Recap: 2005 Chicago Bungalow Expo
Yesterday, we attended the 2005 Chicago Bungalow Exposition. We hadn't gone since 2003 and it certainly had grown!
The first year for the expo was 2003. There were more vendors in 2005, but there was also much more space. In 2003, I remember crawling through crowds to each vendor table in a space barely larger than our living room. This year they'd reserved about five times the space and it certainly helped.
We spent lots of our time in the vendor expo, and came across a few new finds. (As well as a few old friends!) As for the seminars, we caught a couple and got a chance to meet Bob Yapp! (More on that in a future post...)
Our pick for best find of the year? Storm windows that combine the energy efficiency of a wooden storm window with the convenience of a metal storm. JM had heard about these through the Amercian Bungalow Magazine forum but we had never seen them.
These combo screens allow you to leave a year round wooden frame in place without the typical excursion up an outdoor ladder twice a year. Instead, flip a few simple clips from indoors and you can exchange glass storms with screen frames for each season. They're easy to manage from inside of the house but look like regular storms from the outside (thus preserving the traditional look of homes designed to use old wooden storms). And, since wood is a better insulator than metal, they also enhance the insulation value. Genius! We're going to be looking more closely at these soon, so more details will certainly will follow.
Anyway, we had a great time at the expo as a chance to learn about some new products and connect with some old friends. If you're in the general area, it's certainly worth the trip!
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Comments
Those storm windows sound great! Now how do I find some?
Posted by: Kristin | May 2, 2005 9:39 AM
What are the storm windows called? Or who sells them?????
Posted by: Heather | May 2, 2005 10:34 AM
We don't have any direct experience with these vendors...in fact we are thinking of getting a special router bit and retrofitting our current storm windows. But here is the short list of available vendors per Bob Yapp:
Adams Architectural in Iowa
Acker Millwork Co in Milwaukee, WI 1-888-672-2200
In Chicago only, Westervelt Window Restoration offers them (except for the first photo up there in the top left hand corner, which is Bob Yapp's sample, the rest are from Westervelt). 773-510-7138
Posted by: jm | May 2, 2005 11:19 AM
Westervelt orders his storm windows from Empire Millwork in Harvey. If possible, I would recommend ordering them directly. My husband and I have had a less than satisfactory experience with Bill Westervelt. In fact we're still trying to get storm windows that were supposedly ordered last September.
Posted by: Autumn | May 2, 2005 5:42 PM
I have the same experience going on right now. I would not recommend ANYONE give any money directly to Bill Westervelt. Order and pay directly with Empire, and use another window installer. Westervelt is totally unreliable.
Posted by: Phil | December 13, 2005 1:10 PM