By James DulleyCreators Syndicate

Dear James: The wood frame windows in my vintage house are pretty deteriorated. I want to repair them, not replace them, to maintain its character. What repairs to them can I do myself? Don H.

Dear Don: People are often surprised by the significant impact of window style on the overall appearance of an older house. Unless the frames are totally rotten, you should be able to repair almost any part to return them to almost like-new condition.

If a lot of them are in very bad condition, get a quote on having them all replaced. It might end up being less expensive than repairing them. Some of the major replacement wood window manufacturers may be able to closely match frame profiles and styling of the old windows.

It can be hazardous when inspecting and repairing windows, so take proper safety precautions. Wear heavy work gloves because cracked window glass may splinter when you move a window sash to check it. When using a ladder, make sure it is supported on solid level ground and always have a helper steady the ladder.

Typical problems to inspect for are rotten areas in the sill and joints in the frame where moisture may have collected. Also be sure to look for gaps where the frame meets the house walls and for deteriorated and missing putty. Slide double-hung windows up and down to check for broken ropes on counterbalance weights. On hinged windows, check for rust and frozen hinges.

Wherever you find a spot where the painted finish is broken, probe it with a screwdriver. It may be rotten under the paint from years of trapped moisture. Chisel out all the rotten wood. Use a wood repair kit, which consists of a hardening resin and wood filler. When the rotten spot is filled and sanded, paint it with sealer to block any more moisture.

You will no doubt find some hinged casement windows that won't swing open. This is most often caused by a buildup of many coats of paint, which makes them stick closed. If you find frozen or rusted hinges, it is best to replace them. Replacement hinges should be easy to find.

If you find gaps between the frame and the wall opening, check it for rot first. If the wood is sound, caulk the gaps. Use standard acrylic latex caulk on narrow gaps. It accepts most paint very well. If the gaps are fairly wide, either fill them with foam caulk or backer rope and then caulk over it.

The most difficult task will be replacing broken counterbalance ropes on double-hung windows. This requires removing the sashes and disassembling the window frame to get access to the weight well. To remain authentic, install new ropes and rebuild the window.

Another option is to install spring-loaded tracks that hold the window in any open position. These are fairly simple to install and they look almost the same as the original setup. If you do this, fill the weight well with insulating foam to be most energy efficient.

Take your time and chip out any old cracked putty and replace it with new putty. Don't rush this task and just cover some bad old putty spots with new. You will just end up having to do it again properly in a year or two.

Send your questions to Here's How, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit http://www.dulley.com.

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Here's How: Repair old wooden windows - Worcester Telegram

HamiltonNews

Curtain drawn on Dundas home's window permit HamiltonNews The owner of a pre-Confederation home in the Cross-Melville Heritage Conservation District faces a possible fine for replacing original and vintage wooden windows with vinyl ones without a required heritage permit. City heritage planner Chelsey Tyers ...

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Curtain drawn on Dundas home's window permit - HamiltonNews

Clive McFarlane Telegram & Gazette Staff @CliveMcFarlane

There are some kinds of charlatan that you dont have to be, even to be a fading political operative.

Those of you who have read "All the King's Men" by Robert Penn Warren know that I could have been more pointed with my opening remarks.

Nevertheless, the meaning of those words requires no historical elucidation when applied to former mayor and School Committee member Raymond Mariano, who lately has been on a reckless rant over the issue of possible PCB contamination in two of the citys school buildings.

In his pontification on the issue, Mr. Mariano has pulled no punches in impugning the character and integrity of Mayor Joseph Petty, Superintendent Maureen Binienda and School Committee members in what he views as their seeming lack of empathy for students and staff who may be exposed to PCBs in the schools.

He is pretty much accusing them of collusion in poisoning students and staff members.

How can they be proud when they hid the fact that there were potentially serious health risks in their buildings (from) students and staff for years, he wrote in the Worcester Sun.

Even when they were removing poisons in some other buildings, they never told anyone.

