Installing Vinyl Replacement Windows In A Wood Frame Opening
|
When we left off last week, we had removed the old wood sash windows and prepared the opening for the vinyl replacement windows. Now it's time to install your new windows. You should have someone there to help you when doing the installation. First, Remove all shipping materials from the window. Now, if you are installing several different sizes, make sure you are putting the correct window in the correct opening. You need to put the window into the opening to make sure it's going to fit, then remove it and run a bead of caulk on the face of the outside blind stop where the window will rest. You don't want to caulk, only to discover the windows are too big. It's worth the extra few minutes to make sure it's going to fit. Lift the window and set the bottom in first. Then raise the top until it rests against the outside blind stops. Sometimes, when raising the top into position, the window frame will hit the top of the wood frame. You need to tap down on the top of the vinyl frame while keeping pressure towards the outside.
Once you determine that it's going to fit, remove the new window and set it aside. Run a bead of caulk on the face of the outside blind stops. White latex painters caulk works fine. Raise the window into position again. Now have your helper hold the window in position while you raise and lower the sashes, making certain that the window is square in the opening. Remember how you ordered the windows 3/16"- 1/4" shorter than the tightest measurement? This is where you use this space to adjust the frame to be the most plumb and level. Get a box of popsicle sticks and wood coffee stirrers at the grocery store. The coffee stirrers are about 1/16" thick, and the popsicle sticks are approximately twice as thick. You want to put the shims in the four corners. Then caulk the gap on both sides and along the top before installing the inside stops. I don't recommend putting any screws in the sides, but you can put one screw in the top center and one in the bottom center. You really dont have to use any screws in this kind of installation, since the shims will eliminate any side play, and the caulk on the blind stops will hold the frame in place as well. Remember, we still need to re-install the inside stops.
Before installing the inside stops, remove all the old nails and replace them with new nails. A 1"- 1 1/4" finish nail is fine. Before installing the inside stops, scrape all old caulk off the stops. Then, while your helper holds the window in place, nail your stops back on. If the window has 4 stops, install the shortest ones first. That way you can bend the longer stops into place between the two short ones. Use a nail punch to sink the head past the surface of the stop. If you have several windows to do, i suggest doing the first window to this point before going to the next. How frustrating would it be to have a helper removing the old sashes, only to discover that the windows aren't going to fit!? If the first one goes in fine, then you can send your helper ahead of you to start removing old sashes. The best way to avoid the nightmare of having a bunch of new windows that won't fit is to make sure you measure CORRECTLY. Remember, tight minus 1/4" on the width and height should be fine.
Finish the inside by caulking the area of the inside stop where it meets the casing, and the point where the stop meets the new frame. Fill the nail holes in the inside stops with caulk to hide the nail heads. Now it's time to finish the outside. A quality replacement window will either have a sloped frame to match the slope sill, or it will come with an insert that fits under the new frame to fill the gap created by the sloping wood sill. If you buy a lower grade window that doesn't come with anything to fill the gap underneath, you can buy some wood trim to fill the space, or you can get a flat vinyl trim that attaches to the face of the bottom of the new frame. The flat trim is available on my website under the "shop" tab. Once you cover the bottom gap, it's time to caulk where the outside blind stops meet the vinyl frame, and where the bottom gap filler meets the wood sill.
That's it! You're done! You can buy accessories to cover your old wood sills with a vinyl wrap extrusion. That can also be found on the website under the "shop" tab. Next week we are going to start on replacing old aluminum windows.
