Windows

Thanks for all your comments! I've decided I will try to create a mural on the ceiling. First we have a lot of other things to do though, I was just excited to look into what I might do.

So here are some updates on the windows. I only have a couple pictures (I really really need to start taking more! I just never remember to or I'm discourage by the fact that I can't see what I'm taking a picture of on our camera... So I just need to try harder to remember).

So below are some updates : )
First of all, I didn't figure out how to move the pictures around until after I posted them all, so they are vertical. Thus taking up a very long post. Anyway...

Here is what it looked like before. Not too bad in the dark evidently! There wasn't a screen and the bottom pane wouldn't stay up so we used the removable adjustable screen for both purposes.

Here it is in the light. You can't see how bad it is but you can kind of tell it's crooked at the top and the locking mechanism was missing on the bottom pane (the part that goes into the other piece)
Here's the left top. Notice the large gap above the window where the top pane has sagged. It was stuck in this position and permanently open to the outside world... including spiders. ugh!
The right side wasn't as bad. Look between the window and the top, it narrowed from over 1/2 in on the left to less than 1/4 in on the right. The strip in the middle of the white is not it.
Here's the bottom pane. It was rotted half way through in the corner.Here's a close up of inside of the window. The left lower half.

A little further down.The right side. (Can't remove this hyperlink).This is the sill (the bottom). You can see it's completely rotted. It had an vinyl covering on it but I think water could get under it. Plus the water would roll off right where the porch roof meets it and go under the porch shingles!! So I took the whole sill out (and found out that the shingles currently there are just placed over the old wood shingles [same with the vinyl siding, the wood siding is still under it] which would explain why the shingles don't look quite straight in several spots). Anyway, I cut a new sill (that was somewhat difficult and required some creativity with just a mitre saw and a little hand saw and the thickness of the wall). I replaced it, primed and painted it and sealed up the gap that took the water under the porch shingles so hopefully now the water will roll off the roof and not pool and rot all the existing wood.

Here are some shots of the new installed window! Bottom right, before the sill and outside wood was painted.

Also before painting but after sealing the gaps between the vinyl window and the wood 'outside stop' with an expanding yellow foam. (very sticky stuff). Left bottom corner.

Inside. I put the foam in the opening that held the lead weight too.

Inside top corner. This was supposed to show how there's no gap but, the lighting didn't quite work out!

And finally... The completed window from the inside!!! Wahoo! All sealed and everything! No drafts! NO spiders!! The only thing missing is the inside trim. We figured the old just had to go. But that's just a visual thing so we're in no hurry to do it, it's low on the priority list.

Hope you enjoyed : )