The best Interior Window Design books: Reddit reviews

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There is actually a book that has a picture of every Main Street window around the world, and its significance. Here is the link on Amazon.

Get a copy of Working Windows by Terry Meany

https://www.amazon.com/Working-Windows-Guide-Repair-Restoration/dp/1599213117

No the pulley does not reduce the effort. The weights (and the sashes) essentially hang free within the jambs and weight pockets. So you want a balanced system (the mechanisms in modern lift sash windows are called "balances"). If an individual sash (upper or lower- doesn't matter) weighs a total of ten pounds then you use a pair of five pound weights for that sash.

I looked up Kaki Hunter a few years ago. She and her husband ended up being big promoters of unusual homebuilding techniques. Here's one of her books

I can recommend you look into the "Pretty Good House" concept - especially if you're still new to the world of building science and home construction. A book about it was just released, which I can fully recommend. It gives a great primer on what you should be on the lookout for.

https://www.amazon.com/Pretty-Good-House-Michael-Maines/dp/1641551658

When I bought the house, the four front windows on the front of my house were entirely painted shut. I decided I wanted to pry them open and make them work (and I figured if I was going to the work of doing the bottom sashes, I should do the top sashes too). I bought this book from Amazon, and between the book, This Old House tutorials, and various other online resources I figured it out!

I spent a lot of time stripping those four windows (eight sashes!) with a heat gun, reglazed the glass and everything. The other three windows I did and the kitchen window were in better shape, so I stripped the paint with scraping and a belt sander and didn't have to reglaze the panes... though I probably should have reglazed the kitchen upper, but I got lazy. I've replaced a few other ropes here and there -- thankfully in an old house, the weights are usually in the weight pocket even if the rope is broken.

My biggest advice is that the parting bead (to hold the uppers in place) breaks 90% of the time trying to pry it out, and sourcing some new stuff will make your life way easier than trying to be super careful with the old stuff. Same with the window stops for the bottom sash -- between caulk, paint, and inevitable secret nails, it's way easier to just pry/break with abandon and replace with new.

When I think of the technical side of interior design I think of the International Building Code, ANSI A117.1, and LEED texts.

Not really something that jives with the examples you gave.

edit: Try this. I owned a copy but it got ruined in a fire shortly after I got it and I never looked much at it. Might be more up your alley.

No problem. A lot of these things are not taught in school but you pick them up in offices. If you have minimal help it is more difficult, and stressful, so you may find you need to refer to a book that describes the standard methods of production information in an architectural practice. I picked up this information in offices so I can't recommend a particular book, but you might like to start with something like one of these:

Building Construction Handbook - this looks a more thorough book

Basics Technical Drawing

If you lived in my neighbourhood I'd hook you up.

It's a pretty big ask for a contractor, honestly.

You could use these threads to help you out.

A book like this could really help you to get your head around what needs to be done..

I'd recommend getting a good introductory book, and then browse YT, there are a ton of videos on there. Anything from Taunton press in the For Pros by Pros series should be decent, like this one https://www.amazon.com/Trim-Carpentry-Pros-Editors-Homebuilding/dp/1600855024/ref=pd_sim_14_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XPTC7A0JENCDE9RHX8YX