Can I reclaim old triple slider windows?
We're away from home for 3-4 days every week on average. The home has leaky triple pane slider windows with the glass in good condition. I'm wondering if I could make some new sliders out of fir on the table saw (to replace the leaky plastic ones), and then make some thermal shutters out of EPS foam, and achive better results than buying all new windows for a fraction of the cost?
We have a ton of trees around the house so there is virtually no solar gain through the windows ever. The big benefit with shutters is that I could close them when we're not home (improved security) or on rooms that aren't being used.
The home is 1980's construction in Northern Ontario, with 2x4 walls, and uses 240 BTU/hr per degree C difference on average. I'm trying to revive the old windows because I want to spend the money I would otherwise spend on windows on a heat pump hot water tank, which I can use to also help heat the house.
Regarding your first question about making your own windows – Let me make sure I really understand – is your plan to build new window frames then insert the existing sealed window thermals into them and replace them in the rough openings? If so, that sounds like a ton of work to do with old triple pane thermals, and depending on their current state you could find yourself in the same predicament sooner than you’d like.
Personally I wouldn’t if it were me. But the question of what to do about old leaky windows is a common one, so we have a page all about it, have a read here -
How do you know when to replace windows and when to repair them?
Northern Ontario is a pretty tough climate, so I admire your ambition to build EPS shutters, but were you planning to do that on the inside or the outside? Obviously it would be easier to open and close them from the inside, but then your windows would freeze and that will bring issues and concerns of its own. I think the best answer is close to what you're suggesting – a heat pump water heater would help, but first I'd be looking at an air source / air to air heat pump. But tell me more if you would about those EPS shutters, that could be good or it could be a problem, and we’re happy to work through it with you.