Original single-pane windows being shown here in this S.W. West Hills area home are Aluminum. We probably had 4 or 5 early morning pre-contract meetings here with our client discussing product specifications and options before the exact replacement product was chosen.

Most folks are replacing old original aluminum windows with Vinyl. Our client, who was a retired structural engineer and who originally had this house built could not warm up to the notion of losing so much daylight with the thicker frames & sash common to Vinyl windows.

Wood windows presented the same limitation, along with the added liability of sitting up on a hill with zero protection from the elements. Wood-windows and the lack of eves or awnings is not a good combination. Such are the potential downsides of these contemporary designed structures.

So between our client and his original architect, the decision was made to stay with Aluminum-Frames. Albeit thermally-broken aluminum frames. One of the largest hurdles was finding a window manufacturer who could build these three 15 foot tall front facing windows.

As you can see from the 1st photo, the original windows had a horizontal mull-post 2 feet up from the bottom. Due in large part to the current size-limitations of glass manufactures, it was deemed that a second horizontal mull-post would be required. No one wanted to manufacture a 13 foot tall insulated glass unit.

If you are able to look closely at photo #4, you may be able to make out that additional mull-post near the top of the new windows we are being shown installing there. This mull-post was placed to coincide with the wood-railing that went around the loft balcony above the living room, so the mull posts existence, as viewed from the interior, was aesthetically minimalized. As you can see by the photo above, we had MARLIN Windows build these three 15 foot tall windows. See www.marlinwindows.com

All the rest of the windows in the house were specified to be Milgard Aluminum Windows. Both brands sported Low-E Insulated glass and Thermally Broken Frames. To read more on Thermally Broken Frames, go to; http://wiki.Answers.com/Q/Wikipedia_what_
is_a_Thermally_Broken_Windows. The anodized bronze aluminum frames from both manufacturers were remarkably close in finish.

Logistics on the front of the house were challenging installing those 15 foot tall window assemblies, but the back of the house also posed a considerable need for implementing careful and safe practices to reach the dining room window openings. Here we are shown employing the use of our pump-jacks.

Russell Baldwin goes about removing the original dining room windows.

David Castro goes about finishing the installation of the new dining room windows.

An old farm house in what is now known as Northeast Portland. And yes, you may see this same house shown in another vinyl window project listed in this catagory. Our client had us come back in 2013 and replace some original wood casements with Vinyl Single-Hung Windows.

But back to this project. Original putty-glazed single-pane wood windows do not offer much in the way of insulation.

Especially when the house itself lacks any modern day levels of insulation in the walls, floors or ceilings.

The custom aspects of these windows come in two forms.

The first is the unusual configuration. Picture over awning over picture.

Due to the shelving structure that was to sit to the interior side, the operable windows had need to be somewhat elevated.

The second somewhat unique quality of these windows comes in the form of the MIRROR-GLASS, sometimes referred to as one-way glass. It pretty much makes it impossible to see in from the exterior during the daytime.

Although it still allows a view from the interior. For those who have need for the privacy and/or security, this can be a nice, albeit somewhat expensive option.

…continued from 26364-B. Even at early morning light, one of our client’s goals is evident from the exterior.

RibbonFlex Pro LED Accent Lighting from Armacost LIGHTING (www.armacostlighting.com). Now you can see the reason for the electrical outlet. Hat-tip & sincere thanks to Steve Novak and his invaluable service in helping us get the exact product we needed for this project.

As you can see, the interior plywood was removed to facilitate the installation of the LED lighting system. This should explain the reason for the Mylar reflective film.

Final modifications to the interior plywood-covering are made and it’s ready to be installed onto the opening for the last time.

Technician Steve Hilt is taping and mudding the plywood to the surrounding drywall.

It is subsequently textured, primed and painted to blend in with the surrounding wall surfaces.

A very custom aluminum access door manufactured for us by Schmeer Sheet Metal (www.schmeersheetmetal.com/) was one of the final touches made to the interior plywood-covering before it was installed for the last time.

The purpose of the access door, which was textured, primed and painted with the plywood…was to allow easy access to the chain and cord that manipulate the vertical blinds.

