Install Your Own Windows
(Page 2 of 4)
December 2005/January 2006
By Steve Maxwell
In With the New
RELATED CONTENT
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 makes home energy improvements more affordable through tax credits....
Two low-cost approaches to safe heater installation, including metal convection barriers and insula...
Buying or building a small home is a great way to significantly reduce your energy use, and you don...
There are thousands upon thousands of abandoned farmhouses scattered throughout the U.S., at bargai...
I'm renting an old Finnish homestead near Nolalu, Ontario....
Using the illustration below as a reference, you’re now ready to set the window in place from inside your house. Be careful — there’s nothing to stop the window from tumbling right out and onto the ground, so it’s wise to have someone outside to help with alignment. Also, keep the window closed as you work so the frame retains its shape. The goal at this stage is simple: Position the window so it’s plumb both front to back and side to side, with an equal gap around the perimeter. To make this happen, you’ll need wooden wedges to fill the space between the new window and the old opening.
Install a pair of wedges under each bottom corner of the window, one driven in from the outside and another from inside. Window wedges are always permanent parts of the installation and are used in opposing pairs like this so they create support across the entire width of the unit. Adjust each pair of wedges so the sides of the replacement window are plumb. When everything looks good, install another pair of wedges along the side of the top corners of the window. Don’t tap them in too hard, but just enough so they take up the space.
With the window stabilized, you need to adjust its location so the window is right where you want it front to back in the opening. Aim to hide any evidence of the old sash and guide strips you removed earlier, while leaving enough room to install quarter-round trim around the interior perimeter of the window. Depending on your window size, you may need to install more wedge pairs at locations along the sides, top and bottom. Place them no more than 16 inches apart along the bottom and 24 inches apart along the sides. You won’t need any more wedges at the top of the window.
You’ve now come to the point where some careful adjustment is necessary. Use your level to examine all sides of the new window frame — they have to be plumb and square. To get the best results, tap each wedge pair in or out as needed and then check the movement of the window sash. When everything looks good and the sash opens nicely, you’re all set to lock the window in place permanently.
Ideally, you’ll want to drive screws or nails through some hidden area of the replacement window frame so they penetrate the wedges and sink into the old frame without being seen. Aim for at least 1 inch of penetration for screws, or 1 1/2 inches for finishing nails. You need to put these fasteners where they’re not seen, and that depends on the window design. Some replacement windows include removable sash tracks that you can lift out, drive screws into and then cover again. With others, you may have to sink 3-inch finishing nails into a corner formed by the window frame and some trim. Some windows make it easy to hide fasteners, and others demand imagination.
