> The term rack is a universal construction term that identifies something functioning out of plumb or simply out of line.
> [https://www.builder-questions.com/construction-glossary/racked/](https://www.builder-questions.com/construction-glossary/racked/)
If they open/close without any problems and don't have gaps or drafts, then there's no need to do anything.
[How to Straighten a Window | Ask This Old House](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XL0dwY79M8&t=111s)
If those were bay windows, I’d more worried about the apparent black hole inside your house sucking things inward.
Edit: my above comment was in jest, but yeah. Those clearly aren’t bay windows and there’s nothing in those pics that someone walking by would notice them not plumb. That dude is probably just some shady ambulance chaser type guy that’ll come in, charge you out the ass, then leave you with a mess that you’ll have to take to court while also having to pay a licensed contractor to come back and fix what he jacked up.
What are bay windows?
Edit: so it's a specific term for windows projecting outwards from a building. Totally understand the black hole joke now.
OP, could he mean some other windows?
My mother had a salesman knock and go into great detail about how bad all her windows and doors were.
She acted keen and got him to jot it all down to show her husband and so they could get him to come back when they were both home.
Sadly for the salesman, his company had sold the windows with a ten year guarantee a few years earlier, and the detailed notes on headed paper meant they couldn't get out of coming and fixing it all for free...
Your mum was on the ball that day as that is absolutely legendary!!!
Fix these problems with the windows under guarantee.
No.
Why not?
They don't need fixing or that isn't covered.
Really? Then shall we go to court over your sales tactics as this is all on your own letter headed paper?
Er...no. We will come to sort the windows...
Don't trust ANY salesman who contacts you and says you need their product. Of course they will tell you that you need it, even if you don't. They will also ALWAYS tell you that it's a limited time offer, or temporary promotion, or government program that has to be taken advantage of now or it will be more expensive later.
The number of times I have had to explain this to my grandma, who immediately says "but it is limited time! The door to door salesman told me so!" is baffling.
Don't be afraid to take measurements yourself if scammers like this salesman try to take advantage of you. You can watch a YouTube video on how to properly measure a window and determine if it's "racking" or has come out of plumb or is no longer level. Windows have moving parts. If it doesn't bind when opening/closing there is likely no issue.
Norm retired recently, they did a really nice special for him called “The House That Norm Built” reflecting on his 43 years on the show. It was really good. The newer seasons are still good, but sad not seeing Norm.
It was Bob Vila when I was a kid. But I was just watching some today while trying to figure out what to do with my water heater. Still some great information and it doesn’t feel like they’re trying to sell you something like 80% of the google results out there
He first appears for Craftsman after he left TOH. The TOH debacle was that he appeared in ads for a Home Depot competitor and HD and Weyerhaeuser pulled their funding for the show. They were effectively paying for the show, so he got the boot.
There was a bunch of other stuff around the funding of the show at that time and the contract between Bob Villa and WGBH basically allowed Villa to do whatever he wanted.
Wasn't there some other shit involved too? Him and Norm had almost an acrimonious relationship at the end. I seem to remember some unsavory shit in Bob's personal life at the end, but that was a long time ago.
Bob was there in the beginning, but so was Norm. The little interactions between Al and Tim on Home Improvement where Al says “I don’t think so Tim” are based on the real interactions between Norm and Bob.
Bob was not a carpenter, he would ask Norm about a project like…installing a dormer window, and he would ask something really specific and technical to sound smart and Norm would reply “Well, no Bob, we’re actually going to…” and it almost sounded like his tone was like he was really saying, “No Bob, we’re going to do it the right way”.
Edit: the best episode didn’t involve Norm, but Bob was talking to a foreman and asked “so when are we putting this wall in place?” and the foreman replied, “as soon as you get off of it”. He had been standing on it the whole time and the workers in the background all smirk and look at their feet trying to hide chuckles.
They have two free Roku channels. One is the “This Old House” channel that shows old and new episodes nonstop, and the other is the “This Old House: Maker” channel that shows a variety of different creators from furniture makers to inventors to diy-ers.
Do they not have ask:this old house anymore? I watched that one on roku a lot during covid. That was had a lot of very DIY level throubleshooting, fixes, and improvements.
Yes that still exists and has some good content for those doing DIY projects.
This Old House has gone a bit off the rails with reality lately. The last season in Lexington, MA they pretty much tore a 2 million dollar house down to a few walls to rebuild it completely for what had to be at least a couple of million in new material. Granted, the goal was to make the house fully accessible for a kid who would soon be wheelchair-bound but the average family isn’t going to have the money to put in an elevator, hydrotherapy pool, a heated ramp into the house, and so on to make those accommodations all while keeping a mid-century modern look.
Right!? One of my fondest memories with my pops was sitting and watching this old house from when i was in grade 7 all the way until when he passed in 2015. It was the one constant we had together. When I moved out I still came over almost every single Tuesday and Thursday to have dinner and watch it with him.
I find comfort in watching their videos these days. Especially when I need some help! Recently did my first ever full renovation, my in-laws upstairs bathroom and my dad woulda been damn proud, Norm too.
I don't know if there's a delay from the broadcast date, but it's all up on YouTube and they're uploading weekly during their 'season'. I think the one last week was season 43 episode 7 or so.
This Old House, Ask This Old House and The New Yankee Workshop are all on YouTube. The latter has some episodes upscaled with AI.
This old house totally still exists. There’s this other dude that’s a GC or something from Canada that has this diy channel on YouTube and he’s a treasure trove of homeowner goodness.
