THE PROBLEM During the design process of our "ZippeeShade" which have designed exclusively for the Mini Cooper, I encountered a slight problem on my test vehicle, a 2003 Mini Cooper S. The problem I was facing was what seemed to be some kind of short circuit. The sunroof was working fine until one day without warning it opened half way and when I tried to close it, nothing happened, it would not close. When I depressed the switch to close the sunroof, all you can hear was a clicking noise from the relay. I located the fuse to see if it was blown, and to my surprise it wasnt. Now I was confused and even worse I was concerned that I would have to drive around with the sunroof stuck half way open. Luckily I went on Google to do some research and found tips on closing the sunroof manually. At the rear of your car there should be a Mini Cooper Tool Bag, which will contain an Allen wrench hand crank used to connect directly to the sunroof motor to manually close your sunroof. You can access your sunroof motor by removing the clock from the headliner and you will see the Allen wrench screw used to manually open and close the sunroof. Next, I attempted to shop around for someone to fix my sunroof, and unfortunately I could not find any independent service center that had experience in repairing Mini Coopers. You would think that living in Las Vegas we would have more repair technicians to choose from other than the Mini Dealership, but I was wrong. I called the Mini Cooper ...
Monday, November 28, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Installing Vinyl Replacement Windows In A Wood Frame Opening
When we left off last week, we had removed the old wood sash windows and prepared the opening for the vinyl replacement windows. Now it's time to install your new windows. You should have someone there to help you when doing the installation. First, Remove all shipping materials from the window. Now, if you are installing several different sizes, make sure you are putting the correct window in the correct opening. You need to put the window into the opening to make sure it's going to fit, then remove it and run a bead of caulk on the face of the outside blind stop where the window will rest. You don't want to caulk, only to discover the windows are too big. It's worth the extra few minutes to make sure it's going to fit. Lift the window and set the bottom in first. Then raise the top until it rests against the outside blind stops. Sometimes, when raising the top into position, the window frame will hit the top of the wood frame. You need to tap down on the top of the vinyl frame while keeping pressure towards the outside.
Once you determine that it's going to fit, remove the new window and set it aside. Run a bead of caulk on the face of the outside blind stops. White latex painters caulk works fine. Raise the window into position again. Now have your helper hold the window in position while you raise and lower the sashes, making certain that the window is square in the opening. Remember how you ordered the windows 3/16"- 1/4" shorter than the tightest measurement? This is where you use this space to adjust the frame to be the most plumb and level. Get a box of popsicle sticks and wood coffee stirrers at the grocery store. The coffee stirrers are about 1/16" thick, and the popsicle sticks are approximately twice as thick. You want to put the shims in the four corners. Then caulk the gap on both sides and along the top before installing the inside stops. I don't recommend putting any screws in the sides, but you can put one screw in the top center and one in the bottom center. You really don't have to use any screws in this kind of installation, since the shims will eliminate any side play, and the caulk on the blind stops will hold the frame in place as well. Remember, we still need to re-install the inside stops.
Before installing the inside stops, remove all the old nails and replace them with new nails. A 1"- 1 1/4" finish nail is fine. Before installing the inside stops, scrape all old caulk off the stops. Then, while your helper holds the window in place, nail your stops back on. If the window has 4 stops, install the shortest ones first. That way you can bend the longer stops into place between the two short ones. Use a nail punch to sink the head past the surface of the stop. If you have several windows to do, i suggest doing the first window to this point before going to the next. How frustrating would it be to have a helper removing the old sashes, only to discover that the windows aren't going to fit!? If the first one goes in fine, then you can send your helper ahead of you to start removing old sashes. The best way to avoid the nightmare of having a bunch of new windows that won't fit is to make sure you measure CORRECTLY. Remember, tight minus 1/4" on the width and height should be fine.
