Home Improvement Today?

Dave, don't tighten any of those screws just yet. Windows must be plumbed on installation, and some screws are tighter than others to fully achieve this. Examine the exterior for signs of caulking failure, and check the windows for functionality.

If you opted for a home inspection when you bought the house, you should have recourse with the inspection company for a full year. You paid good money for that inspection, which is in itself an insurance policy against just this sort of thing.

If you hire it out, call the manufacturer for a licenced installer as your best option. It's not a major problem in any case, but if you'd like to do it yourself, check the window's operation before you start, and again after EACH screw you install. You will not need more than two screws per side, it's not going anywhere.

When secure, examine the exterior caulking again, even if it appeared good before youy started.

 

Do you have trim on the outside around the window? It looks like you do in one picture. You should be able you remove the trim and secure the window.

 

Thanks for the response. Yeah, when we did the home inspection. I would of noticed this too. But I don't recall it at all. I would of pointed that out and asked for repair. I followed him around as he checked everything. And he allowed me extra time to double check too. (Nice guy and fellow Taco owner ) Window opens and closes just fine. Doesn't seem like it's binding top or bottom. Exterior caulking looks to be in tact.

Thanks for response also. Exterior around that window outside is vinyl siding. So to get to the frame of the window outside would be a huge pain in the ass.

 

Are you sure the trim and caulking hasn't shrunk away from the window ?

 

I guess it could have some since it's winter. But I can move the bottom of the window. Probably about a quarter to 3/8 of an inch it'll move.

 

I doubt the movement in the window is a new thing

 

You're probably right. Doesn't change the fact that I'm uncomfortable with it.

I don't think it's going to fall out, but with young kids, it makes me nervous.

 

Those are standard punch windows.. Should have a screw (or two) into each jamb at the four corners. They would be inside the mullions though so to access them, you'd have to disassemble the entire thing practically. If it's not extremely loose, i'd say it's not worth the work to try and tighten the screws. As long as you're not getting water inside on the sill, you should be fine - the window isn't going to fall out, so water and air infiltration would be your biggest concerns at this point. Personally I would just reseal it with silicone from the inside and inspect the exterior. There should be a continuous bead of sealant between the jambs/sill/head and the frame, and that has likely failed or wasn't installed correctly.

Any idea of how old the house is and if they're original windows?

 

Thanks.

House was built in the 60's. These are definitely replacement windows. I believe a lot of the house was updated about 8 to 10 years ago. Including the windows. I'm not completely sure. Just little bits of info I got from neighbors.

No water that I've noticed. Actually don't feel any cold air either. I definitely planned on doing new caulking.

 

Alright. Reason I asked is because building sealants have set life expectancy, so that could be why they failed. Urethane and acrylic are generally around 10 years and silicone is good for about 20.

Just because you don't feel any air, doesn't mean it's air tight. That's a different conversation though lol I'd be more worried about water anyways.. Water would leave signs of staining, calcium deposits, bubbling of paint on the Sheetrock, and wet carpet. I do a lot of stuff like this for a living and water is always the biggest concern. I'd say if you can, get some caulking between the frame and sill, but at least repair the frame-to-sill bead. If it isn't leaking, I wouldn't advise tearing into the window system to try and tighten the screws, unless you're planning on a total replacement. Too much of a risk damaging some flashing or air/moisture barrier which would require the entire window being removed to properly fix.

It might move a little bit, but it's not going to fall out. I would at least start with caulking and see if that tightens stuff up. If not, and you're still worried about it, try and find a reputable window installer to take a look. They shouldn't charge much to fix something like that. It's just a lot easier to diagnose it in person.

 

Ok. Thank you. I'm going to get the old caulking off the sill, and put some new on and see how that goes.

It's hard wood floors. And no water damage to them. My only real concern was for my kids. These are tall windows too. Almost floor to ceiling. Maybe about a foot off the floor. So my kids have easy access and can push on them. And this one is a nice drop to my concrete driveway. So you can understand my concern.

 

Yes I definitely see why youre concerned. I'm just speaking from my experience, I don't think there would be any problems at all, but at the same time no one would blame you for hiring someone to take a look just for peace of mind. It shouldn't be expensive. Ultimately it's whatever your comfortable with for your family. Lol for myself I would be ok with just caulking, but if I had kids that could very well be completely different. About 98% of the punch windows I've seen like that have screws in each corner and are set in a bed of sealant/caulking though, and from what you described I think some new silicone will help a lot.

 

A little off the normal subject question here: the house we just bought has a 50 gallon electric water heater that is about 8 years old. With a house of 3 kids, plus me and my wife, we frequently run out of hot water during shower time at night, even with spacing them apart. I've been looking at these new hybrid hot water heaters. I found an 80 gallon one with a $500 rebate from my power company. Does anyone on here have experience with the hybrids? They claim to save you $30+ a month. We do NOT have access to natural gas either.

 

Before you spend money on a new water heater, connect your garden hose to the drain valve and let 'er rip for 2 minutes. This will clear out all the accumulated sand and small pebbles that come through the water system. The sand insulates the bottom, which confounds the operation of the heater. You'll need a pair of pliers for that valve, as it seldom gets opened and will be cheapo quality. There will also be a temperature setting you can adjust a bit hotter.

 

If you're concerned about the glass breaking, you could instal a temporary sheet of plexi or acrylic until they're old enough to understand "don't lean on the window". Shouldn't be more than 20-25 yrs. lol

 

There is a plumber forum on here somewhere found this interesting review on it:

joem1k
Location:Fort Myers
Age:65+
Gender:Male

Date:July 30, 2014


Unstallled unit over a year ago. Installing it was no different than a regular water heater with the exception of installing a drain line.Electric saving started on day 1 and continue to today. I live in SW Florida so it runs in Hybrid mode only. It is in my gagage and cools the garage also. Love this product

How in the heck does a water heater cool a garage in florida?

 

Good question. I've installed a few. Just a few.
I'm not getting one due to the cost. I can get a new elec for 250ish. I can't spend 1800 to get the savings spread out in yrs.

 

LOL. That's actually not a bad idea. I wasn't worried about the glass so much as the window being loose.

 

Merry Christmas to me.