front door options

We need to choose our exteriors doors so that Neil can install the final casing and then put a temporary door up to secure the house.  Many of the contemporary door styles, just don't fit with what we want...and the ones we really like are over $3000 for one door, like 3 or 5 below.  We like the use of metal on those two and our thinking is to do something ourselves, like #6.  Start with a $600 fir door (which is really a fir veneer with a solid core of other wood) and then route out and apply a metal panel to the exterior.  Even thinking of laser cutting our address number into the top panel.






























I used photoshop elements for the study above.  I took a still image from the model that i had created for the drawings in Archicad and grabbed images off webpages of the front doors and replaced the doors with the different styles.  The lighting isn't perfect, but it very quickly shows the options.

pot of Chapucas

windows all in!

Spring has arrived and our windows are all in.  We have had some issues with them that took a bit to get sorted out, but they are now all installed and looking good.  Many of them are casement windows below with an awning above.  This will allow for upper ventilation without being a security issue.

The gutters are also on and look great! Love how they just disappear.  Downspouts are just temporary till we finish the siding.

The above picture shows our cat door to the deck...just a slider window.  Being indoor cats, they are going to love having access to the upper deck!

The windows are Milgard Ultra series which is all fiberglass. We evaluated a few different windows and settled on Milgard because they are a local company (manufactured in Tacoma, WA), their great customer service and lifetime warranty for as long as we own the house.  Also other window packages were coming in higher and with 50+ windows, cost was a major consideration. 

We went with the flat black exterior, but it would have cost an additional $5,000 to do black on the inside, so we decided we were all right with the white.  They are also triple glazing, with 2 panes of Low-E coating on the glass to give us a lower U-value averaging .26. Surprising this only added about $500 to the entire $30,000 window package.  Triple glazing also helps with sound control from the busy street....but it adds considerable weight to the window...especially with our larger windows.  Luckily during install, the window sashes were removed for easier handling.