Windows are the never-ending loose end of this project. But finally, looks like we've settled on a material (fiberglass) and a vender (Serious Windows). To summarize recent developments:

1. We had sourced and were ready to go with a Milgard Canadian supplier (the only thermally broken aluminum window vendor our architect could find at a decent price). But then we got a sample: these windows have a push-out hinge style, and this mechanism requires an unfortunate screen design: mesh housed in a separate, 1.5"-thick frame that sat on top of the window itself, plus the screen needs to be tilted open before unlocking and opening the window itself.
2. Aluminum windows really have two bonuses: wearability (hence their commercial uses), and aesthetics (thinner frames & mulling). Cons: they're terrible for insulation, also the embodied energy (the energy/resources required to manufacture them) is high (they're metal).
3. Vinyl windows are made from petroleum-based materials, don't last anywhere as long, and don't feel/look as nice. They only appeal they have is price.
4. Fiberglass has some not-so-nice ingredients (in the binders), but its wearability is like metal, and its thermal properties are excellent. These windows will last as long as your house.
5. Wood has good thermal properties, and appealing material quality. However, it has high maintenance costs, (needs periodic painting/sealing).
6. We're willing to pay more for better insulation, but not so much for aesthetics.

We looked at four lines:

• Serious Windows
  - they use a two-pane-plus-film design, and use extra-inert gasses in some of their lines (krypton and xenon)
  - they fill the hollows of their frames with an insulating foam
  - this all adds up to ridiculously insulated windows, with R-values from about 3 to 11...their thermal properties start significantly higher than that of the average fiberglass, then go up from there.
  - their finishes are beautiful...and use some kind of integrated color process
  - they have nice hardware
  - they can go pretty completely custom on the sizing
  - their cost for dual color (one color for exterior, different one for interior) was rather high...the salesman apologized since he didn't expect the difference to be so great. but we eventually decided that we probably prefer one color anyway. 
• Anderson's fiberglass series
  - interesting tidbit: made with the mixed wood-vinyl sawdust by-product from their vinyl window manufacturing
  - their finish and color options are pretty nice
  - the hardware isn't that nice, in my opinion; husband was ambivalent.
  - they have an awesome fine-mesh screen option (but it's $60 to $70 extra per opening)
  - their pricing runs the lowest of the options we looked at 
  - I want to say that their colors are painted on...
  - sizing does have some limits 
• Marvin's Integrity series
  - the finish is nice
  - the price is ok, if I recall
  - sizing does have some limits 
• Milgard's fiberglass lines
  - the finish is obviously far less smooth than all the other options
  - the price is somewhere between the Marvin Integrity & Anderson's

Anyway, we ended up with Serious, because of their crazy awesome thermal properties, the quality of their finishes, and we were willing to pay extra for the thermal properties. If you're in the market for windows, consider:

1. thermal properties
2. durability/lifetime
3. maintenance needs (need re-painting? will color fade?)
4. cost (factor in durability & maintenance aspects)
5. sizing options
6. quality of the finish
7. is the color painted on, or manufactured as an integral coating/layer (the latter lasts longer, fades less)
8. color selection
9. the hardware
10. operation process of the window
11. screen operation/options

An on-going list of vendors for re-used materials...many of these places accept re-used materials as well as sell/distribute them.

Building REsources, San Francisco:
http://www.buildingresources.org/index.html
Description from their site: "San Francisco's only source for reusable, recycled and remanufactured building and landscaping materials. Building Resources is a not for profit organization dedicated to providing our community with low cost high quality materials, in a friendly, clean and organized setting. Our 1 1/2 acres are full of wonderful finds and great values. Project ideas are demonstrated throughout our buildings and gardens, all of which are built using 100% reused materials."

The ReUse People, nationwide (with Bay area locations in Oakland and Sacramento):
http://thereusepeople.org/
Description from their site: "We are a nonprofit, 501(c)3, corporation dedicated to keeping usable building materials out of our landfills and providing them for reuse. To date we have salvaged hundreds of thousands of tons of usable building materials."

We were hoping to see a lot of manufacturers (windows, flooring, tiling, landscaping products, etc.) and get to see and touch product samples, but it was nearly all local contractors—not useful for us, unfortunately. It wasn't very big, either. And to be honest, I'm not sure how useful this would be to most consumers, unless they had very specific contractor needs. There were also a number of vendors that I didn't find particularly relevant to home remodeling—start-your-own printing business from home, small craft-like home decor products, etc.—that was pretty weird.

