I have some vinyl casement windows that were installed 20 years ago by Home Depot. The hinges and hardware rusted and I needed them replaced. The windows themselves were just fine.
Surprise, surprise.....turns out most window companies are only interested in selling you new windows, and that's fine, but that's not what I was looking for.
Because Home Depot subcontracts, you can't even get the people who originally installed the windows to help out because Home Depot purges files after a while and they don't have any information... But of course, they're happy to sell you new windows. :/
After checking with a half dozen or more window companies it was suggested that I try to find the hardware from Blaine Windows.
I called and spoke with Patti Petty (her real name, lol) and she asked for pics of the hardware and she would have her guys put together a quote for me with all the necessary hardware. Other companies send you to their website for you to "fish around" and figure it out on your own. That would be fine except they're are literally dozens and HUNDREDS of options with window hardware... And they all kind of look the same. Amazon wasn't even a reasonable option for me - too much to choose from there too. I'm no hardware specialist, sorry.
Patti asked for pics and HER people figure out what's needed. Big difference.
Sure enough that's exactly what she did.
$165 in parts + $25 shipping = $190
Received my package on Friday via FedEx and had a company that I (finally) found send somebody out this morning to install.
Turns out GLASS companies will install window hardware.... So they sent two guys.
Whole time they were doing disassembly I was praying that everything that needed to be in that Blaine box was (actually) in that box and everything was going to match up correctly.
Everything did!!! Only cost me $180 for the labor.
A couple of little brackets were missing, but I emailed Patti and she is going to drop those in the mail for me - no big deal. Windows installed and operational. Thanks to Patti and her team for knowing their business inside and out!!
This was a year-long investigative odyssey that I'm glad is finally over....and all for under $400.
I tipped the install guys $20 bucks for lunch and am about to enjoy some breeze on this lovely day through my fully functional windows. read more