Lets be clear. PCB exposure has been a health concern nationwide. Most buildings built in the '50s through the '70s were constructed with PCB materials.

As such, Mr. Marianos current interest suggests he is coming at it from strictly a personal and emotional angle. (His wife works at Burncoat.) Otherwise, he would have done something about it during the almost 25 years he spent in political office in the city, including eight years as mayor and at least eight years as chairman of the School Committee.The science around PCBs is the same now as it was during his tenure in office.

That changed after he left.The city has tackled the issue, and appears to have followed EPA best practices in managing potential exposure in the schools.

The city, for example, has spent some $54 million replacing windows and light ballasts over the last several years in the schools. It has been, on EPAguidelines, encapsulating windows with cracking and peeling paint.

To put the PCB issue in context, here are some questions and answers posted by the Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services.

Q. Are health concerns associated with PCB exposure opportunities?

A. Although the epidemiological evidence is sometimes conflicting, most health agencies have concluded that PCBs may reasonably be anticipated to be a carcinogen, i.e., to cause cancer.

Q. If PCBs are present in caulking material, does that mean exposure and health impacts are likely?

A. No. MDPH/(Bureau of Environmental)review of available data suggests that if caulking is intact, no appreciable exposures to PCBs are likely and hence health effects would not be expected.

Q. Does MDPH recommend testing of caulking in buildings built during the 1950s -1980?

A. Caulking that is intact should not be disturbed.

Among EPA best practices are the recommendation to remove PCB caulking and other materials during planned renovations and repairs, and to consider encapsulation to reduce PCB exposure.

Jack Foley and Brian OConnell, two of the longest serving members of the School Committee, told me Wednesday that few other communities in New England have done more than they have done or are doing to deal with PCBs in the schools.

To suggest, as Mr. Mariano has done, that they have been derelict in their duties is grossly unfair.

It is an inaccurate assessment of the facts, Mr. OConnell said.

It flies in the face of facts and the actions we have taken over the past several years.

Both committee members spoke about light ballast removal, encapsulation and other remediation efforts at Burncoat and Doherty high schools. Since both schools are priorities for renovation and replacement, substantial window replacement would reduce the likelihood of school building assistance from the state, they noted.

Interestingly, Doherty and Burncoat are the only two schools Mr. Mariano seems concerned about.

He explains this bysaying the School Committee has done a good job dealing with the issue in the other schools. How does he know this? Because the school administration told him so, he said. Yet, he suggests the administration is lying, or, in his words, not being forthright, when it says it is also following best practices at Burncoat and Doherty.

Mr. Mariano claims he has anecdotal evidence to the contrary, that the administration has been lax in cleaning and maintaining the ventilation system at the two schools, and that the administration was able to get away with it because it never told staff what the best practices were for dealing with PCBs.

This seems rather odd, since it was ateachers union member, as part of his dissertation, who first raised concerns about PCBs at these two schools. It is difficult to understand how the union then didnt share best PCB remedial practices with its members.

Here is the bottom line. If Mr. Mariano was saying the city has done its due diligence in dealing with the PCB issues, but that there are ways in which it can improve those efforts, that would be one thing.

But his characterization of the issue as a seemingly dereliction of duty by the city, and his suggestion that this supposed inattention might be linked to staff members at those schools being diagnosed with cancer, is shameful and reckless.

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Clive McFarlane: Mariano's criticism is a disservice to school officials - Worcester Telegram

The project required over 300 of Grahams SR6700 windows in 12 different sizes.

The Mirro Aluminum Company was once the worlds largest manufacturer of aluminum cookware, and for years Mirro Plant #3, built in 1929, was a center of Mirro manufacturing in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

Production ceased in the building in the early 60s, and more recently the structure seemed to be dying a slow death, with only the first floor occupied.

Now, though, Mirro Plant #3 has been reborn as Artist Lofts, a 40-unit, 2- and 3-bedroom apartment building. Windows from Graham Architectural Products (GAP) overcame a key challenge in helping to bring about the transformation.

