPLE

THE COLOR PEOPLE Website

Related posts:

1. 4 Things to Avoid When Making an Appointment With a Window Dealer
2. Window mold — in Colorado?
3. Why are there so many dead flies in my window?

These products could grace your home at a fraction of the dollars you would spend installing the same transformative solutions  in a commercial setting.

Combining resin or glass panels with beautiful hardware

• Ever thought about dividing up a large space with sliding doors
  • In your basement?
  • In your loft 
• How about using decorative panels
  • To secure a stairway bannister?
  • As art panels on a wall?
  • As sliding panels at a balcony’s edge?

What might you want in your home that we could create for you?

Let’s put our heads together!

No related posts.

Two words that mean a great danger to you and your family.

Effective January 01, 1978, sale of lead-containing paint was banned.  We often think of lead in paint chips, but it’s the inhalation or ingestion of lead dust that spells the greatest danger.  Projects that disturb lead paint can create lead-containing dust, a poison that attacks the central nervous system and inhibits brain development in children, and increases blood pressure and causes hypertension in adults.  It also poses risks to pregnant women and their fetus.

Lead is around us in low ambient levels.  The soils in our yards contain it after years of our driving cars with lead in gasoline.  But great harm can come from the introduction of lead into our bodies from concentrations of it brought to our floors and other horizontal surfaces by remodeling and renovation work.  Without proper containment, control, and clean-up, this dust will contaminate the play areas and toys of our small children, the most vulnerable among us,  For weeks and months it can be breathed and ingested; a child’s propensity for hand to mouth activities invites such ingestion.  Lead-poisoning damage to humans is profound and irreversible.  Don’t let it happen to you or your children.

How can you protect yourself?

First, if you are a DIYer, get an education about this danger and the three C’s (containment, control, and clean-up) before you tackle another project in your home if it was built before 1978.  Second, have your painted surfaces tested for lead, inside and out, and especially where you contemplate disturbing old paint.  Or third, leave the work to others, and contact a Certified Renovator Firm, a company compliant with and certified by the Environmental Protection Agency to handle lead in remodeling and repair of homes and child-occupied care facilities and schools.  Effective April 22, 2010, minor repair projects involving as little as a total of 6 square feet of surface area, any and all window and door replacement projects, and other prohibited use projects, are covered by the new EPA Lead Renovate, Repair and Painting Rule and its requirements for control and clean-up.

Firm certification is no trifling thing.  Whole new protocols must be prepared for lead discovery and testing, job set-up, the window and door replacement work itself, interior and exterior clean-up and materials disposal, surface inspections and certification, and documentation of the entire process.  Yes, you can expect to pay your contractor more for the time and materials it takes to comply with the Rule and provide these protections.  [The fines for non-compliance are ridiculously onerous - over $30,000 per day per incidence.]  Truly, while you’ll walk by caution tape, safety cones, and warning signs on your own property while your Certified Renovator Firm completes its work, you will have confidence that proper precautions have been taken to protect yourself, your family, and even your neighbors from the dangers of disturbed lead paint. 

If you think you may find your home and contemplated projects falling under the new lead rules, contact us.  We’d love to talk with you.  [Egret is a Certified Renovator Firm (training complete, application approval pending).]

For more information, visit:

• The Renovate Right Brochure – 19 pages
• Lead: A Parent’s Guide - 67 pages
• Finding a Qualified Lead Professional – 4 pages

Related posts:

1. Our first Lead Containment, Control, and Clean-up Project

Several window manufacturers have included in their product line-ups a glass coating that aids your keeping the view from your windows as clean as possible.

This is unfortunately not a coating you can add to your old windows.  It is however offered as standard or available equipment on certain windows and doors sold with Cardinal Glass Corp.’s NEAT™ exterior coating.  For instance, Andersen Window & Door Company™ places it in their 400 and A series products as standard.

What does it do?  It allows the glass surface to break down  organic materials like dust to prohibit their bonding to the glass, and spread rain drops more widely to reduce spotting.

