Hello fellow DIY enthusiasts!

I am looking to replace the old 53"x30" windows in my 1940 Florida balloon frame home with 59"x35" newer windows. They are vinyl ply gem 1500 series. Does anyone know of a thin hurricane rated mull kit that will fit two of these windows together? My partner, Henry, and I have called all over the place trying to find some, and apparently this window type is also a bit outdated. We are having a tough time finding any that fit or could maybe even be modified. They are new construction, and I have a closeup photo of what the side of the window looks like.

If we are able to mull these windows, they should be the perfect width to stick in the box from the old windows (due to the additional voids present where the old window weights currently hang). I've heard we might be able to mull them to together with wood, but could this be done so that the mull is an inch or less thick and still structurally sound?

Additionally, we just ran into another problem when we took off some of the plaster and lath today, well, several problems. One, we fully fumigated for termites in July and found a nest of what we are afraid could be termites in the walls (warning: gross picture included). Two, we need some opinions on the safest way to move the header above the window up to accommodate for the additional height of the new windows (there is just enough open space for this between the supports). Three, above the header, the top plate (along the wall/ceiling line holding up the roof), has 3/4" of termite damage in the spot we inspected (pictures included).



Any suggestions for any of these things? We have remodeled much of the home and are not afraid of any amount of work, so please no "run away" advice. We do have a limit to our budget, and so are looking for instructional advice on how to safely do these things. We can then budget this out and figure out what to do next.

Thank you so much!

 

Sorry, not much call for hurricane rated mullions here in Nebraska. Your best bet will be to contact PlyGem directly, or you might get lucky at the pro desk of the blue or orange box stores.

 

Are these dry wood termites? Doesn't look like subterranean termite evidence, and using the phrase "fumigate" indicates a dry wood termite treatment. It's always helpful to put general location in when dealing with insects. I've never dealt with dry wood termites here in the East. Did you see live insects? What about contacting the pest control company that did the previous job?

 

Unfortunately, thin and hurricane rated are not generally used in the same sentence since they usually don't play well together.
Are the windows hurricane or impact rated?