The photos on the ACS site show many more manufacturers' booths, so their shows in other cities might be better. But as for the San Jose show, I don't recommend it.

We'll probably need some bamboo in concrete containers to create a privacy hedge. A co-worker mentioned there's a huge bamboo nursery near Santa Cruz, approximately 1 hour from us. If there aren't better bamboo suppliers close by, we may drive out there some time.

Part of me wishes I could grow a lush bamboo grove with some of the really giant specimens. But we certainly don't have the space, and bamboo can really take over everything if you plant it in the ground (hence the concrete containers—that's solid concrete containers...no drain holes!...keep that in mind if you ever wish to grow some bamboo hedging).

http://www.bamboogiant.com/

A co-worker mentioned there's a showroom of sustainable building products in San Francisco. Looks interesting—http://ecohaus.com/

An update, courtesy of Susanna in the comments: ecohaus is now Green Depot: http://greendepot.com

A few weeks ago, we got some steep quotes on windows...later realized they were for all-metal windows, from some pricier manufacturers. We actually prefer aluminum-clad wood windows (better insulative values, and a wooden sill on the inside is nicer, in our opinions). It's supposed to be tough to find clad windows with a contemporary style. Our architects will be looking, and we'll be looking. This is an on-going compilation of window supplier-related links; we'll update this post with more research as we go along:

Forum discussions:

• http://www.greenbuildingtalk.com/Forums/tabid/53/aff/16/aft/34885/afv/topic/Default.aspx
• http://www.greenbuildingtalk.com/Forums/tabid/53/aff/16/aft/31380/afv/topic/Default.aspx

Articles:

• http://diy-green-home-improvement.com/wp/2009/05/new-trends-in-wood-windows/
  An article on clad wood windows with a thorough critique of the major window manufacturers for the U.S.
• [added 2011-12-27] http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/understanding-energy-efficient-windows.aspx
  An article with guidelines to understanding energy efficiency for different window materials, etc. 

Manufacturers:

• http://www.sierrapacificwindows.com/index.cfm
  Supplies the western U.S. A member on one of the above forums mentioned that selection and pricing are really good. They have showrooms and vendors in the Bay Area.
• http://www.marvin.com/
  one of the big manufacturers—seems to have good quality, selections, and reviews. They do custom windows. Looks to be the most promising of the big manufacturers.
• http://www.jeld-wen.com/
  one of the big manufacturers—quality may not be as nice as Marvin's
• http://www.fleetwoodusa.com/
  1st company our architect got quotes from
• http://milgard.com/
  2nd company our architect got quotes from
• http://blombergwindowsystems.com/
  3rd company our architect got quotes from 
• http://www.sorpetalerusa.com/index.html
  German-based company that our architect mentioned

Vendors/showrooms:

• http://www.aaawindowsanddoors.com/
  Belmont, CA vendor—carries many manufacturers' windows
• http://www.windowsunlimited-sc.com/index.html
  San Carlos window & door company
• http://charleswindows5-px.rtrk.com/
  bay area retailer with a San Jose location. large selection 

We plan to source and purchase fixtures ourselves, including toilets. Here are toilet vendor sites our architect referred us to:

• http://www.totousa.com/Products/Toilets/Search/tabid/447/features/watersense/Default.aspx
• http://www.flushanddone.com/

For finding and selecting vendors, a quick-and-dirty planning technique is creating and sharing maps under Google Maps. I created one for our local remodeling vendors, and shared it with the husband. A decently diverse selection of location icons and colors allows you to classify and color code your location types. You can add notes for each location, which I use to keep track of general summaries, how I found the vendor, etc.

Today we stopped by Fire Clay Tile , a local manufacturer of hand-made "eco-friendly, beautiful sustainable ceramic tile". They have some very nice stuff, albeit pricey for our budget ($24/sq. ft. and up). Their Boneyard selection of overstock, 2nd quality, etc. appeared to have some of the black river rock we spotted in the photo from this post. We like the look, but just wonder if this tile is comfortable on bare feet. Anyone out there have experience with this style of flooring?

