Effing Windows!

That is one of the few really BAD things about this house that we didn't know about when we bought it.  Either the window was about to go bad, or WAS bad but you just couldn't tell quite yet.  I think they slapped a crapton of paint and epoxy over any bad spots and just crossed their fingers.  Next time we're house-hunting, I'm bringing a screwdriver and poking all of the frames to check for soft spots.

We knew the living room window and the one by the front door needed new outer panes because there was a BB hole in each (I have no idea...a local kid?  the dad?  the kid who used to live here?)...no biggie.  It wasn't leaking air into the house or anything.  But then we discovered the family room window had a really big rotten spot on the inside bottom corner.  Like, stick your finger through the damned frame cause it was soft and rotten :(  Contacted Pella, ordered the new window, their contractor came out THREE MONTHS LATER to install it for a gazillion dollars..it took 3 appointments to get him here.  THEN to top it all off, the j-hole didn't install it correctly so when we had a bad rain storm a month later, the TOP of the frame got soaked on the inside.  At least procrastination sometimes pays off, because I hadn't painted it yet...otherwise I never would have seen the wet till it was too late :(

This summer I was poking at the other windows, and decided to scrub/prime/paint them all again..Went to get started on the one in our room and the effing bottom is totally rotten.  So, I've been ignoring it in the hopes that it would fix itself or something..I don't know?  I just couldn't deal with another 700$ window and a crappyass installation.  A bit later, I had moved on and started the first floor windows.  When we discovered the damned effing dining room window is rotten as well.  And the kitchen sink one.  And the sliding glass door.  I was so angry and baffled and 'wtf'ing I spent a few evenings googling 'window repair' and 'window maintenance' and all that...We haven't been doing anything WRONG!  That was a big concern of mine, that we were causing it.  I can't speak for the people who owned the house before us though.  Until I stumbled upon a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer for our exact model of window, made and installed during certain years (when ours were) that they leak bigtime and cause early rotting.  Fucking-A! 

Here's what I have going on in our bedroom today -

 The whole bottom piece which has the opening/closing mechanism on it has seperated from the main window piece.  You can swing out the whole window, and still have the bottom piece up flush with the frame.

I ended up brushing out any loose bits, vacuuming it with an attachment, throwing a crap ton of glue in there, and clamping it.  I just want a seal so we can get through the winter before having it replaced.  I will happily buy a replacement window, but there is NO way I'm having one of their contractors install it.   Tuesday I will prime it, wednesday I will paint it.  Then probably seal the whole danged double window with that lovely winterising plastic stuff. 

Isn't home-ownership GRAND?!