Finish the inside by caulking the area of the inside stop where it meets the casing, and the point where the stop meets the new frame. Fill the nail holes in the inside stops with caulk to hide the nail heads. Now it's time to finish the outside. A quality replacement window will either have a sloped frame to match the slope sill, or it will come with an insert that fits under the new frame to fill the gap created by the sloping wood sill. If you buy a lower grade window that doesn't come with anything to fill the gap underneath, you can buy some wood trim to fill the space, or you can get a flat vinyl trim that attaches to the face of the bottom of the new frame. The flat trim is available on my website under the "shop" tab. Once you cover the bottom gap, it's time to caulk where the outside blind stops meet the vinyl frame, and where the bottom gap filler meets the wood sill.
That's it! You're done! You can buy accessories to cover your old wood sills with a vinyl wrap extrusion. That can also be found on the website under the "shop" tab. Next week we are going to start on replacing old aluminum windows.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Blinds Between the Glass: Choices in Interior Design With Built-Ins
Windows with blinds between the glass are the latest rage in home design. They are a little bit more expensive than other replacement windows but when you add up the energy savings, savings on window treatments and time savings you are getting a true value. In doing research I have found that your options of window treatments for windows with blinds between the glass are not as limited as when the product was first developed. If you were turned off at the concept because you felt limited to mini-blinds or accordion shades then you will be excited at the following new options in replacement windows.
We will start with the basic snap in blind. You now have color choices that will let you match your interior without adding additional curtains to the windows. Shades come in many different colors so be sure to check with your manufacturer before settling on off white. You will be surprised at how accommodating the choices are. You can also custom order the windows for the decor in each of your rooms. The windows do not need to all be ordered with the same color. Another feature that many clients don't realize with the new blinds is that they are easier than ever to snap in and out. If your rooms look changes so can your blinds. The other thing I just love about these built in shades is that they create a consistent look from room to room. Even if the colors are different the basic concept is the same and to some consumer this is a huge selling point.
Another feature between the glass windows are featuring is cellular shades with different fabrics available. The nice feature about this is that even if you are adding a splash of pizzazz to your room decor the curb appeal is kept uniform by the backing that is placed on the shade. The white or cream backing provides a neutral look to the windows. If you want your home to have a uniform look from the curb these fabric cellular shades can give you that while providing a custom look to the interior. Another great feature about cellular shades is that they are able to be opened from the top or bottom. This is important especially in houses where the floor level is equal to the street. To prevent people from being able to see in your home you can have the shades open from just the top.
This is probably my favorite new product available for windows with the between the glass feature, patterned panels. These are perfect for basements and bathrooms. You still have one hundred percent of the light while keeping one hundred percent of your privacy. When looking into windows with between the glass features check out the different panel design options. I am sure there is one that you will fall in love with.
Last, but not least, are grilles. This is my least favorite option but people like the decorative appeal they provide. Some people don't realize this but you can use grilles and blinds together. This gives a dimensional look to your windows from the road without the hassle of cleaning separate squares like you would have to do if the grilles were on the outside of the window.
Hopefully you will find exactly what you are looking for in your replacement windows. Remember when shopping to do a price analysis that includes window treatment cost and I think you will agree that windows with built-ins and windows without are fairly close in cost. This is especially true once you take into consideration the cost of window treatments.
Great Deals Marpac White Noise Machines Analog Tvs Reviews Solia Tourmaline Flat Iron Save You Money!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Normande Lighting 100W Incandescent Torchiere Floor Lamp with Side Reading Lamp. 71" High with a Dark Bronze Painted Finish and Frosted Glass Shades with Wire Décor. (Not CA Compliant)
!±8±Normande Lighting 100W Incandescent Torchiere Floor Lamp with Side Reading Lamp. 71" High with a Dark Bronze Painted Finish and Frosted Glass Shades with Wire Décor. (Not CA Compliant)
Brand : Normande LightingRate :
Price : $55.94
Post Date : Nov 20, 2011 08:34:08
Usually ships in 24 hours
100W incandescent torchiere floor lamp with 40W incandescent reading lamp
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |