LESLIE: I’ve heard of the sky falling but windows falling? Well, that’s what’s happened in New Jersey. Annie, what’s going on?
ANNIE: Oh, lord. That window has got to go because every time I open the window I pray that the top don’t meet with the bottom and get my fingers caught. And I’ve already had that done already on the kitchen window but we already fixed that problem. We just keep it closed. We don’t even go near it.
LESLIE: Oh, no.
TOM: OK, so when you open it up the window falls?
ANNIE: Yeah, yeah.
TOM: Is it like the springs are broken?
ANNIE: (chuckling) I got my fingers got in it about 40 plus years ago …
TOM: Oh, boy.
ANNIE: … and we haven’t touched that window since. (chuckling) This house is older than Methuselah. (laughter) But anyhow …
TOM: Well, if it’s a 40-year-old window, do you think it might be time to think about a new window, Annie?
ANNIE: I know, but right now the money.
TOM: Well, you can buy a replacement jamb for a window. And what a replacement jamb is – are these wood windows?
ANNIE: Yes, they are but the wood has like about had it.
LESLIE: In the jamb or around the sash itself?
ANNIE: The whole thing. It’s sliding down. So my husband put a piece of metal up there – it’s like one of those little jammers, like you said – and stuck it up in there but the thing fell.
TOM: There are replacement jambs that are available at home centers or building supply centers. And basically what they do is they pinch the window. They sort of grab the sides of the window. You take both operable sashes out; you put the replacement jambs in and they sort of pinch the window in place. So instead of being a spring that holds it from the top, it kind of pinches it from the side.
LESLIE: The jamb pieces are the two pieces on the side that have the tracks built in. And the sash are the upper and the bottom piece of glass that sort of move up and down and make the operable window pieces. So you can still use that sash but then replace the sides; the jamb panels is what Tom’s talking about.
ANNIE: OK, could we possibly take that window out and put another window in? But the problem there is that if we put a new window in, we have an air conditioner and you know it rocks up and down. There’s not going to be any much of a lip for it to hold onto.
TOM: Well, Annie, another thing that you might want to think about doing here is simply installing a replacement window. Now, a replacement window fits inside the opening of the old window. You basically remove those operable windows and you take them out, you take the jambs out on the side of them and you basically buy a replacement window to fit inside that. And all replacement windows are pretty much custom today …
ANNIE: Right.
TOM: … unless you happen to be fortunate enough to find one that fits exactly. But they can be ordered at any home center. The ordering of the window doesn’t really add a lot of cost to it because they’re all – they’re all made to be custom. They’re all made to fit somewhere.
ANNIE: You saved my life. (chuckling)
TOM: Well, thank you very much. (chuckling)
ANNIE: I thank you so much for the information on our bathroom, by the way, which is a gorgeous bathroom. You did say get tiles and, oh boy, did I win.
LESLIE: Oh, good.
ANNIE: The best thing I ever put in there was tiles; not linoleum.
TOM: So you’re repeat Money Pit customers, is that what you’re saying?
ANNIE: Yeah.
TOM: (chuckling) OK.
LESLIE: Glad to help.
ANNIE: Keep it going. I love your show. Thank you again.
TOM: You’re welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT. Annie, a Money Pit frequent flyer club member, apparently.
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