Window to the world is an idiom describing something that provides insight, knowledge, or a broader perspective outside one's immediate experience. Well in this case, it's been more like an out of body experience.
It started last year when we decided to replace the last of the old barn sash windows. They got iced up every winter from trapping moisture between the panes, so we had been getting a few new windows every so often. This time I talked to my friend John, who has a small construction outfit, about ordering some. "I'll come by and check it out" he said in May, so June and July went by and no John. So I finally called and offered him some old motorcycle parts laying around the garage if he'd come out. When he does finally get here, we have few beers, load the parts in his pickup, and he leaves, telling me to just measure the rough openings of the windows and send him the dimensions. So I did that and his wife Sue, who does the ordering, told me it's be 6-8 weeks for delivery. Well August and September go by and windows arrive the end of October, just in time for the first snowstorm.
With the window installation postponed until spring, I mentioned to John I might need a hand with the larger ones, since they were replacing several double barn sash. He offered one of his carpenters, who was close to retirement and likely be available for part time work then. So this spring, Larry comes over after most of the snow is gone and looks over the place, asks a few questions, and says he'll do the job. "But I don't usually give estimates, it'd just be by the hour, $80. Figure on two days" That was a bit of a surprise but everything costs more now and that's what the plumber charged last time. It's only money, right?
The old barn sash and new window after installation.
Larry showed up on Thursday and we got all the windows installed on one day. He was pretty efficient at his work and I ran around being his "gofer" so things went better than planned. The last thing he did was spray insulating foam around the windows. He talked about how he needed to trim the excess before it expanded too far and made a mess, but got busy and apparently forgot.
The green and white expanding foam covering the window frame like malignant worms.
Larry offered to stay longer and clean up the windows, but for $80 an hour, figured I'd could get'er done myself. So I spent about four hours cleaning up the windows over the next few days, that's the picture Andy took from the deck. Now all I have to do is replace all the trim boards, inside and out and I've got all summer for that. No sense being bored!
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