Hi everyone,
Because of hurricanes and a leaking issue in the past on one of the windows in my townhouse (leaking probably coming from rotten wood and not so much from the windows itself), I'm thinking about replacing the windows. There are some in the front which I would have replaced 100%, and the there are 2 big windows (the largest ones) in the back facing/leading to an old porch which gets hot like an oven in Florida temperatures. There's also a sliding door for the porch that is old like the rest of the windows (original to the house, aluminum, 45 years old) and a little noisy when I open it because of the rails (?). Some companies have checked it and say the noise is not as bad as I describe it, though. :)
I got a loan for all of this. The current windows are all bronze on the outside and on the inside. New windows/door would need to be bronze on the outside because of HOA regulations, but most of the companies that came for a quote either only indicated white on the inside or told me that there would be a major increase in price if I wanted them bronze on both sides. So, it looks like bronze-white would have to be.
(Also, they would be vinyl and not aluminum).
I was trying to spare some money by replacing only the windows on the front. However, that means that the ones on the back and the door would still look bronze and they would be a different material, plus much thinner and not hurricane-resistant, etc. (But since they are "inside" a porch, I was not concerned about this... although the porch is OLD and not in a great condition, hence the heat/oven feeling?)
I don't have budget to redo the porch now, so that's something I can't change now.
Would you replace:
1.- everything (all windows + sliding patio door),
2.- only the front windows, or
3.- all windows front and back but not the sliding door (and try to find someone to "fix" the noise, and maybe paint it white, although, like a company told me, the brown/bronze looks good because of the style of the house)?
Most of the estimates are close in numbers.
Interestingly enough, adding the back windows is about 50% of the total estimate for the ones in the front (the back ones are the largest). There are 9 in the front (2 bedrooms and foyer) plus these 2 large windows in the back plus the sliding patio.
Also, the companies I asked have these brands: CSW, PGT, Eastern Architectural Systems (EAS). (Meaning each company uses different brands, and I was quoted for those brands). Any recommendations or advice?
Thanks in advance!