FNB: Week 9, Windows Installed

It has been more than a month since my last official update.  We have been completely swamped with finishing demolition, completing final approval from the State and getting ready for Bean Days (Montpelier's annual festival).  Matt & Lane Dye have been working steadily on the interior framing and are almost finished...it's just hard to document with photos since it looks like a forest of 2x4s. 

This week, however, God blessed us with HUGE progress on the exterior...the windows finally arrived and were installed by Craig Siebenaler Construction!

I want to make an important distinction here.  This is not specifically a "restoration".  This is a "revitalization". While it IS a handsome old building with lots of great details but we are not intending to put things back to the old just because it's old.  We want the building to be useable and vibrant.  If it will look better / work better the "old way" then that's what we will do.


The new windows are a perfect example of this distinction.  The old photo here of the First National Building shows the building in its historic context.  We have used this photo to help us decide several important details - the windows being one.  You can see in this old photo that the windows on the First National Building match those next door (Hammer Athletic) and that, compared to the color of the brick, the windows are a bright color.

As we worked on the revitalization plan for the building we had several decisions to make on these windows: color, sizing, design, materials, etc.  We settled on Andersen A-Series windows for many reasons:

1. Custom Sizing. These openings are large and irregular.  Standard-sized windows wouldn't look very good and would not maximize the opening.  A-Series is customizable to the 1/8" which allowed us to use the maximum opening.

2. Fibrex.  While there are differing views on this product I like the structural and longevity characteristics that Fibrex provides.  These windows are 7'-9" x 3'-2".  Installed, these are very stable windows with no parts or fasteners showing.

3. Wood Interior Components.  I've seen solid vinyl windows in rentals...they get pretty gross on the inside.  With wood interior components we can sand, fill, paint and maintain better than with vinyl.

4. No paint on the outside.  We chose white so that we could use Azek trim.  I like color as much as the next guy.  But 15 windows, each opening a little different with the low structural arches at the top...lots of fitting OR 15 individually custom windows.  The Azek trim allowed us to purchase sets of windows which reduced complexity, sped up installation and then covers over the installation in a wear-resistant package.  The result matches those old windows next door very nicely!

In any case, the difference between the building we started with and now is gratifying!  Framing of the apartments should conclude next week.  Then the electric, heat and plumbing begin.  Meanwhile, our mason continues work on the exterior.