New Windows, New Surprises

We slowed down on house projects for a while, knowing this one was going to be big. The downstairs windows had been on the list since day one. Even though we had already closed up a few random doors and windows, there were still plenty left to deal with. On top of that, we decided to close up the door to the laundry room and swap out the three dining room windows for a set of gorgeous new French doors with sidelights.

We started in the kitchen with the windows that face the pool, and I was delighted. Finally, a project where something felt instantly better. Then we moved into the living room, where we had to cut out the walls to make the windows match. For some reason, the original ones were all different sizes. That’s when the real fun began.

Turns out, there was a little insulation stuffed above the windows… but the windows themselves were never properly framed in. We are honestly lucky they held in place as long as they did. What should have been a straightforward swap quickly turned into extra time, extra wood, and of course extra money. Because what home project ever stays on budget?

By the time we made it around to the dining room, it was time to cut the opening for the French doors. That’s when we discovered a gem of a problem: someone had run plumbing through the exterior wall. Not only that, but whoever installed the sheetrock had put a nail straight through the drain line off the kitchen sink. That little mistake caused a slow leak filled with food particles — which was basically an open invitation for a colony of ants to move in. Add in some rotted floorboards from the moisture, and we had ourselves a full stop.

So yes, for several days we had a giant hole in the back of our house. No one slept great with the house literally wide open. We had to call a plumber to reroute the mess before we could get back on track.

Once the plumbing was fixed, we pulled out the last of the windows and prepped for the French doors. That’s when we found yet another surprise: there was zero support around the original windows. None. The entire weight of the wall and roof was basically sitting on the glass. Back to Home Depot we went for more wood to build a proper frame, header, and support studs. I think I actually heard the wall whisper, “thank you.”

Finally, the French doors and sidelights went in, the sheetrock got replaced, and we could breathe again. Eventually I’ll paint the sidelights and we’ll build a raised porch to create a proper entryway into the back of the house. But since this project took longer and cost more than we planned, that will have to wait for another day.

For now, we’re just enjoying windows that won’t fall out of the walls, doors that open to the backyard, and the satisfaction of knowing things are actually built the way they should be.