Mark Knapp, AIA, principal architect at Quorum Architects Inc., explained, saying. Old steel sash warehouse windows require a very specialized replacement window due to the very narrow sightlines of the frame, sashes and muntins. Additionally, the original single-pane steel warehouse windows at the ground floor parking garage were being maintained for historical reasons and the new windows would be seen in a side-by-side comparison to the originals.

Grahams SR6700 a steel replica window that brings modern performance to the classic look of windows commonly installed in mills and factories throughout much of the 20th century proved to be the ideal solution.

Dave Rhoda, senior project manager for Catalyst Construction was impressed, saying, During the project, when the window replacement started to occur, you could stand across the street and look at the windows on the first floor which were [being retained], and the windows on the floor above which were being replaced, and it was a great match. You couldnt really tell the difference between the existing and the new. That is exactly what were trying to do in a preservation type project.

All told, the project required over 300 of Grahams SR6700 windows in 12 different sizes.

Rhoda also credited Graham Rep Mark Henry and the GAP team for its help on the front end with details and making sure that everything would meet National Park Service and State Historical Preservation Office (SHPO) requirements for the window replacement.

In addition, Graham created a custom interior three-dimensional muntin, as well as a custom subsill that simplified the installation process and ensured weather-tight performance.

Rhoda added, From their ability to match the existing design and from a customization standpoint, I think Graham did a great job. They were fantastic. They were great to work with all the way from pre-construction through construction.

Kristine Giornalista, vice president, real estate development, for Impact Seven, Inc., which developed the project along with Wisconsin Redevelopment, LLC, said, It was super important for us to get these windows made by Graham to meet the SHPOs expectations. I think its important to say that the windows were a critical piece to us getting the federal and state historic tax credits.

In the end, Artist Lofts received over $3 million in federal and state historic tax credits. Those credits are paying off. According to Impact Seven, its the highest-rated energy efficient multi-family green development in the history of the Wisconsin Green Built Home program.

It also won a Neighborhood Development Award from Progress Lakeshore, a regional economic development organization, and is now listed in the National and Wisconsin Registers of Historic Places.

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Graham Windows Play Pivotal Role in Wisconsin Renovation Project - Glass on Web

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Want to learn more about our competitive pricing on durable replacement windows and doors? Call our replacement windows specialists at 855-892-0543 for more information, or browse our website for a free quote on your new replacement windows.

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Vinyl Window Pricing.com - Replacement Windows

According to Hall County Supervisor Jane Richardson, the windows in the Hall County Courthouse are very old and are in dire need of replacement.

The Hall County Board of Supervisors will discuss and consider taking action on replacing the courthouse windows at its meeting Tuesday morning.

Richardson, the countys facilities committee chair, said the committee met Thursday and decided it would like the county board to make a decision on whether or not to replace the windows.

The board will discuss and decide whether to approve the installation of historically-accurate windows or aluminum windows. Richardson said the facilities committee does not have a preference of the installed window type, but said aluminum windows are less costly compared to historically-accurate windows.

Hall County Facilities Director Lorne Doone Humphrey gave a rough estimate of the costs of the windows, saying historically-accurate windows would cost roughly $200,000, while aluminum windows would cost about $170,000.

Richardson said with Grand Island experiencing extremely windy days within the past few weeks, courthouse employees have been complaining about how noisy and dirty the courthouse is.

They (windows) are so bad that they have dust particles coming onto their desks and they have to keep wiping them off throughout the day, she said. They are desperately in need of replacement. They are very old windows and are not cost-effective. Weve updated the HVAC, but then we had the heat and the air conditioning escaping out the windows. So its time to do something.

Richardson added Hall County would save on energy costs with the installation of new windows in the courthouse. She said the county has not been seeing the cost savings it should be seeing with the HVAC system due to the old windows still being in place.

