Restoring a Interwar Queenslander that has 70s aluminum windows
I have just bought my first home a interwar double gabled Queenslander. Our issues is some time in that last 50 years they decided to replace all the old windows with thin aluminum ones and in some places open and two or three windows as well as the original window. As we are renovating we need to replace all the windows and window boxes. Our question is what is the best way to do it without blowing the budget??
We are trying to make a profit on this place and being in our early 20's we don't exactly have huge amounts of cash to play with. We are both engineers so could easily do up plans and design windows but are very worried that custom wooden double hung windows ( and stills as that is exposed wall at the moment ) may blow the budget.
Our idea thus far are for our 4 large double hung window and about 8 meters of opened up windows ( see photos)
- Replace them all with costume timber double hung windows with the stills all fixed up as well could be very $$$
- See if i can find second hand windows removed from old QLDer's that would fit
- Replace with new white aluminium downs and get timber stills created
- Somehow work with what we have got with new stills
Any advice/ recommendations or feed back would be super appreciated !!
Many thanks
Emily
The window about 3m one side and 2m the other possible may add a deck so one wall could be bi fold doors
wall to wall windows about 3m worth
Normal double hung window
On another note does anyone have any idea what to do with the exterior vinyl cladding that was put over the weatherboard many decades ago do we replace or work with it ?
Comments (13)
Emily Bird
6 years agoRelated Discussions
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Comments (196)bigreader I'm okie..thanks for caring ..just need time to readjust kind of walked out on my job..so looking for stuff to fill in my time ..I hate being bored and sitting sround fiddling my thumb been looking for courses to do and taking my camera out.. these I took yesterday in Warrandyte.....See MoreIs this a federation house and how can I best design it?
Comments (12)the verandah is a critical aspect to the original - I'd advise against altering or removing it- it adds dimension and character to the facade/form. I'd recommend any potential alterations/additions (if ever/being entertained) to be contained to the rear and respect/retain existing character that is contributory to the significance of the style of the building. Perhaps consolidate some ideas/goals and then seek some preliminary advice from a professional who is familiar/experienced (and respectful) to the building type you're working with....best of luck with it :) PD...See MoreHow do I give my facade a more coastal look and feel?
Comments (47)As someone who bought a brick house recently, a major reason for the decision was the low maintenance of unpainted brick. So, no, don't paint the brick! The facade above the brick looks heavy and dominating because it is so bright white and all one colour. Why not go for a more retro look, break up the solidity of the overhanging facade by painting the vertical trims a different colour? Pick a colour that compliments the brick and keep in mind that colours were more adventurous in the 70s. Embrace the fun of the beach and the retro look without going overboard. Leave the brick as is, paint window trims to contrast and catch the light., maybe add shutters in the same colour to make windows look bigger and add more to catch the eye under the eaves. And paint the front door a fun, bright colour. Citrus colours catch the light and pop, but check they don't clash with the colour of the brick. You need contrast and brightness. Our blonde brick house was built in 1960. We painted the front door, the awning over our sliding doors and our garage door all the same colour: bright citrus orange (the garage door has 2 horizontal white stripes). The result was an instant uplift. We then had the roof restored and painted a terracotta colour (concrete tiles) and cleaned the eaves. The house looks fresh as a daisy and so much more attractive. The paint cost about $100, and the roof cost $6000. Money well spent! Then we worked on the gardens. We took out tall plants close to the house and replanted the gardens with more attractive flowering plants, going for colour. It all looks much more inviting now....See MoreIdeas to modernise exterior?
