Storm windows - who makes them?

[dhermesc]

Back in 1996 when my wife and I first got married we bought a massive two story home that needed about 40 years of maintenance work done as the previous owners had quit spending money on the house some time in the 1960s. Being just married and broke instead of replacing the windows we bought some really nice white aluminum storm windows and every month or so I'd buy 3-4 more and we'd rehab the windows (glazing, paint, new glass if needed) and install the storm windows - the house had 42 window overall. I had not bought storm windows since.

Now we have an older rental with 90 year old windows and all have the old fashion looking bare aluminum storm windows from the 1970s or earlier. Several are broke in various ways and need replaced. I thought I'd do just what I did 30 years ago and buy some new ones to replace these old units. I have found they don't exist for the most part. The big stores like Menards and Home Depot have a few - but ordering the size you need isn't an option. Menards has 6 sizes - anything else and it doesn't exist. Home Depot has 4 sizes. I check Ebay and Amazon and they don't have any.

Face Book Marketplace has some, but half the listings don't include sizes, and most don't reply to their own ads.


Where do you find them- new or used?

 

[jCarroll]

go to a real lumberyard ......... ask for the names of 2 or 3 "one-man" carpenters. Talk with them to pick the one you like best.
He will know who makes custom windows. Give him the job - you and I are too old to be on extension ladders.

 

[dhermesc]

I don't need a "carpenter" to hang a storm window. With a little help from the kids we put a nice roof on the that house last summer. Although I will say it was probably the easiest roof I've ever done. Only one layer of shingles and 20 year old sheeting that was still in perfect condition. That and I can now afford to have a couple air nailers and I had real shingle shovels to take the roof off. 30 years ago, I used a regular shovel and a potato fork to remove a roof and a hammer and nails to put it back on. I didn't even have a tool belt back then - my nails were in an old tennis shoe so they wouldn't slide off the roof.

 

[paul]

Yea I was doing the same with my house. When an old wood storm window got broken by a tree I went to Menards and they said Larson stopped doing those custom windows about a year and a half ago.

Holy cow. I’m not sure what to do now.

Paul

 

[DoubleO7]

Back in 1996 when my wife and I first got married we bought a massive two story home that needed about 40 years of maintenance work done as the previous owners had quit spending money on the house some time in the 1960s. Being just married and broke instead of replacing the windows we bought some really nice white aluminum storm windows and every month or so I'd buy 3-4 more and we'd rehab the windows (glazing, paint, new glass if needed) and install the storm windows - the house had 42 window overall. I had not bought storm windows since.

Now we have an older rental with 90 year old windows and all have the old fashion looking bare aluminum storm windows from the 1970s or earlier. Several are broke in various ways and need replaced. I thought I'd do just what I did 30 years ago and buy some new ones to replace these old units. I have found they don't exist for the most part. The big stores like Menards and Home Depot have a few - but ordering the size you need isn't an option. Menards has 6 sizes - anything else and it doesn't exist. Home Depot has 4 sizes. I check Ebay and Amazon and they don't have any.

Face Book Marketplace has some, but half the listings don't include sizes, and most don't reply to their own ads.


Where do you find them- new or used?

Have you inquired at a real lumber yard?
Like Sutherlands ?

The places like Menards, HD, Lowes only sell the fast moving stuff, they really do not want to special order stuff.

 

[Factotum]

Is it possible, depending on how it's made, to replace the glass and reassemble? At least the metal framed ones? It will get expensive ordering custom ones.

 

[DanielW]

Around here all the yards used to order Larson-brand storm windows, but they stopped making them a few years ago. I think Gentek still makes them, and most places can order from Gentek. The problem is that storm windows are no longer very popular, so they're all custom order as required. By the time all's said and done, the cost for them to special order/make some storm windows (even though there's not much to them) is not much less than the cost of a stock-size, low-e double pane vinyl window, which will be far more efficient.

Have you considered repairing the glass yourself? Glass is pretty cheap for any hardware store to cut to size. When I was in university I spent my summers working at a building supply, and one of my jobs the first year was helping a chap in the backroom do glass cutting and window repair. Here in cottage country a lot of places still have storm windows (no point buying fancy windows for a three-season cottage that's only used a few weeks each year). And because the cottages sat unoccupied for so much of the year, a lot of windows got smashed by animals/blowing branches/people sneaking in during the off-season.