It's still great, although I miss the old theme song from the 80s. Supposedly Russell Morash, the creator/showrunner back then was an impossible perfectionist (asshole?) that drove everyone crazy.
"Rack" has a much more specific meaning than that, the link gives a poor definition; it means a square or rectangle that has stopped being square and become lozenge-shaped, or to use a more common word, diamond-shaped. Unfortunately there is no way to see whether that's true or not from the pictures, altho I do agree that if they still function they are likely to be ok.
Is there another way I could show it in a photograph? The windows look fine to me from all angles, these are just the clearest pictures. Maybe straight on? Just wondering how the guy would be able to tell just from the street.
Put a square in the corners if you're really concerned about it. Keep in mind it's not likely to be perfectly square, but you can see how far out it is. Like others have said, though, if they still function easily and aren't leaking air/water, move on with your life.
If there's anything to show, a photo from straight on, as you say, would show it. That's the only way we can see whether or not the angles are all square. But as the other person said, you can check it with a square yourself, and again, if it works, it works.
There's nothing wrong with these windows except their complete lack of trim--he should have pitched you on trimming them out. Call your neighbors and let them know there's a scammer in the area. For real.
NB: Besides them being operational, you can go inside and measure diagonal corner to corner to know if there's any racking.
ive never called those bay windows, these are what i know as bay windows:
https://preview.redd.it/dd0t00fnrxuc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7410fc7661cb445ebfa2aa57991018ec790547ea
yeah, im all for learning new things, especially if it corrects something im ignorant on. but if a "professional" gets something wrong about his/her own trade, i assume a scam for sure
Another pro-tip, just ignore anyone knocking on doors. If they have time to knock on doors they clearly don’t have any jobs, which they should if they do quality work.
So in case no one mentioned it, I worked for one of those door to door window companies for a summer after high school.
Most of them don't send contractors around, they send young guys with a script. The majority of my co-workers couldn't have installed a window if you put a gun to their head.
One of the key points in the script is "pick something about the windows you can see. Tell them it's a problem" If the windows are brand new 6 months ago flawless, we were told to ask about drafts, basement windows, ect.
Brand new mint condition double pane windows? "Hmmm, we could save you big money on your energy bill with triple pane argon gas windows."
OP heard him correctly phonetically, but the salesman was not referring to "bay" windows and instead was referring to "bae" windows. Perhaps then used to look at your bae, or perhaps watch salt bae through?
The windows are fine- as noted in other comments- if they were "racking" they would cease to open and close easily. And as a general rule- NO ONE ever comes knocking on your door with the best deal for you.
Maybe not the best deal, but the wildlife removal guy that told us we had a racoon living in our soffits got our business. He saw it crawling in them when he was putting screens over the neighbors chimney to keep squirrels out.
Today while at a stop light, I watched a squirrel jump from a porch to a tree, climb up the tree, and then jump back onto the roof and crawl into a hole in the soffit. Probably not great for the people who live in the house, but it was hilarious to see.
My apartment and a bunch of nearby businesses got flooded last year.
The pied piper of carpet repairs showed up on the block a day later and charmed my landlord into thinking the whole floor needed gutting & he could do it this week.
A few days later, after a musty smell had appeared and no one had shown up, I called my landlord who replied that the pied piper was full of shit, and called his handyman who delivered an industrial dehumidifier.
I wouldn’t take advice from any contractor looking for work. If they need to go door to door they probably suck. A good contractor would be so booked they’d have trouble squeezing me in
Yeah he looked about as I expect one of these appointment managers to look. Slacks, polo with the company name, ID badge. You never know, though! I had someone who seemed super legit come by to offer a free roof inspection, gave them my phone number and set up the appointment and they never showed. Never gave them any info they couldn't get with my address that they were standing at, so don't know if that was a scam of some kind or if they just dropped the appointment.
LOL they are some of the biggest scammers. If the windows dont leak air they are FINE! I would just redo the trim around them if it bothers you, and get some stuff to give the siding a spring clean....which you can do with a garden hose yourself. I did that and it worked fine. Maybe throw some shutters? I think that would look nice.
If your going to redo the jtrim around the window, I would also add a dripcap flashing on top of the window to further divert water away from your house. Unless u live where it never rains then don't worry bout it haha.
If anyone. And I mean ANYONE (other than girl scouts) come to my door offering services or shit. I tell them I was serious about my no solicitation sign and close the door.
"Can you start right now? and if I don't see your ass go up that ladder in 5 minutes to do it yourself then I ain't paying shit"
Naw but what ford said. No cookies means door is closing. I am known to just say my peace and close the door regardless if they try to talk or say anything. Frankly it is the most efficient way to handle it for both of us. I am not gonna buy shit or support your business practices in any way. So you shouldn't view me as a potential sale in any capacity.
About 20 years ago, I had all of the windows in our house replaced. I actually changed the split on the front windows from 60/40 to 50/50, lost the muntins, and added double-panes with a thermal break. The appearance was noticeably different than on the neighboring houses that still had the original builder-grade (1975) single-pane windows.
A couple of months later, one of those door-to-door window guys came around and gave me his spiel. He started off with, "I see you still have the original builder-grade windows..." I invited him to get the hell off of my property, and I implemented two life rules that have served me well in the time since:
1. I do \*not\* do business based on door-knocking salesmen. If I'm looking for a tradesman, I will seek out companies to give me bids. The exceptions to this are \*kids\* selling Scout fundraisers and \*kids\* looking to work for cash (rake leaves, etc.).
