| Author | Message | ||
     Sylad Citizen Username: Sylad Post Number: 139 Registered: 6-2002 |
We have 47 windows, we recently renovated our kithen and replaced 5 original double hung with Andersen, check out this site: http://www.andersenwindows.com/UE/ProductGuide/Residential/400woodwrightFeatures .asp We love them and our plan is to over time replace all existing doublehung with these windows. I don't know how anyone would be upset if these appear in your neighborhood, everyone that sees them says they are great. | ||
| virgilian Citizen Username: Virgilian Post Number: 167 Registered: 7-2001 |
Sully, If I were wanting an old house, I wouldn't buy one that had had the old ripped out and replaced with ersatz "replacement" petroleum-waste Home Depot dreck. I would buy one that had been well maintained with the proper care for its good parts. I have observed generally that cheaper houses have cheap windows and expensive houses have expensive windows. When expensive houses are blighted with cheap windows, I guess that the owners are willing to degrade their property, adversely affecting their own property values. I doubt there is much data to reinforce this assumption, so yes it is an assumption. I see more cheap windows in less desirable neighborhoods. I see cheap windows' creep into my neighborhood. I naturally wonder what's going on and plead with well-intentioned neighbors to stop doing it. | ||
| bobk Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 4262 Registered: 5-2001 |
Virgilian assumes most houses here have been well maintained over the years. I don't think this is true to be quite honest. Repairing or replacing windows with true divided lite units, which I agree is best, is, unfortunately, out of the financial reach of many. I also make a distinction between a typical 1920s house and the relatively few houses here in town of true architectual merit. For the most part there are very few homes here that are architectually unique or designed by a top architect. | ||
| virgilian Citizen Username: Virgilian Post Number: 168 Registered: 7-2001 |
bobk- Maplewood is a treasure of 1920's and 1930's houses, until recently INTACT. those not of "true architectural merit" as you say comprise a masterpiece, together, called Maplewood. When they are stripped and degraded they are more like a town that could be called, say, Used-To-Be-A-Lovely-Town-Called-Maplewood. or maybe "Home-Depot-Wood." To dismiss the housing stock of our town as insignificant is irresponsible of you bobk, and wrong. Even individually, most of these homes are irreplacable builders' treasures of ingenious thought and detail. Have you EVER seen a whole town of such well- preserved "typical 1920's houses?" Tell me where. There are not many places like ours left, are you bobk willing to let it get destroyed? Slowly shrink-wrapped with vinyl and mucked to death with big-box-store one-size-fits-all plastic? Really? | ||
| bobk Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 4267 Registered: 5-2001 |
Intact, not really. Take a walk or a bike ride through almost any street in the Tuscan and Clinton areas and you will see a lot of aluminum siding, aluminum storm windows, fibreglass doors and shed dormers on the front of the houses, which to me is a lot more glaring than Anderson or Pella window replacements and even vinyl. But to each their own. The old wooden storm windows that had to be put on and taken off every year probably were pretty efficient. But in the current 60 to 70 hour work week most are faced with, few have the time to do this. | ||
| virgilian Citizen Username: Virgilian Post Number: 170 Registered: 7-2001 |
bobk- you're underscoring my point. A lot of this has been done in the last 5 years or so. | ||
| virgilian Citizen Username: Virgilian Post Number: 171 Registered: 7-2001 |
bobk- do you honestly think the people who lived in your house 70 years ago had more "time" than you? What is it with this cop-out of "stress" that lets us out of every bit of maintenance, husbandry that might keep us a little fit and a little interested in life? Cheer up, get off the computer-(time!) and work around the house, you'll feel better. | ||
| bobk Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 4268 Registered: 5-2001 |
Interesting point. Back in 1991 a guy who was back for the 50th reunion of the CHS Class of 1941 stopped by. He had grown up in our house. His comment, not only about our house, but the street as a whole was how nice everything looked, well manicured and freshly painted now a days as opposed to what the neighborhood looked like in the 1930s and early 1940s. Virgilian, "you can't go home again", unless you have the time machine from Back to the Future.  | ||
| SoOrLady Citizen Username: Soorlady Post Number: 268 Registered: 9-2003 |
virgilian - you're being a little harsh - we all have our individual priorities. I agree that I would rather see the architectural integrity of our neighbor's homes perserved, however, it all comes down to choices. And yes, I think people who lived in our homes 70 years ago had more time - or possibly the same amount. Did they commute an hour to work? Did women work outside the home? Did they take their child to dance class, art class, music lessons, organized sport practices and contests? Did they have to do dinner in shifts to accomodate the family schedule? Did they serve on local and church committees that demanded their evenings? If people choose to spend their extra hours with their kids/spouse/whomever that's their choice - and, in my opinion, a good one. | ||
| bobk Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 4269 Registered: 5-2001 |