John Rocco has been installing replacement windows since 1978. To learn more, visit How To Install Windows
|
|
|
How To Choose Decorative, Recessed Locking Mailboxes
Do you need a decorative, quality, recessed locking mailboxfor your home? There is a large selection of mailboxes fromwhich to choose, and you may wonder which is the rightmailbox for you. A recessed locking mailbox is a perfectway to keep your mail safe from prying eyes, and can beinstalled on the exterior of your home or as part of afreestanding mailbox. A recessed m...(related: Home Improvement)
A Look At Steel Building Kits
Steel building kits are a comprehensive set of all the parts required to assemble a steel building. They contain everything right from pre-drilled holes to the bolts for joining the individual components together. These components are designed using advanced technologies, with astounding accuracy. As 70% of steel buildings are constructed at the manufacturing site itself, all that is required is the assembly of the various parts in the kit through a step-by-step process. When the whole steel building...(related: Home Improvement)
Corrugated Roofing Materials Used For Roofing Any Structure
The roof is a very essential element of the house, building or any structure. They provide the shelter and t...(related: Home Improvement)
Prefabricated Home Packages
This is by no means an exhaustive list of what's available in the area of prefabricated homes and buildings. This article is to introduce you to the world prefab. If you're in the industry, you'll probably be cringing about now at the word "prefab". But, the word is one that has become synonymous with homes and buildings that have been partially or fully assembled in a factory setting.I for one am excited to see the latest versions of modern prefabs emerging globally. They're well though...(related: Home Improvement)
Replacing Steel Casement Windows
I have been getting quite a few emails from homeowners wanting to know how to replace their old steel casement windows. Those are the type with the handle that you crank and the window opens outward. My instructional video didn't cover these windows, so I am going to dedicate two articles to this su...(related: Home Improvement)
3 Kinds Of Wood Used In Real Wood Furniture
Real wood furniture is the most popular furniture inexistence. It's been around for hundreds of years andprobably existed when the cave people got tired of squattingon the dirt floor of their caves and looked around for abetter way.The woods that are fashioned into furniture fall into threecategories:1. Hardwoods2. Softwoods3. CompositesEven the term 'hardwood' or 'softwood' is deceptive.Hardwoods aren't necessarily harder, denser material. Forexample, balsa wood is one o...(related: Home Improvement)
The Cost Of Remodeling A Bathroom
Before beginning any bathroom remodeling, you should create a budget. Pick an amount of money you can reasonably afford, and then check the costs of supplies to estimate what you can do in your remodeling project. It is wise to save about 20 percent of your budget to cover emergencies. They do happen. Keep in mind, too, the costs of professional help from plumbers or electricians. These services cost significantly more than doing the job yourself, so do whatever work you can. You may want to do your own painting, lay your tile, or decorate the new bathroom yourself. The extra work you do will let you be creative and have fun while saving money.Online sites exist to help you estimate the cost of your bathroom remodeling. The Web sites have several remodeling scenarios to selec...(related: Home Improvement)
Log Homes For Beginners - 10 Steps To Success
For those who may be thinking of building a new log home and enjoying the lifestyle that comes with it, there are a number of steps you should take to make the process smoother.1. Decide on a home style by reading log home magazines and visiting log home shows in your area. Attend log home company seminars. Do you want a single-story, one-and-a-half story, or two story house? Do you prefer a traditional cabin style, or a more contemporary look? Do you like round logs or square logs?2. Decide on a rough floor plan. Based on the plan, determine how many square feet of living space you'll need. Find standard floor plans at log home shows and on log home company web sites. Standard plans can be customized if needed.3. Narrow down your choices of log home companies you think you would want to work...(related: Home Improvement)
Easy Ways To Increase Your Houses Value
Before getting your house valuated think about the list below and if you should implement them to increase your house's value.Clean up your house:Clean your house thoroughly. By this I mean do everything humanly possible to cleanse your house. Clean the windows, the sink, vacuum the floor, scrub the toilet, take out the trash, make sure nothing appears to be in a sloppy mess.Fix what can be seen before what can't:Quite a few people believe that its important to work on the things you can see before the things you can't, this attracts more buyers. For example renovate the exterior before the interior before the creaky floor boards. If the house looks like a dump from the outside most people will not be willing to...(related: Home Improvement)
Beginning Interior Design
Beginning interior design is a challenging, exciting adventure that one must be willing to endure sacrifices and even at times costly mistakes in order to complete this learning successfully.If interior design is an activity that you are thinking about as a potential career, you owe it to yourself to invest the proper amount of time and energy into educating yourself in the field of creative design. If you are interested in learning about creative design for other reasons, such as designing your own space or home, it is better that you focus your attention on the particular area of design that is pleasing to you.This being said, if you have the time and energy and would like to learn more about overall designing, then hey, go for it! You might become so good at it that it might be a potential career for you a...(related: Home Improvement)
Finding The Right Window Treatment In Los Angeles And Chicago
Some of the most unique and individual décor consultantscan be found in smaller centers, but for a trulycompetitive field that will supply window treatments foryour home, you're looking at the larger cities like LosAngeles and Chicago.Larger dealers have more contacts, often further afieldboth in distance, and in tastes, so that they can lay theirhands on virtually any accessory, material, or extras thatyou need to create the right window treatment.Of course, even large centers will have to consider notjust the variations in the decorative aspect, but also intheir functionality. A window treatment that works well inLos Angeles, might not be suited to the weather extremes ofChicago. Where one can use sheers year round, the othermay require a good quality lined drape to not only ...(related: Home Improvement)
Realign Your Budget - Purchase Your First Piece Of Fine Art
If you don't have at least one piece of fine art in your home, then you just have no idea what you are missing out on. Whether an original or reproduction piece, fine art adds warmth, beauty and interest to every room. So why is it that people tend to spend lavishly on furniture, carpets and accessories, but do not provide in their budget for the piece that could be the focal point of the room?We are indeed fortunate now to have a wide range of fin...(related: Home Improvement)
How To Replace The Rollers On Your Patio Door
Have you noticed your patio door is getting harder and harder to open? Maybe it's time to change the rollers on the door. They generally ...(related: Home Improvement)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved. | Home Improvement