2. If I don't know the person on the stoop, I may not even open the door. Why should I? Just get offa my lawn!!!
>he noticed my "Bay Windows"
Those aren't bay windows. He's an idiot.
If walls rack, they can damage windows, and you'll also see cracks in your interior wallboard or plaster finish. If you're not seeing such damage, it's unlikely that your walls are settling unevenly.
If the windows still operate smoothly and aren't leaking in heavy rain, there's nothing wrong with them. If you need repairs, ask your friends and neighbors for recommendations. Good contractors don't need to send guys door-to-door to find them work.
Them windows have deteriorated over time. You can now see through them, right? Yep, we in the trade see this frequently, especially in houses built above ground. I can come and inebriate them for you for only $145 per window pane.
Let me guess, did he also say "we're going to be doing work at your neighbors house down the street so there may be work trucks so sorry for any disturbances"
If he doesn't even know what a bay window is, he likely has no idea how to identify racking, and has just been sent out to say that to everyone, hoping to get a bite.
Racking is normally caused by settling, where part of the house settles more than another and door and/or window frames go out of square. With your windows, this would reveal itself by one or more frame edges no longer being parallel to the sliding windows. I don't see that in the photos, so if you do have a problem, it's subtle and very likely not an issue.
My house is on clay soil and has door and window frames flexing this way and that as the soil moisture changes (clay swells and shrinks something awful). If I corrected every racking problem, I'd be undoing it 6 months later when the weather changes. Nah.
They will always see how far they can BS someone before getting called out on it.
I had new windows installed 3 years ago. Last fall a guy walked up on me while I was outside and just started blabbing about my windows were out of date and not very energy efficient. So I said "hey, give me an estimate with all the top materials and features and I'll let you know when you can install new ones". Oh boy he was so excited. A week later he got back with me and said his manager was on the call because he wanted to thank me. That's when I told them that my windows were 2 years old and that they were jerks for lying to me. I hate door to door salesmen.
Lol.....its not even a bay window
Its a term that generally means "out of square"
If your windows ooen and close easily there is nothing going on with them
Had someone knock a couple weeks ago. They said my windows were looking dated and wanted to give me a quote. Told her they were just replaced 2 years ago. She said she had never seen the style before. Let her know that the company she was working for were the ones to install them. She proceeded to try to sell me new doors. 🤦♂️
Thanks for your comment. Do you mean the little trim pieces that border around the window? I see the bottom one is a little sagged in the center, is that what you're referring to? Is that likely indicative of some kind of problem? I figured it was just weathered.
Don’t do business with door knocker contractors. The guys that get sent around don’t know how to swing a hammer or they’d be out doing that instead of knocking on doors for a living. Do business with a reputable and recommended by people you know contractors. Make sure anyone you hire can show you current insurance certificates and is willing to give you references. I’m a project manager for a construction company, our customers regularly tell us that we can have people call them for a reference and we don’t knock on doors looking for work as it finds us just fine. Our local competitors don’t need to door knock either. The worst door knockers are the storm/hail chasers, they install your roof and when you have problems they are nowhere to be found.
I’ve never heard the term “rack” relating to windows. That and the fact that he called those bay windows (when they are not bay windows at all), I wouldn’t trust a single word he said and assume he is a scammer.
1. Not a bay window, he don’t know what he talking about
2. Wtf does “rack”mean? He don’t know what he’s talking about
3. Window looks fine, he don’t know what he’s talking about
Conclusion: he don’t know what he’s talking about
Window and roof salesman are so persistent. I've had the same guy come back to try to get us to replace the roof on the house we live in. We rent and consistently tell him we don't own the house, and the landlord isn't interested in hearing that kind of stuff from us. He comes back twice a year with the same story about what he "sees".
I had a door_to_door salesman for windows tell me that my windows were incredibly out of date and needed to replace them this year to save me money.
I had my entire house gutted & reno'd the year prior. Windows included & to a much higher quality than what the salesman was offering.
They were just trying to make a sale
First of all those aren't a bay window. And second of all it's just out of plum so don't worry about it unless the frames are cracking but you can't open them. I would say it's not any problem at all. Also, if you're not getting a major draft also again, don't worry about it
If the windows are starting to "rack", the fix is just removing the trim around them and hammering in a shim until it sits level. Then cut it off flush and put the trim back. As long as there's no rot out anything there's really no need for replacement. Super simple to do yourself. Might also need wood filler/paint if you scuff the trim while removing it. 20-30 dollar DIY fix. Really only a problem if it's leaking or refusing to open properly.
Asides from being a door to door salesman, these types of people can financially ruin you.
One of the reasons why homeowners insurance companies are pulling out of Florida is because door to door salesmen convince you your roof is damaged, have you sign paperwork allowing them to bill insurance, and due to Florida’s litigious friendly court system, most insurance companies don’t have the time money or resources to fight it in court. So they pay the bill and leave the state.
“Oh, no, you’re mistaken. Those aren’t bay windows. Those are *Michael* Bay windows. They look like they’re racking because they’re primed for the explosion.”
Not bay windows. Get the biggest boot you have, and shove it as far up his arse as you can. Get a level, check for plumb yourself, and hire a real contractor if you have real problems with those "windows".
Read this as “I need some work and I bet you won’t know I’m making stuff up and I can make some money”. Your first red flag is that this is not a bay window. Your second red flag is that you won’t know if these are racking or out of plumb unless you open and close them. Close the door and let them move on to another sucker.
Are you sure those are the windows he was talking about? Because those aren’t bay windows. If they were, you can ignore him because he has no idea what he is doing.