I am hoping that we can just make a decision that yes, we do need new windows as soon as possible, Richardson said. Also, are we going to go with the historically-correct ones or aluminum ones? Hopefully we will move forward so we can get them ordered and get them in.

In other action, the county board will:

Discuss and consider taking action on bids for a scanning project for the Hall County Assessor and Register of Deeds.

Consider approving special designated liquor licenses for Maxs Thunder Road Bar and Grill at 3335 W. Wood River Road for the purpose of bike nights and a June 10 Wings and Wheels event.

Discuss and consider approving an exemption application for CHI Health St. Francis for a 2017 Nissan Sedan.

The Hall County Board of Supervisors meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the Hall County Administration Building.

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County board to discuss replacement of courthouse windows | Local ... - Grand Island Independent

The Corona del Mar branch of the Newport Beach Public Library is a neighborhood landmark, but it shows its age.

Moist ocean air and termites have taken chunks out of the decking around the cheerful landscaping and slim, mid-century signage. The paint is dull and the carpet could use a deep cleaning.

Newport Beach had planned to build a new $8-million library/fire station complex nicknamed the "fibrary" this year at the site at East Coast Highway and Marigold Avenue. But city leaders said in January that with unfunded pension liabilities straining the city budget, the project could be postponed for five years.

Now, library supporters have regrouped to identify and price maintenance priorities for the existing building, which was built in 1959.

Library trustee Paul Watkins headed a committee that estimated the cost of the most vital fixes at $35,000 to $42,000. He said the city manager's office gave the committee a range of about $50,000 to $90,000 to take care of deferred maintenance issues, but the group chose to be prudent and pinpoint the must-haves.

"We understood what the charge was," Watkins said.

Termite eradication, estimated at $3,000, is the top-ranked concern. Most other issues such as air conditioner and window replacement could be addressed once the termites have been eliminated.

An exterminator is waiting for the go-ahead, according to a staff report prepared for the library board. The committee submitted the plan to City Manager Dave Kiff, who agreed with the proposed fixes, the report states.

The library board approved the maintenance plan Monday. The City Council will need to give the final stamp of approval, said Tim Hetherton, Newport Beach library services director.

Hetherton said the city, expecting a new facility in the near future, tried to stretch what it had in the current building. But now that the new building has been put on hold, officials are trying to spend wisely, he said.

Hetherton said he hopes the library will be fumigated within the next couple of weeks. He's planning to start the extermination on a Saturday so the library, closed Sundays and Mondays, will lose only one day of business.

Hetherton said he hopes to have the facelift done by June 1.

The library is a relatively small 4,000 square feet, but its records show it served more than 40,000 visitors last year. It draws plenty of toddlers to its sunny, open children's area for story times.

"There are lots of houses from '59 that are soldiering on, so I think we can too," Hetherton said.

Joy Brenner, chairwoman of the Friends of the CdM Library board, said advocates want to keep the money that had been designated for the new library in place, as the new branch was further along in development than other city construction projects.

She said supporters and officials showed classic grassroots cooperation and she wants to keep the momentum. But she said she also understands the city's budget concerns and supports the short-term fixes.

Brenner remembers doing her homework in the library as a teenager, then taking her children there, and more recently, her grandchildren. She said many neighborhood residents have a deep fondness for the library.

"Our loyalty to this library and our appreciation of it is longstanding," she said.

Termite eradication: $3,000

Deck repair: $7,205

Roof repair: $1,500

Exterior paint: $4,200

Air conditioners (window-mounted): $4,000 (add $7,500 if a new electrical panel is needed)

Window replacement: $7,000

Carpet and upholstery cleaning: $1,500

Interior paint: $4,900

Restroom diaper-changing table: $600

Shelving removal and carpet patching: $900

Total: $34,805 to $42,305

Source: Newport Beach Library Services

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter:@DailyPilot_HD

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With 'fibrary' on hold, a lower-cost facelift is planned for Corona del Mar library - Los Angeles Times

Spring is a great time to watch nature wake up and enjoy the fresh air,

Fort Lauderdale, Florida (PRWEB) March 22, 2017

March 22, 2017 Fort Lauderdale, FL

Express Glass & Board Up, Fort Lauderdales leading professional sliding glass door service, is proud to announce a new Spring Program for residents. Spring can bring many reasons for broken window glass. Migrating birds or flying debris from a thunderstorm can quickly create a shattered glass emergency. Fort Lauderdale locals may consider it time to upgrade windows and patio doors to impact-resistant glass in preparation for the Summer, 2017, hurricane season.

