Double Glaze / Old windows

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Oriphix

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#196798 13-Jun-2016 11:17

Hi Guys,

Just a quick question we are looking at getting uPVC windows and doors through the whole house.

I did find some threads where some of the member's here have gotten that done.

My question is: What did you do with the old windows that was taken out?

We currently have aluminium windows and ranch sliders through the house. They are in excellent condition to throw away.

Does anyone have experience is selling these or know someone that would buy this (needless to say I am trying to see if I can re-coupe some of the cost)

Thanks

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#1570923 13-Jun-2016 11:45

Window firm deals with the old windows, but if you want to keep them you can. Or you can sell them if you can find a buyer, I doubt many people would buy single glazed these days.

Dynamic

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#1570938 13-Jun-2016 12:06

Might be worth calling a couple of companies that sell secondhand house parts. Googling 'house parts' seems to give a couple of promising results.

I suspect you would get next to nothing for them, but I would love to be wrong.

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Oriphix

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#1570987 13-Jun-2016 13:12

Okay thanks

SATTV

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#1570988 13-Jun-2016 13:12

In my case most of the wooden windows had rot and were not worth anything.

We did keep two doors to sell, one wooden door sold for $50, the other ( better condition and glass etched ) has not sold, not worth the hassle really.

I suspect that as you have aluminium the construction will be different and you should be able to remove them easier and in one piece.

You could try a demolition trader to see if they are interested.

Good luck.

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John

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zyo

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#1570996 13-Jun-2016 13:22

We replaced 40k worth of aluminium joinery and I ended up getting maybe 3k out of selling them on trademe.

Fred99

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#1571028 13-Jun-2016 13:59

If the old windows are in good condition, then you possibly need to consider the cost, expected lifespan of double-glazed inserts, and energy cost-savings achievable over that expected lifespan. It's a no-brainer to put double-glazing in a new build, much more murky to justify a retrofit on $ saving grounds.

It's not likely to add up as a financially viable decision - not even close, especially if the existing windows have adequate drapes etc. and you're using efficient heating methods (heat pump, log burner, mains gas) However other aspects may sway it - reduced condensation on windows, reduced noise, and generally improved comfort.

I'm mentioning this as some double-glaze retrofit sales techniques and over-selling fall well into the category of snake oil scamsterism, and if energy saving benefit is what you're looking for primarily, then much more gain may be possible at much lower cost in typical NZ homes built before double glazing was common or mandatory.

If going ahead, be very careful with reference checking etc for the company you intend to use.

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#1571059 13-Jun-2016 14:46

I was surprised to get $70 for a single glazed aluminum bay window we had replaced - the people wanted to use it for a glass house. I put things like this on for a $1 on Trade Me as a figure that way I'll get what the market is prepared to pay, it's great for someone else, and they deal with taking it away. Saves a trip to the tip or recycle centre. Good luck.

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#1571061 13-Jun-2016 14:50

Yeah if they are going to be dumped, then you'll be paying for this somewhere deep in your companies total costings. In this case, selling them yourself could save you money. Otherwise this sort of thing gets expensive to dump outright.

As above also about the benefits of this. Less sound and less condensation are the main appeal. If you're doing this to save energy, then the savings vs costs aren't quite so impressive.

Aredwood

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#1571223 13-Jun-2016 19:26

Check how much the scrap dealers in your area are paying for aluminium. As if you can't sell them that could be another way of getting some money out of them. But you will have to remove the wooden sills, glass and other non aluminium parts from them. So you will probably need a skip bin as well.

Willuknight

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#1571417 14-Jun-2016 08:40

What are people's thoughts on retrofitting? I have a big house with lots of big single glazed aluminium windows. Roof and walls are insulated. None of the windows have the boxes above the curtains to prevent air seeping in and non of the curtains are floor length.

I've been quoted $6000 to do all the bedroom and living area windows, seems like the best thing to spend money on as windows will be my biggest heat loss?

chimera

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#1571420 14-Jun-2016 08:47

Willuknight:

What are people's thoughts on retrofitting? I have a big house with lots of big single glazed aluminium windows. Roof and walls are insulated. None of the windows have the boxes above the curtains to prevent air seeping in and non of the curtains are floor length.

I've been quoted $6000 to do all the bedroom and living area windows, seems like the best thing to spend money on as windows will be my biggest heat loss?

If you are insulated everywhere else and still have a cold-ish house, double glazing makes a *considerable* difference. Stops condensation too.

You could optionally do what I did and just replace with double glazed windows in areas of the house where its coldest. For example we have a stairwell that goes down to the garage - there is a huge window in that stairwell that's westerly facing and exposed (we're on a hill) so took the brunt of the weather and prevailing wind. We replaced that with a double glazed window and its made a big difference to heat retention at that end of the house (also near where the kids bedrooms are)

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timmmay

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#1571440 14-Jun-2016 09:28

Just had all our windows replaced. Previously we had an older retrofit option in the lounge and bedrooms, where sheets of thick rigid perspex were put over the old wooden windows, basically a cheap double glazing alternative. Moving to proper double glazing I've noticed that the road noise is actually louder than with the old wood/glass perspex windows, and that it's marginally warmer. In the areas where there was no double glazing previously the condensation from cooking has dropped from HEAPS to basically none, same as happened in the bedroom with the old and new double glazing. I can't tell if the area that has just been double glazed is warmer or not, we use heat pumps and the house is well insulated so it might just use a bit less power.

$6000 will buy a LOT of power, however improving comfort and increasing properly value may be worthwhile.

Willuknight

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#1571505 14-Jun-2016 10:25

Timmay - We currently don't have a heatpump, the main source of heat is a woodburner, but flatmates have heaters in their rooms. I'd rather get double glazing and floor insulation etc. etc. then have people using heaters. A heatpump wouldn't really work for a house our size, so it seems that if I take care of all heat loss factors, the house should be easier to heat with just the burner.

Edit: The retrofitting is with agon gas.

timmmay

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#1571507 14-Jun-2016 10:29

Double glazing will reduce heating requirements slightly, but won't make as much difference as I think you're expecting. If the windows are drafty, maybe, but reducing heat loss through windows won't make the room warmer without a heater still being on. Argon or not is almost irrelevant, gives you another few percent less heat loss.

You can have a ducted heat pump system, or individual units for rooms.

chimera

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#1571518 14-Jun-2016 10:41

timmmay:

Double glazing will reduce heating requirements slightly, but won't make as much difference as I think you're expecting. If the windows are drafty, maybe, but reducing heat loss through windows won't make the room warmer without a heater still being on. Argon or not is almost irrelevant, gives you another few percent less heat loss.

You can have a ducted heat pump system, or individual units for rooms.

It will retain the heat longer - assuming that all the other obvious insulation areas are covered (roof, floor, minimising drafts etc)

It should make a big difference, not only does the double glazing in itself help with heat retention, but the reduction of condensation will greatly take the cold sting out of the air. If you are having a cold night, go and run a dehumidifier overnight (wouldn't do regularly, expensive to run) and see how much more comfortable it makes your house (when the air is drier)

Weigh up the pro's and con's yourself... if you're staying there for a while, its well worth doing. If you're going to sell in the next couple years, well maybe just invest in a heat pump instead.

https://www.energywise.govt.nz/at-home/windows/double-glazing/

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