An eloquent addition to an otherwise unremarkable structure. In terms of taste and marketing, perhaps the best money spent on this house, despite the considerable price tag.

The color-light version of the RibbonFlex Pro LED Accent Lighting offers 25 preprogrammed static colors, including shades of white and 9 dynamic color-changing effects. Fun stuff!!!

Our clients had a pool-house & a couple old round steel windows they acquired at a house-parts store or an estate sale or something.

Back at our shop: To get rid of the crusty old lead-paint and damaged glass required painstaking removal of the rock-hard old glazing putty to remove the glass.

After which we had both frames sandblasted and then powder coated with a client approved color of paint.

After which came the re-glazing of the new glass pieces we made templates for and had cut.

Back at the pool house: Then came creation of the rough-opening. Cutting the exterior sheathing…

…and creation of the structural rough-opening components, after which the interior wall was dry-walled.

“Flextrim” is not only a god-send for these type of applications as it relates to being bent, but also being impervious to the elements.

More flex-trim for the interior.

Then the siding is installed.

Nice touch for the pool house.

Wood storm windows are not generally considered a custom project.
What made this one unique was, that a storm window wasn’t really the end sought at all.

The impetus for this project stemmed from the south facing opening casting a harsh light into the living room, which for years was endured by the inhabitants who spent considerable time there trying to read or visit with folks.

So the question was posed, “was there something that could be done, short of replacing the original single-pane wood sash window?” And of course, the answer was yes.

The clients were shown myriad samples of various types of glass. Laying various types of Low-E glass panes over variations of gray-tinted glass panes, and holding the combinations up in front of the window from the interior, until just the right combination of glass was struck upon.

After we had our glass supplier manufacturer an insulated glass unit accordingly, we made a very custom wood storm sash to house the insulated glass unit with the low-E and the gray-tinted panes laid over each other & glazed the two components together.
This met the criteria of retaining the original 21-Lite sash, as could still be viewed from the interior, while substantially diminishing the harsh light that came through it.

This is a continuation of Project 24842 Phase One, for those so interested. Above we see Steve Hilt employing the use of a Laminate Trimmer set up with a standard half-inch straight-cut carbide router-bit removing of all the original putty glazing from the wood jambs, after we removed the original single-pane glass. For the corners, we used a special carbide-coated Fein Tool Blade.

Above we have Bruce modifying the original exterior wood stops to compensate for the new thicker double-pane glass.

Per our clients request, the one 88 inch wide by 84 inch tall opening that was on the side of the house was split in half vertically. There were several reasons for this. One was to make handling the new double-pane glass a bit more manageable, but also to make replacement in the event of breakage or seal failure less costly. To facilitate this change, we fabricated a replica of the original wood mull-posts that separated all the other direct-glazed glass.

Brandon and Steve position one of the new insulated units for installation on the main-floor.

A temporary piece of plywood is fastened to the adjoining wood mull-post to allow the new insulated unit to safely and securely lean out slightly until the upper insulated unit was installed on top of it.

Brandon and Jared install the upper insulated glass unit on top.

The wooden vertical mull-post cover on the right is installed.

Masking tape is applied as needed to insure a professional finish caulking job.

All seams are dressed and sealed-up as needed.

An interior close-up photo showing how the insulated glass looks along the edges and its relationship with the horizontal aluminum double-channel mull piece. You can click on the photo if want a better view.

One of those popular contemporary modern expressions of 1960s architecture. This one in the northwest hills near Skyline.

What would you call this? A front door sidelight flourish? It is certainly more than an accent. Perhaps more of a statement regarding the use and value of light, views and image.

We promise to resist any further impulses to wax philosophical. Please note the liberal use of floor to ceiling glass on the view side of this home.

From one side to the other.

And on the lower floor as well.

And on one side of the house as well.
The project at hand here involved upgrading all this original single-pane direct-glazed glass to insulated double-pane. We decided to put this in the Unique Windows and Applications because having a house full of nothing more than floor to ceiling direct-glazed windows is somewhat unique.

Behold, the 27 new insulated glass units for this project is delivered to our warehouse in Tigard.
Our client wanted to retain the architectural detail shown there in the above 3rd and 4th photos, which was some sort of horizontal strip of zinc-caming running across the openings.