I got pretty fast at replacing the glass in storm windows: Peel the old strip and glass shards out. Cut the new glass to size; take the aluminum frame apart; put the new rubber channel/seal around the edge of the new glass; spray it down with rubbing alcohol (to act as a lubricant); carefully slide/squish the new glass and seal into the frame (spraying more alcohol as required); and fasten the frame back together (with those frustrating corner brackets storm windows use to hold the frame together).The tricky part was making sure the new seal didn't bunch up as you were putting the frame back together. It was better to not use one continuous pieces: use one piece per side instead. If you don't get right to the corners, it's not going to make much difference (and you could always squish a dab of caulking in there if you were really worried).

Silicone lubricant worked a little better than alcohol and wouldn't evaporate away while you were trying to work, but it left a lot of streaks on the glass: You'd waste half a bottle of Windex cleaning each windows afterwards if you used silicone. You want to make sure you get the glass thickness right: usually they use thinner 2 mm or 'single diamond' thickness. The slightly thicker 3 mm ('double diamond') would seem like it should work, but you'd be trying to squeeze it in there and it would shatter - sometimes resulting in stitches. Wear gloves and a long sleeve shirt that covers your wrists!

This is the kind of seal/channel you use (there are a few different sizes). You might even be able to re-use the old stuff: https://www.reflectwindow.com/produ...MImuPpuvuthAMVYE5HAR1XuAvcEAQYASABEgLgwvD_BwE

 

[RESLLS]

Lowes or home depot sell diy storm frames. Saw some the other day, pretty sure it was Lowe's. Didn't look at the price, just saw them by where they cut glass..

 

[Janicholson]

Back in 1996 when my wife and I first got married we bought a massive two story home that needed about 40 years of maintenance work done as the previous owners had quit spending money on the house some time in the 1960s. Being just married and broke instead of replacing the windows we bought some really nice white aluminum storm windows and every month or so I'd buy 3-4 more and we'd rehab the windows (glazing, paint, new glass if needed) and install the storm windows - the house had 42 window overall. I had not bought storm windows since.

Now we have an older rental with 90 year old windows and all have the old fashion looking bare aluminum storm windows from the 1970s or earlier. Several are broke in various ways and need replaced. I thought I'd do just what I did 30 years ago and buy some new ones to replace these old units. I have found they don't exist for the most part. The big stores like Menards and Home Depot have a few - but ordering the size you need isn't an option. Menards has 6 sizes - anything else and it doesn't exist. Home Depot has 4 sizes. I check Ebay and Amazon and they don't have any.

Face Book Marketplace has some, but half the listings don't include sizes, and most don't reply to their own ads.


Where do you find them- new or used?

Put this phrase into your browser. It worked for me! Jim Storm window manufacturers

 

[Moonlite37]

Back in 1996 when my wife and I first got married we bought a massive two story home that needed about 40 years of maintenance work done as the previous owners had quit spending money on the house some time in the 1960s. Being just married and broke instead of replacing the windows we bought some really nice white aluminum storm windows and every month or so I'd buy 3-4 more and we'd rehab the windows (glazing, paint, new glass if needed) and install the storm windows - the house had 42 window overall. I had not bought storm windows since.

Now we have an older rental with 90 year old windows and all have the old fashion looking bare aluminum storm windows from the 1970s or earlier. Several are broke in various ways and need replaced. I thought I'd do just what I did 30 years ago and buy some new ones to replace these old units. I have found they don't exist for the most part. The big stores like Menards and Home Depot have a few - but ordering the size you need isn't an option. Menards has 6 sizes - anything else and it doesn't exist. Home Depot has 4 sizes. I check Ebay and Amazon and they don't have any.

Face Book Marketplace has some, but half the listings don't include sizes, and most don't reply to their own ads.


Where do you find them- new or used?