Comments (11)hi Lilychily I have just changed my Front Entry ONLY Section - (exterior & Interior)- .... it has cost me a WHOPPING $13,000- ... exhorbitant $5,400 to the Builder, Labour charged.. - DO NOT PAY THEM by the HOUR...!!! .. PLUS Materiials - $1,500 new Front Door + $1,000 New Lock +,$1,200 some Scyon Cladding + $1,000 Timber materials paid to Builder (to DROP the ceiling/ battens etc) + $100 Insulation-Batts + Tiler $500 + $1,600 Painter/ Paint + Change Light Fittings $200... etc. I was going to RENDER -or- Paint the Brick -- it would have been SOO Much Cheaper. the Roof - Don't change it, you will need the money for other things. the Balustrade - ... I DISAGREE with "dreamer" - ... I agree with Pottsy99, .... -KEEP IT - the white Matches your windows & is more moderm than what 'dreamer ' has suggested.. -- down the road, you could paint the uprights in Black? - .. - HOW LOW IS IT? - is it to Building code height? .... if you decide to replace it with something higher, use Aluminium OR Powder-coated-steel (maybe Black bcoz Black fades into the background)... The AWNINGS - if you have the Money, do a Timber Pergola style on the Left-hand-deck - Paint it White OR Black depending on what Colours / Style you decide upon.. the WINDOWS- Potsy99 suggests CHANGING them - this could be expensive - Aluminium is very expensive at the moment and has increased about 20% in the last year... ... IF you wanted to replace the Windows, consider LOUVRES - they are GREAT for Ventiliation & are a more-modern look... I love my Louvre Windows -- I think your biggest problem at the moment is the one Large wall of the SLOPED-CEILING-CLADDING/BRICK-SECTION bcoz it sticks out like a sore-thumb.. - DO THIS SECTION FIRST.. - the simplest & cheapest solution would be to PAINT this Section - IF BOTH the Cladding & the Brick are the SAME-colour, it will be better.. - - OR, you could CEMENT RENDER this Section (Bricks and the existing cladding).. Go to pInterest website, there are thousands of b4 and After shots . a REALLY Good website is - brickandbatten.com - unfortunately, I didn't find this website b4 I did the work.. - it has LOTS of ideas.....See MoreEmily Bird
6 years agoThe photo below is from the realestate when we bought it so in reality is looks less white. We are planing on making the front sleepout back into a deck as from the inside it is most half arsed conversion( asbestos panels where there isn't windows and thin green carpet squares ). We also need to remove the cladding over gabbles and maybe put window hoods back in. It isn't the worst and add insulation. We live regionally so market is only just starting to go up again but in a city that is full of either cheap fibre homes or beautiful Queenslanders with the price of the latter being a lot higher. Our plan is to restore it back to beautiful Queenslander it once was before the 70's renos took place.
Emily Bird
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoLooking back from the last few comments I have made it sound like it is bomb that we are trying to patch up which it isn't. It is a fine old lady that has had a few unsightly face lifts over the years which need rectifying.
It is on a 1/4 block in the middle of town in Toowoomba( which is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia). That block size even in Toowoomba is very very rare. We also got the place for a steal as it when to auction when everyone assumed the developers would snatch it up and do townhouses but due to the character listing you have to keep the front of the house so got passed in and we snatched it up a few hours later. Our plan is to make it into a Queenslander again do a cost effective DIY Reno to existing part of the house. We are young and child free so have the time and energy to do this.
Plan thus far is :
- Turn the bedroom next to biggest room into our ensuite and WIR ( creating the indoor loo we are currently missing ). Fairly high standard with antique vanity with a marble top ,stand alone bath tub and Art Deco black and white tiles and underfloor heating.
- Turn the sleep-out back into a deck
- Open up the kitchen dinning area do a new kitchen and restore the old wood stove.
- Put a deck off the dinning area.
- Do all the basic cosmetic stuff such as painting and floors, replace front fence with a white picket and put a cottage garden in and add proper stairs up to the entrance.
- When we have enough equity in the property we will borrow against it and put a two store extension on the back( where the bathroom laundry is now) with two bedrooms and a new bathroom on the top and a laundry study rumpus room at the bottom. This will be at different height with the bottom being on the slab and the second level above that so that the top of extension isn't higher than the original house.
Budget wise aiming for $60,000 for main original house (luckily it was reroofed and stumped just before we bought it)by doing most of it ourselves and having family that are tradies and knowing lots of contractors personally. With extension aiming $1000 -$1500 per sqm.
This may seem like a lot of information when I was just asking about windows but it may give a better context to the rest of the house. I have attached the current floor plan and image of one of the nicer original features. Any advice on our other plans is very very welcome !!! We are working on the proper architectural drawing at the moment, perks of being engineers we can do them ourselves.
Emily Bird
6 years ago
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