Moving day with Handle With Care Movers:

• Overall, it went smoothly
• I underquoted how much stuff we had, and the guys were alright with dealing with all the extra stuff
• The guys were personable, and as far as we can tell, took care of our things (impossible to tell whether a few minor scuffs we found were from the previous move, or this one) and all the walls, floors, etc.
• They noted the metal legs on our couch would damage our hardwood floors if we even set the furniture upright. We picked up some floor protectors at Lowe's (tip: if you have heavy furniture, especially ones with sharp edges on the feet, there is a style of protector that's a heavy-duty metal plate with a carpet-like pad on the underside...works great)

Hangups:

• As of 4pm the day before the move, I hadn't received a confirmation, and I don't believe they had the starting address for the storage unit. So I called and confirmed and gave the address (the guys were on time...in fact arriving a few minutes before us, so this is a minor complaint in the end)
• It seems they went off of the details given on my first phone call and sent 2, not the 3 guys we last agreed on. The move which was quoted at 4-5 hours for 3 movers turned into 8 hours with 2 movers. We were fortunately not in a huge rush.
• The guys didn't move as fast as we were hoping. Perhaps our perspective was influenced by the movers for our cross-country move. Granted, the job was billed by the pound, so those guys packed FAST, moved FAST, unpacked FAST, and could lift A LOT. It was quite impressive (the company: http://www.acerelocation.com/ ...if your employer relocates you with these guys, you're in good hands). Handle With Care, like all local movers, bills by the hour. The guys used carts and dollies much more; everything was moved safely, but not anywhere as quickly.

Summary: I'd certainly put these guys on the short list if we need a local move in the South Bay (but hopefully that won't be for a very long time). I will also not under-quote how much we have next time.

A pair of cleaners from Emma's Eco-Clean did a 3.5-hour session at the house today. I think most of it was spent cleaning and sanitizing the kitchen and bathroom, undoing many decades of living. The shower doors, tub, shower tile, windows, and the enameled surfaces of the range look miles better than before. There was also a window that we thought was frosted but turned out to be covered in apparently something removable...I'm not sure what (do-it-yourself spray-on frost?), but at any rate, it's clear now:

It was also nice that the house didn't smell of harsh chemicals (ignoring the polyurethane from the floor refinishing). We'll wait to give a truly final verdict on Emma's Eco-Clean, but we'll certainly call them back for our first periodic cleaning.

Utility update:
Discontinued Comcast at the old apartment today. Lesson learned: they need at least 7 days advance notice to shut off service (I wonder if this is entirely necessary)...so we're overpaying a little bit. Gotta remember to return the receivers. They will deduct final bill from autopay, and will send last bill paperwork to the new address.

The plumbers were here today. They extended the gas line for the dryer, added a p-trap for the washer, and repaired the bathroom tub faucet, which turned out to be totally rusted out and destroyed. This required cutting out a portion of the wall. We're not looking forward to the final bill.

But it's nice to have a real faucet. The previous situation was ridiculous.

Most of it came down to:

1. did they call me back (Budget Movers and Advanced Movers did not)
2. were they thorough on the phone (Pineda Paz wasn't reassuring)
3. did their estimates sound reasonable (Handle With Care's started out low—2 men, 4 hours, but after we reviewed more details today, it was 3 men, 4–5 hours, which was closer to what I was expecting. GoPro's estimates sounded really high, 3 men at 6.5 hour + .5 double-time driving)
4. did they take personal checks or credit (Shamrock Moving charged more for credit, but didn't take personal checks. boo.)
5. did reviews mention any damage to property or the residence (we really really really don't want to deal with our apartment management company, or any broken/dented furniture)
6. were reviews consistent
7. were there any mentions of last-minute cancellations/schedule changes—we have no room for error in our schedule

After narrowing things down to Handle With Care, TransOne, and GoPro, Handle With Care sounded like it was the smallest outfit of the three, but they still had many Yelp reviews. They were quite thorough on the phone, and their reviews sounded the most consistently positive. No contracts signed beforehand though. Contract is signed the day of. The fun begins next Thursday, the 20th.

gathered from Yelp and Angie's list. gotta call them all, along with Budget Movers of San Carlos, tomorrow:

Advanced Moving Company (sunnyvale)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/advanced-moving-company-sunnyvale
yelp: 4.5 (12 + 4 filtered reviews)

