New Window - Thanks to the Bees & the VandeKamps

The story of our new window:

The first picture here shows four 'windows' which are mere sheets of glass caulked and framed into place. Not the best for insulating against our hot summers and 'cold' winters! Below the windows is the seating area. The bees were under the the seat area to the left. This is all changed now, but I haven't finished the inside, so those pictures will be added later.

Here, I've poured the foundation below the existing window and am nearly finished with the framework around the new window. New window...That's a neat little story. I was at Lowes looking at windows for this front, and there was a custom-sized 6' x 5' return window and it was discounted at $85. I paid for it and figured on picking it up the next day with Al VandeKamp, a retired friend who has been invaluable in helping me with so many projects on the house. I gave him a call to tell him of my good fortune in finding such a bargain, and he in turn tells me he and his son, Lowell, just removed a 6' x 5' window from Lowell's house and were wondering what to do with it. Ends up I got it for free! Thanks Lowell & Holly!! And Al, of course!

I was able to build this front in front of the existing window, so I didn't have to remove anything until I was ready to finish it all and wouldn't have to leave anything open to the outside. Wouldn't have to, unless I dropped my cordless drill into one of the windows and shattered it into the living room. Ooops! Only a couple more days til I got to walling the whole thing in, so no major big deal.

We were able to remove the old front and set in the new window without much trouble. We used the old sides, shored them up to the foundation, then put in 8" lag bolts from the front into the sides for stability all around.

Went right over the old panelling with new and tied it all together. The inside will have a toy chest down to the foundation (a bit of insulation and plywood over the foundation). The outside will have some trim yet and paint.

Unbelievable how much quieter it is already. That, and the room isn't closer to outside temperatures in the morning. Still have to do the boys rooms with new windows and the dining room which are all single pane windows (at least they are real windows!). Oh, and the tiny side 'window' next to the front door, which is currently not even glass but that plastic textured 'glass.' Talk about lack of insulation!