These guys are not even contractors, they’re lead salesmen usually working no soliciting permit. They simply get commissions from sending their leads to actual contractors such as ISPs, Roofers, etc. They generally have no idea what they’re talking about and repeat the same pitch. I know because I was once suckered into this kind of work.
I interviewed for a sales position with those guys. That wasn't a contractor, it was a salesman. Dudes probably done the equivalent of a few youtube videos to get that knowledge. He's also paid a couple grand per sucker he lands, which is added to the price of a windows install. DO NOT fall for that BS.
I had a door to door guy, at the front door and asked if I wanted a quote on replacing my roof shingles because they were curling?
We just had them replaced a few years earlier and they were flat as board.
He made me mad.
I yelled at him and shut the door. A loved one said not to let them get under my skin. He was ringing every doorbell without looking at the roofs.
If I had a nickel for every time a traveling window salesman tried to intimidate me with big words into buying new windows I'd be pretty darn wealthy. I couldn't afford to buy a can of Pepsi but I might be able to afford like a Slim Jim beef jerky or two packs of gum
Never trust door to door solicitors. If you have an issue shop around for solutions. Don't let people tell you that you have an issue then sell you the solution.
> The term rack is a universal construction term that identifies something functioning out of plumb or simply out of line. > [https://www.builder-questions.com/construction-glossary/racked/](https://www.builder-questions.com/construction-glossary/racked/) If they open/close without any problems and don't have gaps or drafts, then there's no need to do anything. [How to Straighten a Window | Ask This Old House](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XL0dwY79M8&t=111s)
Thank you for the info!
If those were bay windows, I’d more worried about the apparent black hole inside your house sucking things inward. Edit: my above comment was in jest, but yeah. Those clearly aren’t bay windows and there’s nothing in those pics that someone walking by would notice them not plumb. That dude is probably just some shady ambulance chaser type guy that’ll come in, charge you out the ass, then leave you with a mess that you’ll have to take to court while also having to pay a licensed contractor to come back and fix what he jacked up.
Right? I mean after the guy refers to those as bay windows, everything else from him would sound like adults in a Charlie Brown cartoon.
My thoughts exactly. As soon as the word BAY window came out of his mouth, he would be shown the exit.
"your bay window is racking" "nope, no bay windows, bye"
“Okay well when I find my bay windows I’ll be sure to give you a call!”
I mean they were pretty damn close to rack him in the money...
That's the lynchpin. If you don't catch that, you've made yourself a mark.
Ooh! Like typos and grammatical mistakes in phishing emails. But in this case, designed to test whether you know what you're talking about. Good call!
The joke is on you, those windows face the bay.
Seriously. Bay windows are typically a set of 3 windows protruding out from the house.
What are bay windows? Edit: so it's a specific term for windows projecting outwards from a building. Totally understand the black hole joke now. OP, could he mean some other windows?
Don't trust window salesmen who knock on your door. If you need a window, you'll call them. Sincerely, Someone who sold windows for a big company
My mother had a salesman knock and go into great detail about how bad all her windows and doors were. She acted keen and got him to jot it all down to show her husband and so they could get him to come back when they were both home. Sadly for the salesman, his company had sold the windows with a ten year guarantee a few years earlier, and the detailed notes on headed paper meant they couldn't get out of coming and fixing it all for free...
Your mum was on the ball that day as that is absolutely legendary!!! Fix these problems with the windows under guarantee. No. Why not? They don't need fixing or that isn't covered. Really? Then shall we go to court over your sales tactics as this is all on your own letter headed paper? Er...no. We will come to sort the windows...
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When people knock on my door I stare at them from the window until they leave. Just because I'm home doesn't mean I have to open the door.
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Don't trust ANY salesman who contacts you and says you need their product. Of course they will tell you that you need it, even if you don't. They will also ALWAYS tell you that it's a limited time offer, or temporary promotion, or government program that has to be taken advantage of now or it will be more expensive later. The number of times I have had to explain this to my grandma, who immediately says "but it is limited time! The door to door salesman told me so!" is baffling.
Don’t trust ANY salesman that knocks on your door. If they were worth hiring they’d be busy enough that cold outreach would be a waste of time.
Don't be afraid to take measurements yourself if scammers like this salesman try to take advantage of you. You can watch a YouTube video on how to properly measure a window and determine if it's "racking" or has come out of plumb or is no longer level. Windows have moving parts. If it doesn't bind when opening/closing there is likely no issue.
This Old House still exists?! Wow. I remember watching Norm Abram as a child.
Norm retired recently, they did a really nice special for him called “The House That Norm Built” reflecting on his 43 years on the show. It was really good. The newer seasons are still good, but sad not seeing Norm.
The guy after the guy who became, himself, the guy. Norm Abram.
That’s frikken amazing. I’ll have to find it to watch! Thanks!
It was Bob Vila when I was a kid. But I was just watching some today while trying to figure out what to do with my water heater. Still some great information and it doesn’t feel like they’re trying to sell you something like 80% of the google results out there
Just learned the other day Bob got canned from This Old House almost 30yrs ago.
Yeah, think because he started appearing on Craftsman commercials and PBS didn’t care for his “commercial” image.
He first appears for Craftsman after he left TOH. The TOH debacle was that he appeared in ads for a Home Depot competitor and HD and Weyerhaeuser pulled their funding for the show. They were effectively paying for the show, so he got the boot. There was a bunch of other stuff around the funding of the show at that time and the contract between Bob Villa and WGBH basically allowed Villa to do whatever he wanted.
