New Windows for the Cairo Condo

Last year, we installed a new door to the front balcony. It worked so well at reducing traffic noise from the Ring Road that we decided to replace the two windows on the same side of the apartment with similar technology.

We contacted our window contractor, Mr. Ramadan, who came to measure the openings on a Thursday night.  While the old units are "sliders" which work well for easy opening, we almost never open them.  The cold air, noise and dust leaks in around the edges of these units.

 

The new units swing inward to open but seal very tightly and have triple-pane glass.  They arrived with a protective plastic coating on the frames.

We agreed on a price and I paid a three-quarters deposit.  A week later Mr. Ramadan called to tell us that the new custom made units were ready and we scheduled the installation for the following night.

He arrived with his two assistants and they went right to work, removing the old window near my office area.

 

The procedure for each window is to drill anchor holes in the frame, fasten the window unit in place with screws, use foam sealant around the exterior of the unit and then seal the interior with silicon caulk.

The hardest part of the job is to seal the outside with spray foam. This is a two-man job. The young man with the yellow hat does the actual sealing. Since we are on the eighth floor, the job of the second man is to hold on to the belt of the first man so that he doesn't fall out. It's important to stay on friendly terms with your assistant.

 

After about an hour and a half, with the job complete, we all had tea and I counted out the remainder of the cash.  Price for the two window units was 16,000 EGP - about $320 - with three-quarters of that paid in advance.

The crew did a nice job of cleaning up (OUR broom, glass cleaner and rags, of course) and left the two old window units by the front, door while Mr. Ramadan supervised and I took his picture 

    

 

While the windows hold out any cold air and dust, the principal advantage is noise reduction. We can now easily carry on a conversation between rooms. They do all that and add some personality to the room.

 

Later, the" rubabekia" (junk man) picked up the windows and gave me 1500 EGP for them, bringing the total cost of the project down to around $290. A real bargain in our eyes.