Handle With Care Moving (mountain view)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/handle-with-care-moving-mountain-view-2
yelp: 4.5 (55 +  18 filtered reviews)
1 review: one bad experience...mover took his time then rushed and damaged things

Pineda Paz (palo alto)
http://www.ppmoving.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pineda-paz-moving-palo-alto-2
yelp: 5 (8 + 4 filtered reviews)

Shamrock Moving & Storage: (menlo park) (angie's + yelp)
http://www.shamrockmovingstorage.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/shamrock-moving-and-storage-inc-menlo-park
yelp: 4.5 (17 + 12 filtered reviews)
angie's: A, 37-47 reviews (some mention of damage, mostly problems with price) 

TransOne Moving (san carlos)
http://www.transonemoving.us
http://www.yelp.com/biz/trans-one-moving-and-delivery-services-san-carlos
yelp: 4.5 (70 + 19 filtered reviews)
1 review: move in 2008 (took too long). 1 2010 review: brought too-small a truck...took too long

Powell Express (maybe) (sunnyvale)
http://www.powexdel.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/powell-express-sunnyvale
yelp: 4 (16 + 8 filtered reviews)
i review: said mover damaged couch then tried to not take responsibility

GoPro Moving & Delivery (San Jose)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/go-pro-moving-and-delivery-san-jose
http://www.gopromoving.com/
yelp: 4.5 (102 reviews)
angie's: A, 52-59 reviews
random note: cool logo + branding

Fumigation:
Starts today with Preferred Termite Services.

Tenting notes:

• the fumigators turn off the gas before they tent; we will have to remember to turn it back on.
• you must remove all food and certain items that retain the poison before tenting (which is why fumigation is way easier to do when you don't live in the place yet)

Floors will be done by:
Elegant Floors of Mountain View (recommendation from husband's coworker), starting 10 January, last coat to go down 13 January.

We need a cleaning service to go through the house after the floors are finished. And maybe a cleaning service to clean our apartment too. I queried my coworkers.

Cleaners:
A couple of them use this service:
http://www.emmasecoclean.com/

Coworker's comments:
-not the cheapest, but seem to be average in price
-use non-chemically cleaning items and they are all part of a co-op which is kinda cool (i dig that)

Cool thing on their website: a checklist + quote request form.

Cleaning notes to self:

• ideally Jan 17-19: 1266 sq. ft. house: 1 BA, 3 BD, 1 kitchen, hardwood throughout. Need to sanitize kitchen (11' row of cabinets...two hanging cabinets) and BA, wipe down walls, mop floors, dust windowsills, wipe down closet shelves (3 BD closets, small linen closet, small BA medicine cabinet).
• maybe: clean apartment. How many days notice will they need? Fri Jan. 21, or Mon. Jan 23 or Tue Jan. 24: 900 sq. ft. apartment: need surface, floor, BA cleaning + thorough vaccuum. maybe a steam clean on carpet.

Movers:
One coworker used Budget Movers in San Carlos and was pretty happy with them.
I think this is the Yelp page; not many reviews, but the reviewers sound quite pleased:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/budget-movers-and-storage-san-carlos

Moving notes to self:

• ideally Thurs. Jan 20 or Fri. Jan. 21. - load a very full 10'x10'x8-10' storage locker (everything already professionally packed)
• 1.5 mile away: load 2nd-floor 1-bedroom apartment worth of stuff:
• many boxes, all professionally packed .... 50 or so?
• couch + loveseat + coffeetable + small bench + end table + shelf + dresser + some dissassembled shelves
• dining table & chairs + 2 sideboards
• 1 mattress & disassembled bed
• no kitchen
• no TVs
• no BA
• no clothing
• furniture needs protection, carpet needs protection
• 3.5 mile away: destination: all on ground level. apartment items into house, most of storage items into garage [grill + patio furniture go on deck]
• newly refinished hardwood floors need protection

We were going to put off this foundation work till when we did the remodel, but our insurance company wouldn't even insure the home without us either bolting the foundation, or installing an automatic shut-off for the gas line (in the event of a breakage). When we said we might have to switch insurers, they gave us a 20-day grace period to get the work done.

So we called Peace of Mind Structural, the company who did our foundation inspection, and they did super quick scheduling of the 2-day job.
The work started yesterday and as of today, our house will not slip off its foundation, sever a gas line and explode the neighborhood! Yay!