need some home repairs help

[happyscooter]

So we are replacing our windows.  We had termites about 5 years ago and part of a window sill had damage.  Home improvement stores no longer carry the sill or apron or whatever we need.  It is the sloped part of the window going outside.  Any suggestions on fixing it?  Also we had a storm door (all glass) on the front.  It wasn't shut good and the wind jerked it open and slammed it against the handrail.  It took a big piece out of the door facing where the spring was at the top.  DH patched it up but we need to fix it.  It is a door with the transom lights/windows on both sides.  So we can't just replace a door frame when it has other things connected to it.  Or can we?

[Jake 48]

Happy,
I have seen the window sills in the Lowes in my area, but if your replacing windows are you doing a replacement window that fits in the existing framework or are you doing new windows. In my experience, go new windows, it is more work to trim out the outside depending on the type of siding etc.. but in the long run it will be better. If you have to go replacement route, is there a piece of the sill that is solid, a mill should be able to duplicate it. We have a mill in the area that does these homeowner, small jobs on Saturdays as part of their business. As for the door frame, you can probably cut out the damaged section and replace with new. Are you doing this work yourself? hope this helps, good luck!

[happyscooter]

we can't figure out where the door frame stops and starts since it looks like one whole piece-windows included.  yes, even with replacement windows, there is still a piece that has to be replaced.  And wrapping it in vinyl doesn't cover the whole thing.

yes, DIYers

[happyscooter]

come on guys.  we are YMers.  I am not going to pay someone to fix something if I can.  Help me.

[tskeeter]

Jul 5, 2013 7:20:12 GMT -5 happyscooter said:

come on guys.  we are YMers.  I am not going to pay someone to fix something if I can.  Help me.

happyscooter, not to be snarky, but if you don't have a pretty good idea how to do these repairs you are probably much better off hiring a good carpenter to handle things.  I think you're in over your head.  And I wonder if you have the tools needed to do a high quality repair.

Both of these issues sound like things that affect how well you keep weather and water out of the house.  A less than adequate repair could cause some pretty substantial long term damage to your house.  This is a situation where you don't want to hope you've done it right. 

[kittensaver]

Jul 5, 2013 13:16:11 GMT -5 tskeeter said:

Jul 5, 2013 7:20:12 GMT -5 happyscooter said:

come on guys.  we are YMers.  I am not going to pay someone to fix something if I can.  Help me.

happyscooter, not to be snarky, but if you don't have a pretty good idea how to do these repairs you are probably much better off hiring a good carpenter to handle things.  I think you're in over your head.  And I wonder if you have the tools needed to do a high quality repair.

Both of these issues sound like things that affect how well you keep weather and water out of the house.  A less than adequate repair could cause some pretty substantial long term damage to your house.  This is a situation where you don't want to hope you've done it right. 

Agreed! Sometimes you have to know your limits. Paying someone skilled to fix your problem correctly the first time IS a good YM strategy. Save time, save your sanity, save your back/arms/legs, save frustration, save the integrity of your home by having it done right. JMHO.

[Chocolate Lover]

Call Ask This Old House?  I've seen them repair this at least once.

[NoNamePerson]

And there is one poster that can do it blind folded while standing on her head.  But I agree that sometimes you are better off getting it done by professionals if you are window repair challenged.

[Deleted]

Jul 5, 2013 13:16:11 GMT -5 tskeeter said:

Jul 5, 2013 7:20:12 GMT -5 happyscooter said:

come on guys.  we are YMers.  I am not going to pay someone to fix something if I can.  Help me.

happyscooter, not to be snarky, but if you don't have a pretty good idea how to do these repairs you are probably much better off hiring a good carpenter to handle things.  I think you're in over your head.  And I wonder if you have the tools needed to do a high quality repair.

Both of these issues sound like things that affect how well you keep weather and water out of the house.  A less than adequate repair could cause some pretty substantial long term damage to your house.  This is a situation where you don't want to hope you've done it right. 

 To repair a windowsill can be complicated... you have to remove the outside and inside trim, then remove the entire window frame from the wall. Then you have to fabricate a replacement sill before re-installing the whole shebang. Most people with windowsill damage usually opt to replace the entire window rather than repair the existing damage. I live in a 160+ year-old house and had splitting of the sills with southern exposure (dried-out from UV)... the water would penetrate into the splitting wood, I was able to have a siding specialist cover the damaged wood surface with fabricated vinyl-clad metal which sheds the rain and snowmelt.

[KaraBoo]

Pictures would help as well - for those of us who do DIY on a regular basis, pictures help a lot!

We're slowly replacing the windows and siding on our house, but we have a wood frame house on pier and beam.  The replacements we've put in so far are excellent, but I'm not sure if I could replace the current sill on an existing window like you're describing.

And, I agree with the others - sometimes it's worth paying someone to do the work for you.  Our main living room window is 9 feet across (one window) - we'll be contracting that one out as soon as we're ready to replace it.  If they drop it and break it, they pay for it - if we drop it and break it, we'll be crying our eyes out!  It's a minimum $1500 replacement cost just to order it (we've already priced it out - just waiting to get it done).

[happyscooter]

We are doing a lot ourselves to save money and will get a few things done by experts.  So far we have reroofed our 1 story garage and put siding on it.  We put siding on our 2 story house and 12 new windows in.  The guy my DH usually calls for woodwork can do anything.  We thought he was on vacation last week, it turns out this week.  So we are at a standstill since the last 2 windows can't go in.

As soon as it stops raining (16 days and counting) the roofer will be out to replace our roof.  We rebuilt the front porch ceiling and beams.  We are now making stone columns.  The front door isn't going to be a major problem as the wood guy told us what he could do to fix it. 

karaboo, I wish you lived near us.  We bought 14 new windows for $4400.  They are vinyl but look like real wood inside.  Beautiful.