Spring is a great time to watch nature wake up and enjoy the fresh air, commented Yaniet Santos, general manager of Express Glass & Board Up. Its also a time when we get calls about shattered windows from all kinds of flying objects like birds or patio furniture from hurricane-force winds. We want to remind the Florida community our spring program can help get them through any broken glass turmoil.

To view the informative post about the Express Glass Spring Program, please visit http://www.expressglassfl.com/impact-resistant-glass/. Details regarding various types of high-impact glass for hurricane-force winds can be reviewed. Information about the programs 10% discount for sliding glass door repair and window replacement can also be found by clicking up to the site navigation. Interested parties can also refer to the Fort Lauderdale page at http://www.expressglassfl.com/fort-lauderdale-glass-window-repair/ or simply call in and mention the special 10% discount available to Ft. Lauderdale residents for "spring clean up."

Fort Lauderdale Sliding Glass Door Repair Has Brought High Impact Spring Program to Residents

Fort Lauderdale residents may be ready to enjoy the outdoors as spring approaches. In an area known as Hurricane Country, residents may also need to prepare for high-impact winds. If a resident has scheduled sliding glass door repair service, it could be a good time to include a full glass inspection as well. Worn windows and tiny cracks in patio doors can shatter from hurricane force winds. Installing high-impact insulated glass before debris flies toward the residence could help ensure home security. Finding a top sliding glass door repair service offering inspections and installations at a reasonable price may be the first step.

Express Glass & Board Up, a sliding glass repair service for the Fort Lauderdale community has recently announced a new Spring Program. The business has updated its hurricane-resistant glass page and offered a complimentary glass repair inspection for spring. Several options for sliding glass door repair and high-impact glass can be found. Choosing hurricane resistant glass may not have to break a home budget. Express Glass has offered a 10% discount to residents mentioning this recent press release. Tropical storms in Fort Lauderdale can be weathered in the safety of a secure home with high-impact glass. After the skies clear, Fort Lauderdale locals can open the windows and enjoy the fresh spring air.

About Express Glass Repair and Board Up

Express Glass and Board Up Service Inc. is a family owned and operated glass repair business with more than 20 years of experience. Professional technicians and the large variety of inventory make Express Glass the top glass door replacement and repair service. If customers are looking for Miami sliding glass door repair, or Ft. Lauderdale glass repair as well as glass repair in Delray Beach please reach out to the company for a free estimate. If customers need a 24/7 Miami Sliding Glass Door repair service, or glass repair in Ft. Lauderdale or Boca Raton, technicians are standing by. The company specializes in sliding glass door repair and window glass repair; technicians will handle any glass replacement situation efficiently. Home or business glass repair is the company's main priority.

Express Glass Repair and Board up http://www.expressglassfl.com/

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Express Glass & Board Up, Fort Lauderdale's Sliding Glass Door Repair Professionals, Announces Innovative Spring ... - PR Web (press release)

Sloppy window function is one thing were more than familiar with in classic Mustangs. Their dated old-fashioned rollup windows didnt perform very well when they were new, let alone when theyre more than 50 years old.

The nylon window rollers (actually called guides because they dont roll) deteriorate with age. They also get badly damaged during the rechroming and replating process due to exposure to heat and harsh chemicals.