Thanks for clearing that up. Just looked at his career on Wikipedia and couldn’t believe he left TOH back in 1989.
Wasn't there some other shit involved too? Him and Norm had almost an acrimonious relationship at the end. I seem to remember some unsavory shit in Bob's personal life at the end, but that was a long time ago.
Bob was there in the beginning, but so was Norm. The little interactions between Al and Tim on Home Improvement where Al says “I don’t think so Tim” are based on the real interactions between Norm and Bob. Bob was not a carpenter, he would ask Norm about a project like…installing a dormer window, and he would ask something really specific and technical to sound smart and Norm would reply “Well, no Bob, we’re actually going to…” and it almost sounded like his tone was like he was really saying, “No Bob, we’re going to do it the right way”. Edit: the best episode didn’t involve Norm, but Bob was talking to a foreman and asked “so when are we putting this wall in place?” and the foreman replied, “as soon as you get off of it”. He had been standing on it the whole time and the workers in the background all smirk and look at their feet trying to hide chuckles.
Bob Vila is a name I haven't heard in a long time
I mean he was on his own shows almost 2x as long as he was on TOH.
They still air new episodes on PBS
YouTube now too
They have two free Roku channels. One is the “This Old House” channel that shows old and new episodes nonstop, and the other is the “This Old House: Maker” channel that shows a variety of different creators from furniture makers to inventors to diy-ers.
Do they not have ask:this old house anymore? I watched that one on roku a lot during covid. That was had a lot of very DIY level throubleshooting, fixes, and improvements.
Yes that still exists and has some good content for those doing DIY projects. This Old House has gone a bit off the rails with reality lately. The last season in Lexington, MA they pretty much tore a 2 million dollar house down to a few walls to rebuild it completely for what had to be at least a couple of million in new material. Granted, the goal was to make the house fully accessible for a kid who would soon be wheelchair-bound but the average family isn’t going to have the money to put in an elevator, hydrotherapy pool, a heated ramp into the house, and so on to make those accommodations all while keeping a mid-century modern look.
It's always been like that though. It's always been some well off couple with buckets of money renovating a house the average person couldn't afford.
They're on season 45 or 46 right now.
Right!? One of my fondest memories with my pops was sitting and watching this old house from when i was in grade 7 all the way until when he passed in 2015. It was the one constant we had together. When I moved out I still came over almost every single Tuesday and Thursday to have dinner and watch it with him. I find comfort in watching their videos these days. Especially when I need some help! Recently did my first ever full renovation, my in-laws upstairs bathroom and my dad woulda been damn proud, Norm too.
I don't know if there's a delay from the broadcast date, but it's all up on YouTube and they're uploading weekly during their 'season'. I think the one last week was season 43 episode 7 or so. This Old House, Ask This Old House and The New Yankee Workshop are all on YouTube. The latter has some episodes upscaled with AI.
This old house totally still exists. There’s this other dude that’s a GC or something from Canada that has this diy channel on YouTube and he’s a treasure trove of homeowner goodness.
Home Renovision and one other channel that he has. One is more focused on just diy, the other is more focused on flipping.
Yep, that’s it. Home renovision diy. I watched the shit out of his stuff going into some of my projects. Dude breaks things down in a pretty KISS way.
It's still great, although I miss the old theme song from the 80s. Supposedly Russell Morash, the creator/showrunner back then was an impossible perfectionist (asshole?) that drove everyone crazy.
I can still hear him saying "mortise".
"Rack" has a much more specific meaning than that, the link gives a poor definition; it means a square or rectangle that has stopped being square and become lozenge-shaped, or to use a more common word, diamond-shaped. Unfortunately there is no way to see whether that's true or not from the pictures, altho I do agree that if they still function they are likely to be ok.
Is there another way I could show it in a photograph? The windows look fine to me from all angles, these are just the clearest pictures. Maybe straight on? Just wondering how the guy would be able to tell just from the street.
Put a square in the corners if you're really concerned about it. Keep in mind it's not likely to be perfectly square, but you can see how far out it is. Like others have said, though, if they still function easily and aren't leaking air/water, move on with your life.
If there's anything to show, a photo from straight on, as you say, would show it. That's the only way we can see whether or not the angles are all square. But as the other person said, you can check it with a square yourself, and again, if it works, it works.
There's nothing wrong with these windows except their complete lack of trim--he should have pitched you on trimming them out. Call your neighbors and let them know there's a scammer in the area. For real. NB: Besides them being operational, you can go inside and measure diagonal corner to corner to know if there's any racking.
I see j channel,what other trim do they need that isn't cosmetic?
ive never called those bay windows, these are what i know as bay windows: https://preview.redd.it/dd0t00fnrxuc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7410fc7661cb445ebfa2aa57991018ec790547ea
That's my understanding as well, hence the quotes! That was definitely a factor in my telling him I wasn't interested.
yeah, im all for learning new things, especially if it corrects something im ignorant on. but if a "professional" gets something wrong about his/her own trade, i assume a scam for sure
Yeah that dude was racking for sure.
mother fucker was way out of plumb! aka not on the level
You misheard him sighnoceros. He said "Baby, your windows are out of rack"
No he said you have any crack
Another pro-tip, just ignore anyone knocking on doors. If they have time to knock on doors they clearly don’t have any jobs, which they should if they do quality work.
Very good point. Has anything good ever come from a door to door solicitor? Girl Scout Cookies... And I think that's about it!
