Fidelia

In our past articles I talked about all the measures required to appropriately replace your old wood sash windows with power effective vinyl windows. I told you how to measure for the new windows. Then we discussed the removal of the wood sashes and parting bead. Lastly, I told you how to set up, seal, and trim the vinyl replacement windows. But, what if those old windows in your house are created of aluminum instead of wood? Is the approach the very same? No, it is not the identical at all. So, the next handful of articles are going to clarify the differences amongst replacing wood windows versus aluminum windows. When discussing the proper frame style for replacing the wood sash windows, I explained the distinction in between new construction frames versus replacement frames. When replacing aluminum windows, there is yet another solution we have to contemplate with regards to frame style. It really is named a "retrofit" frame. Let's go over every frame kind. 1st, we have the new construction frame with the nailing fin. If you pick to go this route, you have to get rid of the exterior around each and every window opening, pull out the nails holding the aluminum window to the studs, nail in the new vinyl window, apply flashing, caulk, and re-set up the exterior about each window.(I get tired just talking about it!)In addition to being a complete lot of labor, you can run into significant troubles trying to set up the exterior product around each window opening. If your house has stucco, you have to try and match the rest of the stucco. It can be carried out, but not by you. Even most skilled stucco guys can't get a perfect match. What if you have wood siding? Properly, you can cut away two" of the siding around every window to get to the nail fin, then you can apply 1 X 2 or 1 X 3 trim around every single window. Certainly not as much operate as the stucco residence, but almost certainly much more function than the typical homeowner cares to tackle. What if every window is surrounded by brick? Let's not even go there! You would have to take away the bricks, then re-set up them all when completed. thumbnail Trust me, you don't want to replace your old aluminum windows with new construction vinyl windows. You want to use either the replacement frame like the one utilized to replace the wood sash windows, or one thing named a retrofit frame , that is well-liked in the west where stucco is a typical exterior. Given that the process for measuring is the very same regardless of the frame style chosen, this article will go over the appropriate measuring procedure, and future articles will clarify the distinction in the installation approach for replacement versus retrofit. If you appear at the portion of the aluminum frame that goes around the window opening into your surrounding walls, you will see three separate "legs" that type two pockets. The outside leg and the center leg form the very first pocket. Your screen and stationary panel will be in this pocket. The center leg and inside leg type the second pocket, and your sliding panel is in that pocket. Find the "leg" that is the widest on all four sides. When measuring the width, run your tape measure from the widest leg on the left to the widest leg on the proper. This must be the narrowest measurement. Then, subtract three/8" from that measurement. This is the width of the replacement window. Measure the height the very same way. When measuring the height, measure as close to the center of the window as feasible. This is specifically crucial on windows wider than six feet, since the top rated wood header has a tendency to sag over time, creating the center of the opening the narrowest. You do not want to deduct three/8" from the height like you did on the width. 1/four" is fine. These are the dimensions you use when ordering your vinyl window. If you have any picture windows(windows without a vent panel), there will only be two legs and 1 pocket. You nonetheless measure the same way. article Subsequent week I will talk about no matter whether your home is a candidate for retrofit frames or replacement frames.. John Rocco has been installing replacement windows since 1978 To understand much more, go to How To Install Windows