Thursday, December 23, 2010

The window installation

I was gonna title that the window finale, but I'm not quite sure that it's all over yet.

Yesterday our long awaited windows came and were installed into my house.  Of course that was not without more drama.  (why can't anything ever go right???) 

We were greeted right off the bat with yet another change to our widows due to our lovely city and their stupid building codes.

As you may remember from last time Window Drama we had to change our order to take out 6 double hung windows and put in 3 2 panel slider windows instead because our local building code requires us to have windows that allow very huge people to escape from our second story windows. 

Well yesterday we learned that that same building code considers my main floor office a bedroom because "it has a closet"* and also requires that I replace the existing 2 double hung windows in the office with another 2 panel slider window...again for very large people to escape through the window, when the front door to the house is only 2 feet away.
*the office shares a closet with the foyer.  the said closet has a door that opens to the foyer and another door that opens to the office.

So I first called up the city's building dept and begged that I be able to keep my double hung windows.  The guy I spoke with was able to look up the permit and know exactly what I was talking about...but unfortunately the only way he was going to let me have my windows was for us to wall in the back side of the foyer/office closet.  So I called up my hubby and he was livid!  There was no way that he was going to close up the back of the closet just to keep the windows.  Luckily the window company had built the window that we needed to keep to code.  So they installed that.  I was very bummed...at least the window isn't that bad looking.

When the building inspector comes I will very much voice my complaint that 1) there are 8 blooming smoke detectors in this house so there is NO CHANCE of anyone getting trapped by flames in any of the rooms.  (okay, maybe if the furnace were to explode...but what are the chances of that happening???)  2) if they were trapped they would never consider jumping out a window from the 2nd story because they would surely die from the fall. I would rather get burned a bit running down the stairs than jump and break most of my bones and possibly my neck.  3) if they were truly that desperate to get out they wouldn't be at all concerned with breaking the window to get out...and these window frames pop out very easily.  4) my office, even though it has a closet would never in anyone's right mind be considered a bedroom...besides if you really needed a home with more bedrooms you would go buy one...not a 4 bedroom house.

I was just chatting with Darly and we mentioned that if she gets any more dolls that she'll need a bigger bedroom...I joked that we could take out the closets between her and the guest bedrooms and then she could have a super sized suite.  She loved that idea, but I'm sure hubby won't go for it.  However, we just gained a bedroom downstairs  LOL!

Today the window guys are working on the outside of our windows...they'll then present us with the bill.  stay tuned for that drama!

3 comments:

  1. We learned the same thing, that any room with a closet can be considered a bedroom. My studio with three walls of windows and a door to the front porch is a bedroom because it has a closet. Still, some regulations just don't make sense.

    Merry Christmas anyway! At least we have window to complain about LOL.

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  2. The bill, no fun. But great new windows? So worth it, no?

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  3. Building codes kind of drive me nuts when they're for private residences. I can see for public buildings, but honestly, it's your lives. If you wanna risk stuff, you should be able to!

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