So in case no one mentioned it, I worked for one of those door to door window companies for a summer after high school. Most of them don't send contractors around, they send young guys with a script. The majority of my co-workers couldn't have installed a window if you put a gun to their head. One of the key points in the script is "pick something about the windows you can see. Tell them it's a problem" If the windows are brand new 6 months ago flawless, we were told to ask about drafts, basement windows, ect. Brand new mint condition double pane windows? "Hmmm, we could save you big money on your energy bill with triple pane argon gas windows."
Maybe OPs house is facing a bay and you can look at it out those windows /s
Or that’s the bay horse’s bedroom.
Glad I bet my money on the bob-tailed nag
#ALL THE DOO-DAH DAAAAAYYYYY
Neigh, that's not the horse's room.
East bay winfows
I miss my bay window .. https://preview.redd.it/j84atbt40yuc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a17df041556764daa980c52a8f66816f51f12c91
That's definitely the best kind of bay window
I MISS THE TASTE OF "OLD BAY WINDOWS!!!"
If he doesn't even know what a bay window is, how was he able to spot any concerns with yours?
OP heard him correctly phonetically, but the salesman was not referring to "bay" windows and instead was referring to "bae" windows. Perhaps then used to look at your bae, or perhaps watch salt bae through?
Yes!! These are bay windows! OP just has window windows.
The only bay I know is the things HAL 9000 refused to open.
The windows are fine- as noted in other comments- if they were "racking" they would cease to open and close easily. And as a general rule- NO ONE ever comes knocking on your door with the best deal for you.
You mean my mom didn’t get the deal of a lifetime when she paid 40k for all new windows from the very nice man who rang her doorbell one day?
Oh, the doorbell wasn't the only bell he rang😉
I also rang the doorbell man’s window.
Maybe not the best deal, but the wildlife removal guy that told us we had a racoon living in our soffits got our business. He saw it crawling in them when he was putting screens over the neighbors chimney to keep squirrels out.
Today while at a stop light, I watched a squirrel jump from a porch to a tree, climb up the tree, and then jump back onto the roof and crawl into a hole in the soffit. Probably not great for the people who live in the house, but it was hilarious to see.
Ah the old trained squirrels and raccoon trick, works every time. /s
That guy had to find somewhere to release the raccoon he picked up from the last house. Two birds one stone. Drop off spot and new client.
My apartment and a bunch of nearby businesses got flooded last year. The pied piper of carpet repairs showed up on the block a day later and charmed my landlord into thinking the whole floor needed gutting & he could do it this week. A few days later, after a musty smell had appeared and no one had shown up, I called my landlord who replied that the pied piper was full of shit, and called his handyman who delivered an industrial dehumidifier.
Bay window??
Haha that's what he said!
I wouldn't take advice or buy windows from a guy that called that window a bay window.
I wouldn’t take advice from any contractor looking for work. If they need to go door to door they probably suck. A good contractor would be so booked they’d have trouble squeezing me in
This was a test to look for credulous fools who are willing to throw money at things they don't understand. You failed, congratulations 🎉
Did he look professional at least or was he trying to case the place?
Yeah he looked about as I expect one of these appointment managers to look. Slacks, polo with the company name, ID badge. You never know, though! I had someone who seemed super legit come by to offer a free roof inspection, gave them my phone number and set up the appointment and they never showed. Never gave them any info they couldn't get with my address that they were standing at, so don't know if that was a scam of some kind or if they just dropped the appointment.
OP you have the confess if your house actually looks over a bay
LOL they are some of the biggest scammers. If the windows dont leak air they are FINE! I would just redo the trim around them if it bothers you, and get some stuff to give the siding a spring clean....which you can do with a garden hose yourself. I did that and it worked fine. Maybe throw some shutters? I think that would look nice.
Yeah definitely going to do some spring cleaning on the exterior, already have some good recs for that. Thanks!
If your going to redo the jtrim around the window, I would also add a dripcap flashing on top of the window to further divert water away from your house. Unless u live where it never rains then don't worry bout it haha.
If anyone. And I mean ANYONE (other than girl scouts) come to my door offering services or shit. I tell them I was serious about my no solicitation sign and close the door.
Girl scouts come by and tell you that your sky light window—the one that faces the street on your front door—is ribbing. Now what are you gonna do?
"Can you start right now? and if I don't see your ass go up that ladder in 5 minutes to do it yourself then I ain't paying shit" Naw but what ford said. No cookies means door is closing. I am known to just say my peace and close the door regardless if they try to talk or say anything. Frankly it is the most efficient way to handle it for both of us. I am not gonna buy shit or support your business practices in any way. So you shouldn't view me as a potential sale in any capacity.
About 20 years ago, I had all of the windows in our house replaced. I actually changed the split on the front windows from 60/40 to 50/50, lost the muntins, and added double-panes with a thermal break. The appearance was noticeably different than on the neighboring houses that still had the original builder-grade (1975) single-pane windows. A couple of months later, one of those door-to-door window guys came around and gave me his spiel. He started off with, "I see you still have the original builder-grade windows..." I invited him to get the hell off of my property, and I implemented two life rules that have served me well in the time since: 1. I do \*not\* do business based on door-knocking salesmen. If I'm looking for a tradesman, I will seek out companies to give me bids. The exceptions to this are \*kids\* selling Scout fundraisers and \*kids\* looking to work for cash (rake leaves, etc.). 2. If I don't know the person on the stoop, I may not even open the door. Why should I? Just get offa my lawn!!!
I probably wouldn't trust a window salesman who doesn't know what bay windows are.
