The Home Improvement Thread

[xJuice]

Solar heat Gain: Lower the solar heat gain coefficient the better for your region. Less solar heat it transfers. Rating is from 0-1. Good rating for what little I know of your region IMHO.

Visible Transmittance: Light allowed in. 10% is typical for highly reflective glass. 90% would be clear glass. Not bad for your area, but not much light is let in. Increased aux lighting is needed as the numbers drop (less light let in). Good rating for what little I know of your region IMHO.

Air Leakage: 0.3 is max loss allowed. So most say less than .3. Basically in high winds when the windows are under pressure these will leak max amount allowed. This is the framing system. Double hung windows are a poor design to begin with so they will always have worse numbers.

U-Factor: Energy efficient windows start at .3 or lower. Slider is almost max allowed for energy efficient windows. Double hungs are much better.

All in all I never work residential or your region so take anything I say with a grain of salt. What I will say is that for a tipple pain window to let that much air leakage through - they could of done better. That said - my Anderson Windows I put in my house have the same rating for air leakage, but they are also over a decade old and only double pain. Ill never understand why the window companies put all this time and effort into having the other factors be good when air is leaking through. This is why Ill never use double hungs if I ever move north and build. Sliders are basically the same design as double hungs. Awning windows are the best from what I have read.

Gubment recommendations for your reference (I should be shooting for blue and you red):

@xJuice - what say you fellow glazier? This is your backyard so maybe you could provide better insight to him?

I deal with mainly commercial also, but the Ufactor and solar heat gain look good to me. Better than some of the stuff I deal with on commercial side. I'm actually surprised to see the triple glazed. Haven't seen any of that in this area.

 

[Oswego]

I deal with mainly commercial also, but the Ufactor and solar heat gain look good to me. Better than some of the stuff I deal with on commercial side. I'm actually surprised to see the triple glazed. Haven't seen any of that in this area.

Glad to hear that! Only place Ive ever installed triple glazed units is interior for noise reduction. They also were set on an angle to reflect the sound waves into the ceilings. No idea why I don't see more of them, but guessing cost is #1.

 

[xJuice]

Also I'm probably gonna have to beef up the door structure as this will probably be ungodly heavy.

No doubt.

How is the glass supported and kept weatherproof?

I'd just buy a door honestly, but. . . .

Never really dealt with this type of door before, but here's my best guess of it. The exterior skin of the door will have to be smaller than the glass opening to have a lip to be able to hold it in. Maybe put a screw applied stop on the inside. Not sure how something like this would be sealed in; maybe butyl tape? I'm more familiar with vinyl gaskets for sealing up our aluminum doors.

Quick sketch...

Thoughts @Oswego

 

[Anathollo]

I want to build some doors like this for my house but have never messed with glass at all. Any of you glass guys have any guidance for me? Also I'm probably gonna have to beef up the door structure as this will probably be ungodly heavy. View attachment 9256

Forgot to add, for a door this heavy, you're going to have to cut out sheet rock and reinforce the hell outta the existing frame. The door frame you have now was never intended to hold that much weight and will eventually sag.

 

[Oswego]

So they don't appear to be horrible then? They look really good!
I wonder for the air leakage if that's just the standard number they use and don't test each one down any further?
As for the slider v double hung I went slider on purpose. It dropped the window bill by probably 40%. I converted a bunch of sets of double hungs to sliders making one big window where it used to be 2.

Windows can't leak any more than that number so I assume every window just says it leaks less than the max allowed??? I don't really know.

How is the glass supported and kept weatherproof?

Good question and I wish I knew. I am a pro at 100% glass doors where the glass is the structural element. Once you start adding metal to them, especially 100% custom doors - I'm at a loss. if I needed furnish and install that door I would sub it out to a metal worker. If made from wood then a millworker would make it for me. I'd just specify the hardware he needed ti fit into the door.