Sorlady, interesting to look at it from a womans persepective. As a charter MCP that didn't enter my mind.  70 years ago SOM was a commuter town. The trains ran through Newark to Hoboken and the PATH and ferries took the commuters on to Manhattan. I saw a train schedule and the time the trip took was the same as today! Also, many still had help. Our very modest 1916 home actually had backstairs so the maid wouldn't intrude. I can just imagine the maid of all work, Bridget from County Cork, putting up the storm windows and taking them down. | ||
| Cynicalgirl Citizen Username: Cynicalgirl Post Number: 277 Registered: 9-2003  |
Reading across the threads on MOL, I think the standing of our schools, property crime, and the Boyden bus issue are more likely to hurt property values than replacement windows will. I'm told Elizabeth and Plainfield have some architecturally cool housing, for example... Disclaimer: Last year we moved here to a little bunker of a 50's Cape Cod so I'm somewhat immune to the window issue. We'll be thrilled if we get them all to open, and replace the rotten wood around them from years of neglect. | ||
| michael Citizen Username: Michael Post Number: 458 Registered: 1-2002 |
Virgilian, has cost ever entered your mind ? Why not start a "Save the wooden windows foundation" . Then you could offer some financial help to those choosing vinyl for economic reasons. (I can’t believe I’m even responding to this thread )  Support the Maplewood/South Orange Ministry of Propaganda (otherwise known as the CCR) | ||
| virgilian Citizen Username: Virgilian Post Number: 172 Registered: 7-2001 |
Michael: cost enters my mind. If you buy an expensive house, put expensive windows into it. If you buy a cheap house, put cheap windows into it. Soorlady: Why, oh why, is time spent taking care of the house not "family time?" It used to be! Why is it always time spent CONSUMING that counts--lessons, lessons, lessons-- and not enjoying the wonderful home that you have and enjoying taking care of it? Most new people here never step into their gardens, they're abandoned to the leaf-blowing hordes. It does not compromise your family life to change screens twice a year. It is HUSBANDRY, it is MAINTENANCE, and it does not mean turning any clock back. Enjoy your beautiful house. And spend the money on it that it deserves. | ||
| virgilian Citizen Username: Virgilian Post Number: 173 Registered: 7-2001 |
Michael: I would not start a foundation to fight wealthy skinflint tightwad neighbors' neglect. And why wouldn't you respond to this thread? the subject is unimportant? How is this subject unimportant? | ||
| alia Citizen Username: Alia Post Number: 125 Registered: 5-2001 |
Keep in mind that cheap and expensive are relative. The house we bought eight years ago was expensive to us eight years ago, just as the house we're currently moving to seems expensive now. (and yes, we're staying in Maplewood and paying "expensive" taxes) And if you've bought an "expensive" house, many times you've shot your wad on the down payment and monthly costs and paying twice as much (or more) for wood windows becomes out of the question. I don't regret putting less costly new windows in my home years ago, and I don't think it hurt my resale, as we got asking price in 10 days in the late fall. Enough of this; doesn't this discussion come up every three months? | ||
| Cynicalgirl Citizen Username: Cynicalgirl Post Number: 278 Registered: 9-2003 |
Hmmm...if certain houses were truly historic, one could get them registered as such, couldn't one? Brings on a lot of rules and regs, but maybe some tax allowences for keeping to the original. This sounds a lot like issues in New Castle, DE near where I used to live. People around the square, with the truly historic houses, got legislation passed in the town to insure that all homeowners were required to maintain, inside and out, in keeping with original standards. Woe betide the person who put up a vinyl storm door, or used the wrong color of paint. Not sure certain houses in Maplewood fit the bill, but maybe. Lots of similar issues, but it all turned legal once the rules were passed. Yuppies v proletariat and all that... | ||
| virgilian Citizen Username: Virgilian Post Number: 176 Registered: 7-2001 |
Alia- I'm glad the discussion does come up often. Good point-- the over-reaching of many homeowners is to the detriment of the houses, the town, and families. Many houses are better left to those financially able to maintain them. There are houses of all sizes and prices in town. Your bringing up the relativity of cost is a good point. I see waves of inferior windows pussing up in town about every three months and try to post accordingly if even to give one person pause before giving their house over to the rip-off artists that have all of Northern New Jersey in their relentless grip. | ||
| virgilian Citizen Username: Virgilian Post Number: 177 Registered: 7-2001 |
Cynicalgirl- I don't care about regulations. I just want to remind people to take care of things on their own. They seem to forget this is Maplewood. | ||
| joso Citizen Username: Joso Post Number: 150 Registered: 5-2001 |
Bravo Virgilian. Cheap windows, vinyl siding and bad roofing are a blight on the entire state, Your voice crying out in the vinyl wilderness is a blessing. | ||
| SoOrLady Citizen Username: Soorlady Post Number: 271 Registered: 9-2003 |
I don't know Virgillian - many of the homes in our area have those back stairs and small "maid's bedrooms". And many had the local gardener take care of the exterior (albeit sans leaf-blowing backpack). Do we all have our "family time" house chores, sure.. is it a glorious time with everyone singing as they dust/rake/whatever - not so much. It's a different era today - one in which colleges not only look at GPAs & SAT scores, but commitment to extra curricular activities as well. Those things which you call "consuming", I would refer to as "enriching". Again, you're not wrong, I'm not wrong, it's all in your personal choices. I'm sure people love to drive by your home in the spring and admire your handiwork. |