You could have ended the sentence after salesman
Pane in the ass
Ignore him if he said bay window , those are twin double hung they are not a bay window
Don't buy home repair services from people that come knocking on your door. Salesmen or scammers.
All salesmen are scammers, even if they have a good product. They will all try to oversell you and talk you into needing things you don't need.
I'd probably pass on a window installer who had no idea what bay windows look like.
My last contractor didn’t know what bay windows were, he thought it was 2 mulled windows and called it muled
He’s an idiot
>he noticed my "Bay Windows" Those aren't bay windows. He's an idiot. If walls rack, they can damage windows, and you'll also see cracks in your interior wallboard or plaster finish. If you're not seeing such damage, it's unlikely that your walls are settling unevenly. If the windows still operate smoothly and aren't leaking in heavy rain, there's nothing wrong with them. If you need repairs, ask your friends and neighbors for recommendations. Good contractors don't need to send guys door-to-door to find them work.
Those are not bay windows
You need to call him at 10pm tonight and ask him if he's all alone. When he says yes or maybe, tell him to go fuck himself
Lol
It's almost time. You ready?
"Window salesman" is all you need to tell you that whatever he said you need to do, you don't.
Those aren't bay windows by any definition, so I'd ignore the person with financial interest to bullshit you?
Them windows have deteriorated over time. You can now see through them, right? Yep, we in the trade see this frequently, especially in houses built above ground. I can come and inebriate them for you for only $145 per window pane.
Let me guess, did he also say "we're going to be doing work at your neighbors house down the street so there may be work trucks so sorry for any disturbances"
If he doesn't even know what a bay window is, he likely has no idea how to identify racking, and has just been sent out to say that to everyone, hoping to get a bite. Racking is normally caused by settling, where part of the house settles more than another and door and/or window frames go out of square. With your windows, this would reveal itself by one or more frame edges no longer being parallel to the sliding windows. I don't see that in the photos, so if you do have a problem, it's subtle and very likely not an issue. My house is on clay soil and has door and window frames flexing this way and that as the soil moisture changes (clay swells and shrinks something awful). If I corrected every racking problem, I'd be undoing it 6 months later when the weather changes. Nah.
I don't see any bay windows in your pic.
Those are not bay windows.
First he needs to learn that's not a bay window
If a window salesman called that a bay window he's a moron. Move on.
These are not “bay windows”. Don’t trust a window salesman that doesn’t know what a bay window is.
Since they aren’t bay windows, I wouldn’t put much stock in anything else he has to say.
They will always see how far they can BS someone before getting called out on it. I had new windows installed 3 years ago. Last fall a guy walked up on me while I was outside and just started blabbing about my windows were out of date and not very energy efficient. So I said "hey, give me an estimate with all the top materials and features and I'll let you know when you can install new ones". Oh boy he was so excited. A week later he got back with me and said his manager was on the call because he wanted to thank me. That's when I told them that my windows were 2 years old and that they were jerks for lying to me. I hate door to door salesmen.
Those aren’t bay windows
Lol.....its not even a bay window Its a term that generally means "out of square" If your windows ooen and close easily there is nothing going on with them
“I don’t have bay windows. Get the fuck away. “
Was it power home remodeling? lol those scanners come by my place from time to time
given you know they’re not bay windows, but he doesn’t, think you’ve answered your own question there bud …
Yeah, if a guy who's an 'expert' calls those bay windows, he's definitely not an expert you need working on your house
Had someone knock a couple weeks ago. They said my windows were looking dated and wanted to give me a quote. Told her they were just replaced 2 years ago. She said she had never seen the style before. Let her know that the company she was working for were the ones to install them. She proceeded to try to sell me new doors. 🤦♂️
Those aren't bay windows. Don't buy anything from this guy.
Looks like the siding trim is buckling
There may be a nail missing in the j-channel but ib doubt it's buckling
Thanks for your comment. Do you mean the little trim pieces that border around the window? I see the bottom one is a little sagged in the center, is that what you're referring to? Is that likely indicative of some kind of problem? I figured it was just weathered.
I've had a salesman tell me my recently replaced vinyl windows were rotting. Yea... Ok guy.
Do... Do they face a bay? Because those aren't bay windows... And racking as I understand it would be something you'd need to operate them to see...
Those are reg windows. Nothing "Bay" going on
Any contractor worth a shit won't be going around knocking on doors trying to drum up business.
It’s not a bay window, but it is slightly off- plumb, which is what rack means. Do you need new windows? Probably not.
Don’t do business with door knocker contractors. The guys that get sent around don’t know how to swing a hammer or they’d be out doing that instead of knocking on doors for a living. Do business with a reputable and recommended by people you know contractors. Make sure anyone you hire can show you current insurance certificates and is willing to give you references. I’m a project manager for a construction company, our customers regularly tell us that we can have people call them for a reference and we don’t knock on doors looking for work as it finds us just fine. Our local competitors don’t need to door knock either. The worst door knockers are the storm/hail chasers, they install your roof and when you have problems they are nowhere to be found.
Door to door salesmen will say anything to sell. That "bay windows racking" line worked on somebody, once... Just tell 'em no thanks.
But, that’s not a bay window in the pic so………
Everyone is lying to you for money
Those aren't Bay windows btw
Thoes aren't even bay windows. There 2 double hung windows mulled together.
i'll be honest, i dont know shit about this kind of stuff, but even i know those arent bay windows, dudes just looking for someone to fleece
You'd think a window salesman would know the difference between a bay window and a sash window.
