Do I have to buy a fancy custom replacement window?

July 14, 2014 6:01 PM

Window experts of metafilter- is there any chance this is a standard shaped window?

Hi all,

My new (used) house has this window.

It looks like a possibly common enough shape with the triple arch on top that I was hoping maybe someone would recognize it and point me to the manufacturer. It needs replacing and I would really rather not have to order a custom window to fill that slot, or hire someone to cut the existing hole into a more standard shape.

71" from top arch to bottom of rectangle x 55 1/2" wide at rectangle, including frame.

The windows have no helpful identifying markings. They are circa 1988.

Please let me know a) if you can point me to a manufacturer that sells that shape stock or b) any tips on what to call that three arch pattern on the top so I can google it better or c) any suggestions you might have on cheaply replacing this thing if it's custom?

Thanks everyone!

posted by slateyness to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

I don't recognize the manufacturer. I have a house of that era and I found that the manufacturer of my windows went out of business during the recession.

I have saved some of my windows by scraping out the rotten parts with a screwdriver, applying wood hardener to the remaining wood, filling in the parts formerly occupied by rotten wood with water putty, sanding, priming, caulking and painting. It's a LOT of work, but if you have an odd window it will buy you a few years.

My parents recently had a couple of holes cut into their house and new windows installed, and the hole-cutting part was not as expensive as you'd expect.

Sorry that I was not more help.
posted by Ostara at 7:46 PM on July 14, 2014

Unless you can positively identify the manufacturer, the odds of you finding a perfect fitting replacement are essentially nil. It's going to be (I'd guess) an order of magnitude cheaper to get the hole re-sized and buy an off the shelf window than to get something custom made.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:31 AM on July 15, 2014

You should be able to just replace the bottom 2 rectangular windows without messing with the tops half-circle ones.

Why do they need to be replaced?

I think that unless you go to home depot to buy an in-stock window, they would be making it sized specifically to your house. In other words, whoever you go with will still want the measurements of the windows to have them built. There really isn't a standard size, it's all custom built.

Another question is are you sure the rectangular portions are not standard sized?
posted by eatcake at 7:58 AM on July 15, 2014

Try Pella Windows, they not only make all kinds of odd shapes they also make custom windows. This is assuming you are in the US. Can't link right now. Also look at all of the windows in the house and see if any of them have the manufacturer's name.
posted by mareli at 8:02 AM on July 15, 2014

Response by poster: Eatcake- they need to be replaced be replaced due to fogging and leaking that is rotting the wood beneath. They photographed well but they are a mess.

Thanks for all the answers. I am going to cut out the hole at the top into a normal half circle and replace them with new windows.
posted by slateyness at 3:43 PM on July 15, 2014