My wife and I purchased our first investment property at auction Saturday. Scared us both on one level, but exciting too.
The house has never been lived in and is a modular by NTA, Inc. I can’t find any contact information for them. It has sat vacant for about five years and is in an area with many rentals, and decent occupancy rate. I’m not sure why the last owner let it sit but she was an older woman and many of the properties (58 total) had been vacant some time.
So it has suffered vandalism, particularly holes knocked in the vinyl siding – I didn’t know rocks could do that, every window busted out, water heater and furnace stolen, front living room carpet stolen – someone in our trades knew what they were looking for of value. Even took the smoke detectors. But oh well, it was a decent price and not to much work.
My problem is I’ve never replaced glass in double-glazed windows, always older single pane windows. I’ve bought insulated glass from a fabricator close by to put in my own sash, but – these are vinyl windows about qty-12, am I cheaper just to buy new windows? It looks like there’s an aluminum channel in and out for each pane, which doesn’t seem like I’d get the factory vacuum on it. but I might be misunderstanding current window construction.
thanks in advance,
remodeler
Replies
Any good glass company can make insulated replacement panels for you. Use plywood panels to coverthe window openings in the meantime to keep the vandals out. Set the panels on the outside, and span a few 2x4's across the inside of the openings with bolts from plywood to 2x4's- keeps you from damaging the window frames. it won't stop the determined theives, but is should keep the kids out.
Bob
did they also steel the wiring and the copper pipe. If not they were lazy thieves.
>did they also steel the wiring and the copper pipe. If not they were lazy thieves.
I lived in St. Petersburg Russia for 3 months about 6-7 years ago. The apartment was 14th story, and every building you went into had all the light bulbs stolen and no elevators worked (old cage style) because of the nickel wire being stolen. A fourteenth-floor walk-up is no fun.
The new property is small but I'm going to chain-link fence it and hopefully keep people from getting too close to the building, cutting through the yard etc. It's a corner lot.
remodeler
I'm going to chain-link fence it and hopefully keep people from getting too close
You can soften the effect of the chain link (i.e., increase the percieved value) with vegetation. Not any ordinary vegetation--you still want the security. Holly makes a good low "defining" edge for a corner lot. It is also evergreen and thorny (memory wants to suggest that there is a red-tipped variety either native or suitable to NYS).
Wild rose vines are quite comfortable in chain link (the term "antique" is used for ressurected older varieties--they generally have more thorns and are more "viney" than the show speciments. Honeysuckle will drape over chain link nicely--it has a habit of attracting stinging insects that deter interlopers with little or no effort.
There are probably more, that may take asking some local ag experts (county extension agent, for one). Note that the ide is not active--no nightshade or sumac, that would be hard on the folks within and without. But things that have spines, or sharp twigs & branches. English Ivy can be used as ground cover, as it is more than a little bit of a trip hazzard. It will also train up over the fence, too. (If you like the neighbors, you need to hammer metal landsccaping edge in at the bottom of the fence--if not, well . . . )Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Pike the vandels and theives out in the front yard before you start repairs.
Has a tendacy to cut down on repeat episodes.
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
LOL
Thank you Vlad!
Mike
Don't buy new windows if only the glass is broken.
Either the glasss is held in by a glazing bead (moulding) or the sash surrounding it comes apart with screws in the corners.
Figure it out, remove the broken glass, get overall size and thickness and order new glass.
The first one may take a little time due to learning curve but once figured out it's a piece of cake.
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