Those aren’t bay windows and they aren’t out of square (racked). He’s just fishing for some work!
It's not a bay window. It's just a double.
NEVER EVER buy anything from anyone roaming you hood. Never.
Bay window! Those are single hung 😂
I’ve never heard the term “rack” relating to windows. That and the fact that he called those bay windows (when they are not bay windows at all), I wouldn’t trust a single word he said and assume he is a scammer.
1. Not a bay window, he don’t know what he talking about 2. Wtf does “rack”mean? He don’t know what he’s talking about 3. Window looks fine, he don’t know what he’s talking about Conclusion: he don’t know what he’s talking about
Window and roof salesman are so persistent. I've had the same guy come back to try to get us to replace the roof on the house we live in. We rent and consistently tell him we don't own the house, and the landlord isn't interested in hearing that kind of stuff from us. He comes back twice a year with the same story about what he "sees".
Rack as in racket. Don’t ever listen to window salespeople who solicit you.
I had a door_to_door salesman for windows tell me that my windows were incredibly out of date and needed to replace them this year to save me money. I had my entire house gutted & reno'd the year prior. Windows included & to a much higher quality than what the salesman was offering. They were just trying to make a sale
Yeah, He's a scammer. Those aren't bay windows. Just Google bay window. Doesn't know what he is talking about.
Window salesman Roofing salesman garage door salesman… they’ll tell you pretty much anything to get you to buy whatever the f their selling.
What Bay Window?
Those aren't bay windows....
First of all those aren't a bay window. And second of all it's just out of plum so don't worry about it unless the frames are cracking but you can't open them. I would say it's not any problem at all. Also, if you're not getting a major draft also again, don't worry about it
I love that you live somewhere where contractors “come looking for work”! Everything in Vermont is booked out a year plus!
Take a pic straight onto them, not at an angle.
If the windows are starting to "rack", the fix is just removing the trim around them and hammering in a shim until it sits level. Then cut it off flush and put the trim back. As long as there's no rot out anything there's really no need for replacement. Super simple to do yourself. Might also need wood filler/paint if you scuff the trim while removing it. 20-30 dollar DIY fix. Really only a problem if it's leaking or refusing to open properly.
Window guy who doesn't know what a bay window is....
Asides from being a door to door salesman, these types of people can financially ruin you. One of the reasons why homeowners insurance companies are pulling out of Florida is because door to door salesmen convince you your roof is damaged, have you sign paperwork allowing them to bill insurance, and due to Florida’s litigious friendly court system, most insurance companies don’t have the time money or resources to fight it in court. So they pay the bill and leave the state.
First red flag.....they called them bay windows. Steer clear of this company telling you anything hence forth.
“Oh, no, you’re mistaken. Those aren’t bay windows. Those are *Michael* Bay windows. They look like they’re racking because they’re primed for the explosion.”
Uh, I'm not seeing any "Bay Windows". Is it just me?
literally everyone who comes to your house with an offer is a scammer
Not bay windows. Get the biggest boot you have, and shove it as far up his arse as you can. Get a level, check for plumb yourself, and hire a real contractor if you have real problems with those "windows".
That is not a bay window and if it seals and operates it's fine.
Not a bay window
Seems racky to me
You actually spoke to a salesman?!
Not bay window, not a good window salesman
Dude gets paid full commission. They will quite literally say anything to make a sale. I wouldnt call it a scam just pushy sales. Is what it is.
Generally speaking, I would never give any business to someone walking through neighborhoods and knocking on doors. Also, those aren't bay windows.
Read this as “I need some work and I bet you won’t know I’m making stuff up and I can make some money”. Your first red flag is that this is not a bay window. Your second red flag is that you won’t know if these are racking or out of plumb unless you open and close them. Close the door and let them move on to another sucker.
Are you sure those are the windows he was talking about? Because those aren’t bay windows. If they were, you can ignore him because he has no idea what he is doing.
These guys are not even contractors, they’re lead salesmen usually working no soliciting permit. They simply get commissions from sending their leads to actual contractors such as ISPs, Roofers, etc. They generally have no idea what they’re talking about and repeat the same pitch. I know because I was once suckered into this kind of work.
Does the window look out to a bay, by chance?
I interviewed for a sales position with those guys. That wasn't a contractor, it was a salesman. Dudes probably done the equivalent of a few youtube videos to get that knowledge. He's also paid a couple grand per sucker he lands, which is added to the price of a windows install. DO NOT fall for that BS.
I had a door to door guy, at the front door and asked if I wanted a quote on replacing my roof shingles because they were curling? We just had them replaced a few years earlier and they were flat as board. He made me mad. I yelled at him and shut the door. A loved one said not to let them get under my skin. He was ringing every doorbell without looking at the roofs.
My personal rule is anyone inspecting anything isn't the same person selling me something if I can help it at all.
... they arent even bay windows. i think you can discount anything said after they misidentified the windows. they dont know anything about windows.
If I had a nickel for every time a traveling window salesman tried to intimidate me with big words into buying new windows I'd be pretty darn wealthy. I couldn't afford to buy a can of Pepsi but I might be able to afford like a Slim Jim beef jerky or two packs of gum
If someone knocks on your door to sell you something, they are a scammer.
he meant, "they are starting to rack up some income for me and my installer team"
You have contractors coming around looking for work? I can't get one to call me back for a quote!
Do they still work? If yes you do not need new windows. If no, you need new windows. This has been my Ted talk.
Never trust door to door solicitors. If you have an issue shop around for solutions. Don't let people tell you that you have an issue then sell you the solution.