Build a rectangle out of angle steel, allow thickness for weatherstripping and use screws for the inside to hold the glass in.

Just remember any metal that's not thermally broken will transfer heat/cold through the metal very efficiently. If the doors in the sun all day - it will transfer the heat easily/quickly.

No doubt.

I'd just buy a door honestly, but. . . .

Never really dealt with this type of door before, but here's my best guess of it. The exterior skin of the door will have to be smaller than the glass opening to have a lip to be able to hold it in. Maybe put a screw applied stop on the inside. Not sure how something like this would be sealed in; maybe butyl tape? I'm more familiar with vinyl gaskets for sealing up our aluminum doors.

Quick sketch...



Thoughts @Oswego

So would I

Sketch looks good. I'd probably build it out of wood and clad it in metal so I'd go the route you drew or use rectangular wood stops that got cladded later.

 

[Anathollo]

Just remember any metal that's not thermally broken will transfer heat/cold through the metal very efficiently. If the doors in the sun all day - it will transfer the heat easily/quickly.

That was my quick and dirty recommendation. I should've elaborated a bit further.

 

[achirdo]

Hmm all very good points I haven't considered about the heat coming through the door. Plate steel gets hot af sitting in the sun. The door will be in shade 100% of the time also. Insulation in there wouldn't be a bad idea.

I know I'm capable of building the door its just figuring out all the details. I hate paying for labor I'm 100% capable of doing.

The door frame I was planning on ripping out and installing some sort of steel tubing frame anchored to the concrete.

 

[Oswego]

Hmm all very good points I haven't considered about the heat coming through the door. Plate steel gets hot af sitting in the sun. The door will be in shade 100% of the time also. Insulation in there wouldn't be a bad idea.

I know I'm capable of building the door its just figuring out all the details. I hate paying for labor I'm 100% capable of doing.

The door frame I was planning on ripping out and installing some sort of steel tubing frame anchored to the concrete.

Hardware is the easy part if using center pivoting (easy for me because Ive been doing it so long). I would still recommend buying a door and modifying it to suite your needs.

Dorma HD8062 walking beam pivot prep Template: DORMA LM Series - Pivot Sets and Components
Dorma BTS80 floor closer prep template: DORMA BTS80 Series - Floor-Concealed Door Closer
Dorma 7471HD floor pivot (if you want a 3-400lb free swinging door that could be dangerous) DORMA LM Series - Pivot Sets and Components

 

[Oswego]

BTW - I can prob get you a deal on the parts, but they are expensive. Just to control the door you would be looking at about prob $600+ (BTS80 floor closer, 7421 bottom arm for door, HD8062 walking beam pivot for head).

 

[CowboyTaco]

Our second child is due the first week in May, so I made him a crib.

 

[Silverback]

I'm not seeing the photos.

 

[tx_shooter]

Our second child is due the first week in May, so I made him a crib.

I'm not seeing the photos.

Same. Looks like shared Google content that has permission issues.

 

[CowboyTaco]

 

[Silverback]

Very nice!!!

 

[tx_shooter]

Spent the day working at my sister's house removing some trees that had been blown down my storms. I had my Dad and Brother-in-Law there helping remove limbs while I put the electric chainsaw to work. I wish my b-in-law luck burning those large cedar sections. Overall it was a good day to be working outside.

 

[Silverback]

Good day today. Goood day.

 

[Silverback]

Nobody to bother me. Nobody yelling and screaming. Nobody splashing. Just me some tunes and some beer.

 

[tex]

I will probably be posting in here for a few months. Wife and I are going to be listing the house to downsize and stay in the same neighborhood.
Replace some skylight globes, a few pieces of facia, paint touch up, and a handfull of other small things.
Looking forward to a 1 story and fewer trees.

 

[tx_shooter]

Hiring movers this time?

 

[tex]

Hiring movers this time?

Not to that decision yet. First step is fix some things and get it ready to list.