If you are the kind of person looking for windows and doors that can keep you off ladders and away from wash buckets, please give Egret a call.  We’re offering the solutions through which to look and for which you are looking!

For written information from Cardinal, click here: http://www.cardinalcorp.com/products_neat/neat.htm

And here’s a neat (pardon the pun) little video from which to learn more: http://www.cardinalcorp.com/video/video.htm

Manufacturers:

Andersen,

Cardinal Glass Industries,

Peachtree

Related posts:

1. Our first Lead Containment, Control, and Clean-up Project
2. Denver Window Tax Credit – Energy Saving Windows
3. Houses We Like – The Mohr Residence

Generally, you can choose between two panel styles: French and patio (sometimes called contemporary).

French-style panels sport wider rails (horizontal frame parts) and stiles (vertical frame parts) and therefore have a smaller overall glass area. The bottom rail is taller than the top, and some manufacturers offer a mid-rail option which splits the glazing into upper and lower parts. Grilles or muntins which divide the glass into panes are not a requisite part of the French style, though they are often thought to be. The style often shows-off these wider parts with pine or more exotic wood species, beautifully stained.

Patio doors have smaller, uniformly-sized rails and stiles; taller, wider glass areas; and prices lower than the French style. The interior frame can match the color of the exterior, be a factory-applied neutral color (white is typical), or be a wood surface, ready to stain and finish.

Related posts:

1. Interior Design – Room Dividers, Sliding Doors, and Wall Panels

Entry doors of steel are still available, and some are quite attractive. Priced a little higher is fiberglass. (The door itself is composed of inner wood stiles and rails faced with formed fiberglass.) Wood doors are yet unsurpassed in their beauty, but still require the most frequent maintenance.

To any of these choices is added a pre-hung door frame constructed of wood, though some manufacturers will add aluminum cladding or even vinyl cladding to the exterior of their frames. If your frame is in superior condition, Egret can replace the door slab only.

Manufacturers:

Jeld-Wen,

Masonite,

Simpson,

Therma-Tru,

TruStile

Related posts:

1. Interior Design – Room Dividers, Sliding Doors, and Wall Panels
2. Window mold — in Colorado?

Protect yourself from an expensive mistake by controlling with whom and how you make your deal.

You want to find the contractor, technicians, and products you think will enhance your lifestyle and the value of your home. But you are in danger of not meeting that goal. Despite bragging in their advertising about how satisfied hundreds of thousands of their customers are, some companies will do anything to sell you.

Watch out for these window dealer warning signs:

• Limited product offerings. Most vendors, franchisees, or fabricators hawk vinyl windows only. These are commodities. Each will emphasize the several peculiarities that make the promoted window “different”. Performance and appearance differ little, and often the customer makes the decision based on who offers the best “deal”. If they sell fiberglass or wood windows, they likely do not have talented installation personnel experienced with their installation.
• Salespeople with gimmicks. Take the heat lamp test, for instance. Wow the prospect with demonstrations, flashy literature, and big promises. Most of these people are well-meaning at best, but haven’t the experience to help the typical customer weed through the myriad choices available in the marketplace.
• Incredible discounts. Buy 1, get 2 free. Will you really know what price you’re paying for any window or door?
• Incredible warranties. Limited lifetime? Who’s lifetime? Offered by a manufacturer about which you’ve never heard? No warranty on installation? When you learn that few salespeople follow up after the sale and seldom take responsibility for the ordering or installation of your windows or doors, it’s easy to see that these guarantees aren’t worth much.

Wouldn’t it be better to have a relationship:

• with a person who helps you select from the broadest spectrum of products made in North America?
• with a company that can make better products affordable, even when you didn’t believe you could be a customer for them?
• with people who know how to keep water out of a building and build with beautiful craftsmanship?
• with the president of the company, and a contractor that gets 80% of its business from happy customer referrals?

Yes? Call Egret today! No limit to products offered – no gimmicks or promotions – no discounts, just bottom-line pricing – simple 10-year installation warranty.

Related posts:

1. The Best Color for your New Window or Door
2. Denver Window Tax Credit – Energy Saving Windows
3. Window mold — in Colorado?