QUAKER Maufacturing Co. Freeburg, Missouri. About 25 miles south of Jefferson City

 

[Gary Reif]

In our area we see a lot of advertisements for Renewal by Anderson. They make custom replacement windows. I've never used their services nor do I have any connection to them. Good luck with your project.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Back in 1996 when my wife and I first got married we bought a massive two story home that needed about 40 years of maintenance work done as the previous owners had quit spending money on the house some time in the 1960s. Being just married and broke instead of replacing the windows we bought some really nice white aluminum storm windows and every month or so I'd buy 3-4 more and we'd rehab the windows (glazing, paint, new glass if needed) and install the storm windows - the house had 42 window overall. I had not bought storm windows since.

Now we have an older rental with 90 year old windows and all have the old fashion looking bare aluminum storm windows from the 1970s or earlier. Several are broke in various ways and need replaced. I thought I'd do just what I did 30 years ago and buy some new ones to replace these old units. I have found they don't exist for the most part. The big stores like Menards and Home Depot have a few - but ordering the size you need isn't an option. Menards has 6 sizes - anything else and it doesn't exist. Home Depot has 4 sizes. I check Ebay and Amazon and they don't have any.

Face Book Marketplace has some, but half the listings don't include sizes, and most don't reply to their own ads.


Where do you find them- new or used?

I've been a landlord for over 50 years.
Kleptz Aluminum is my go to place for window repair.
Give them a call and see if they can't make you white aluminum storm windows.

Kleptz Aluminum & Vinyl Products Building Materials & Supply

Website
Website:kleptzaluminum.com
Phone812) 238-2946

1135 Poplar St Terre Haute, IN 47807

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

I don't need a "carpenter" to hang a storm window. With a little help from the kids we put a nice roof on the that house last summer. Although I will say it was probably the easiest roof I've ever done. Only one layer of shingles and 20 year old sheeting that was still in perfect condition. That and I can now afford to have a couple air nailers and I had real shingle shovels to take the roof off. 30 years ago, I used a regular shovel and a potato fork to remove a roof and a hammer and nails to put it back on. I didn't even have a tool belt back then - my nails were in an old tennis shoe so they wouldn't slide off the roof.

He didn't say hire a carpenter. He said ASK a carpenter.

 

[MarkB_MI]

I thought storm windows went out with bell-bottom pants.

 

[SkipperII]

With the advent of the new thermal double pane, vacuum sealed windows, I think storm windows followed the Dodo bird. Maybe new windows would be more cost effective., vs. custom built storm windows. Just a thought.

 

[JMOR]

He didn't say hire a carpenter. He said ASK a carpenter.

"Give him the job - you and I are too old to be on extension ladders."
You and I sure don't read the same!

 

[jaoneill]

Try Casco Industries; I believe they are in Illinois, they appear to make a decent product. In writing specifications for historic restoration work I had always spec'ed Larsons and was shocked when they quit production.

 

[jaoneill]

With the advent of the new thermal double pane, vacuum sealed windows, I think storm windows followed the Dodo bird. Maybe new windows would be more cost effective., vs. custom built storm windows. Just a thought.

I have been involved with restoration work for going on 60 years and can tell you from experience that new windows are a false economy. Vinyl units (in spite of their "lifetime" warranty) have a design life of 15-20 years, newer wood units built with "farmed" lumber, in spite of the use of preservatives, won't last much longer. Not to say that some might not last a bit longer but I have yet to see a window manufactured since the 1960's last like the hundred plus year old Victorian era windows manufactured with old growth lumber. Rather than replace it pays to rehab these then protect them with a good quality storm and they will be around for another hundred years. As a bonus, well maintained older windows with decent quality storms are actually more energy efficient than the plastic crap that marketing companies have convinced people is better.

 

[dhermesc]

I have looked up manufacturers for "special order" - the cost of the "storm window" is now around $120 to $200 - I can buy replacement windows for that price - just more work to install. Pretty much what DanielW said.

I was hoping there was some secret stash of bought up inventory being held by someone.

 

[jaoneill]

I have looked up manufacturers for "special order" - the cost of the "storm window" is now around $120 to $200 - I can buy replacement windows for that price - just more work to install. Pretty much what DanielW said.

I was hoping there was some secret stash of bought up inventory being held by someone.

The cost of Larsons was in that neighborhood for quite a few years before they quit manufacturing them. See my post above; unless your current windows are completely falling apart, good quality storms are still your best buy.