We had thought it was probably more functional than architectural, allowing the use of two pieces of glass to fill-in the almost 11 foot high openings on the main floor, but perhaps not. Between our client, who was some sort of engineer and Cedric @ Schmeer Sheet Metal, this aluminum double-channel piece shown here was designed and used to replace original zinc-camed horizontal mull-piece.

If you click on the above image and enlarge the photo, you may be able to better make out the hard black rubber setting-blocks laying in the top of the two channels and used to keep the metal channel pieces separated from the edges of the tempered glass. These are of course used on the top of the lower glass units for the same purpose.

Steve and Bruce setting the upper insulated glass unit into the top of the double-channel piece.
If you are interested in viewing more photos of this project, please go back and find the second installment of photo documentation for this project titled Project 24842 Phase Two.

…continued from 26364-A. Tim & David finish the window installation.

And busily go about installing the new T-111 siding upon the newly furred-out wall.

Note the 4″ wall cavity that has been created.

A better shot of the electrical service provided for the cavity.

Obviously, even the gable portion of the exterior wall had to be furred-out and covered with new siding, which sits slightly proud of the siding beneath it for purposes of proper flashing.

Now…the interior plywood is temporarily removed and all of the cavity-side surfaces are overlaid with a Mylar type reflective self-adhesive film…

…that we purchased from Multi-Craft Plastics in Tigard (www.multicraftplastics.com).

And of course, that includes the cavity side of the interior plywood wall covering that we temporarily removed to gain the needed access to the cavity surfaces.

Next came the installation of vertical blinds that were purchased from and installed by Budget Blinds. http://www.budgetblinds.com/WestPortland/

With the interior plywood re-installed, and the blinds pulled open…you can see one of the purposes of the cavity. The blinds disappear when opened! To see more of this project…scroll back to the top of this page and click on “Back to Project Listings,” and then find and click on Project 26364-C.

Original sunroom wood sash windows.

Apparently, the two flanking casements opened originally, but had long since been painted shut.

Our client asked whether or not it was possible to take the two center mulled picture casements and turn them into sliding sash.

She wanted the ventilation in a room that was rather hot in the summer months.

She wasn’t dissuaded when we told her that she wouldn’t really gain much ventilation by turning the larger sash into sliders, since they could only slide as far as the flanking windows were wide.

So we installed a pocket-door track and roller assembly above and to the interior side of the flanking sash, also creating a track of sorts at the bottom.

Security for the opening came in the form of the surface-mount bolts, one of which is shown in the previous photo, and a dutch door quadrant above.

The quadrant is not made for this application, but it worked quite well.

The final touch was the installation of a bug screen on the exterior between the two flanking sash.

Of course we weatherstripped the windows along all four edges of each sash by means of a pile weatherstripping product.

A modest rental in S.W. Portland is slated for a rather eccentric modification.

Replacing the original aluminum sliding window with a 6′ round Marvin Picture Window.

However, the client wanted something a bit more eccentric than that.

The plan involved increasing the overall wall thickness from 4 9/16″ to something close to 6 3/4″ overall.

The new rough-opening is created in a rectangular form, despite the round window, for reasons that will become apparent if you view…

…all three of these project collages, 26364-A, 26364-B & 26364-C. Above, technicians David Castro & Tim Afonin go about furring out the wall studs to achieve the new overall dimension required.

Two layers of 3/4″ plywood are used to create the exterior portion of the round opening for the new window.

The wood frame of the Round Marvin Window is cut down as needed to flush-out to the interior side of this 1 1/2″ exterior material when installed, so as to not obstruct any of the wall cavity. You’ll also notice some 1/2″ plywood on the interior wall (more about this later). Note the electrical outlet down in the cavity. You may need to enlarge the photo to see it.

David & Tim go about installing the window.

Here you can see the 1/2″ plywood on the interior wall. This layer of interior plywood is removed and re-installed via screws several times throughout the course of this project as needed to facilitate the various related segments & installations. To see more of this project…scroll back to the top of this page and click on “Back to Project Listings,” and then find and click on Project 26364-B.