You should replace them during the window-restoration process. Youll glad to know that replacing window rollers or guides is easier than it looks. When rollup windows and quarter windows were manufactured a half century ago, they were joined, inserted into the die-cast window frame, swaged, and were ready for assembly.

Enthusiasts get intimidated by the swaged rivets that support the nylon guides. But all you have to do is drill out the rivets, remove the guides, and replace the rivet and guide assembly.

01. Typical of most Mustang window guides, these have been through the torture of replating heat and chemical damage. Mustangs Etc. offers the rivets and nylon discs that make up the guide

02. The replacement roller kit for Mustang quarter windows from Mustangs Etc. consists of the two roller halves, rivet or pin, spring washer, and the flat washer.

03. Rivet and outer roller go together like this. It is best to lubricate between the rollers and shaft (rivet) with white grease to allow freedom of rotation.

04. Inner roller is next, as shown. Together, these guys ride the window track.

05. The old rivet (shaft) is drilled out like this until the entire flange is gone, and it pops right out.

06. The roller assembly looks like this. The spring washer, also known as a wavy washer, goes between the roller and window frame.

07. This flat washer goes in between the roller, spring washer, and frame.

08. Seat the window frame on the roller assembly. You can perform swaging any number of ways, including a hydraulic or arbor press. Were resorting to the use of a punch to flare the end of the rivet and begin the swaging process.

09-10. Once you get the flare, take a larger punch and smash the perimeter so it resembles this. This method isnt pretty, but its effective. You may also use an industrial adhesive between the rivet and frame.

11. New rollers will make smooth work of window operation. Use white grease in the tracks and on the rollers. These are 1967-68 quarter windows. The 1965-66 rollers are narrower. Although the window tracks look the same, they will not interchange.

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How To Fix Sloppy Windows - Mustang 360

MERIDEN The city manager is proposing the city buy a $40,000 camera system to broadcast public meetings at City Hall.

We want to enhance what were doing today, said Russ Ford, the citys facilities and technology management director. This will allow us to increase transparency by allowing us to film any meeting.

The city now pays a contractor to record City Council and City Council finance committee meetings. Plans call for three cameras to be mounted on the walls and ceiling of the Council Chambers. No additional staff member would be hired to run the cameras, Ford said. Instead, high school students would be brought in to film the meetings for credit.

From this section: Fire marshal: Meriden apartment fire started after towel caught fire

They would be able to provide essentially free labor, Ford said, adding that without having to pay for a contractor in the long run its money-saving, it pays for itself.

City Manager Guy Scaife did not return an email request for comment.

Its one of the city managers priorities ... to increase transparency, Ford said.

The request is the latest from the newly formed technology department. The City Council approved a $500,000 plan to update the citys phone system and is considering a $342,000 proposal to replace computers and update licensing software at City Hall.

Finance committee Chairman Miguel Castro, a Democrat, said the camera system needs to prioritized, especially in the tight budget proposed by Scaife. The city managers $191 million spending plan for fiscal year 2017-18 calls for a 0.28 percent increase over the current fiscal year.

I wont be in favor of a $40,000 camera investment nor will I be in favor of $30,000 for windows, Castro said, referring to a request to spend $30,000 on window replacement at the public works administrative building. These are high expenditures and being fiscally responsible should be our priority.

Republican Councilor Dan Brunet was on the fence about the camera system, saying that while rather expensive, the cost of camera system would recoup itself after only two years as the city currently pays about $20,000 annually for a contractor to record meetings.

Brunet worried how live broadcasting would impact council discussion and public comment.

Some councilors and individuals act unnatural and play to the camera, which detracts from a lot of productivity, Brunet said.

Council Majority Leader Brian Daniels said he would not be in favor of funding the camera system because he does not believe it will attract a large audience.

I think for $40,000 it doesnt add anywhere near the transparency that is being touted, Daniels said.

ltauss@record-journal.com 203-317-2231 Twitter: @LeighTaussRJ

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Meriden city manager wants new camera system to broadcast meetings - Meriden Record-Journal