Since a few people have voiced doubt in my abilities in actual, physical work (yes, I'm talking to those of you who met me in Haiti who have thought I was just a computer geek, working at a desk all the time) I was inspired to the other day (after a conversation with one of those individuals) to demonstrate how window installation works- thus, hopefully giving you a glimpse at a side of my life which you really haven't seen yet.
First we start off the morning looking at a beautiful Iowa sunrise...
I know, no mountains, no forests, etc., etc., but it is pretty nonetheless.
I loaded the windows into the trailer while I waited for Ryan to arrive.
One essential thing for working well and efficiently is water.
However, there are times when an extra amount of flavor is... nice... ;)
So, here we begin with a window situated in the right wing of a bay window.
This is called a rope-and-weight double hung, named after the old fashioned weight and pulley system which assists the operator when opening the sashes. These are some of the most common windows you'll find out there. They are usually caulked or painted shut.
Step one is removing the inside "stops"
These retain the first sash in its track.
Use a molding bar to carefully pry the inside stop away from the window jamb.
Be careful not to damage the veneer and finish as you do this.
Once the stop is free from the jamb, place it in a safe place- it will be used later.
Now tilt the sash inside and pull up- like I said before, it may be painted or caulked in.
Use a molding bar to break it away if it is- be careful to pry on the outside edges of the sash, where the frame is; if you pry in the middle of the sash you might break the glass.
Place all the sashes you remove in a central location to be removed later.
Next, remove the "middle stop".
This retains the outside sash.
Use a hammer and molding bar to remove it.
Begin at the top.
Work your way down to the center of the window,
where the upper sash's angled bottom will stop your progress.
BREAK the middle stop against the lower part of the sash.
Then start at the bottom of the middle stop and work upwards.
Once you reach the broken part, you should be able to just yank it free,
pulling it out from the sash.
There is also a top stop- this usually comes out in one piece.
Take this off after the middle stops.
Beware of hidden surprises- sometimes (if the ropes of the pulley system are cut)
the owner will have nailed the bottom of the sash- keeping it from falling down.
This will hinder your progress severely :)
Remove any nails/screws/blocks and proceed.
Just be careful the sash doesn't come slamming down onto you after you remove these.
It is painful.
:)
In this case, the window was painted shut- even after all the stops were removed,
it still wouldn't come loose as it should have.
If this happens, use your molding bar to pry against the outside stops
(on the OUTSIDE of the window... makes sense, right?)
and lever against the sash- it should break free.
Do this on each side.
It should then be free to be pulled inside-
however, there are some pulleys on the top that might keep you from completely removing it;
also, there might be some more paint or caulk on the top of the sash that might retain it.
If that's the case, go to the top of the sash and pry down-
do this on each side of the sash.
If it still does not come down, you might have to go outside and cut it loose.
Once it's free, pull it down; this will expose the rope and pulley system.
Cut the ropes if they are not already.
The pulleys will present a problem when installing the new pocket replacement unit.
Use a hammer.
Flatten them like this. You have to do this on either side.
Some variants are extremely hard and have screws holding them in.
These must be removed completely and the holes filled with expanding foam.
At this time (if you didn't already) check the opening for rogue nails that didn't come out with the stops.
Remove them with your hammer or molding bar.
Lift the pocket replacement unit into the opening.
Slide the upper sash open.
Ensure the unit is pressed up against the outside stops.
Check the spacing on either side of the unit. It should be equal.
If necessary, lift the unit up until the space on the top is the same as the sides,
and screw it in place on the top. The screw should be tightened until it just touches the vinyl.
However, before you screw it into place, lift the top sash up until it's barely open-
At a glance, you can see if the window is square or not.
If the space between the sash and the frame is equal, your window is square- it one side of the gap is larger than the other, adjust the window up or down on either side to make it equal.
It is imperative the window be perfectly square. The old window opening may not be, so you may need to install the new unit "crooked" in the opening- that's ok, so long as it's square.
This is possibly the most important step; if it's not square, it will make the window leaky and can even cause damage to the locks and keepers.
Once it's square, screw the bottom in place on either side.
Be careful not to over, or under tighten the screws.
Now, lift the top sash all the way to the top, into position.
Next, lift the bottom sash up about 2" and tilt it inward.
You'll be putting a screw inside the jamb, in the place indicated in the picture above.
As the screw goes through the vinyl, make sure the drill bit doesn't skip out and damage the veneer.
As the screw bites into the wood, it will bend the replacement unit's jamb towards the center of the opening; you want this to happen. Look at the weather stripping between the sash and frame and make sure there's no gap- it can even be a bit squished, but not too much.
The sash should still be able to operate smoothly and not be stiff.
Again, your screw head should just touch the vinyl- not too tight, not too loose.
If there is still a gap in the weather stopping,
it may be necessary to pull the jamb yourself as the screw goes in.
Once you have done that on either side, snap the sash back into place and operate both sashes.
They should slide smoothly, all the way, up and down. If one is sticky, you may need to tighten your side screws. Ensure the locks work correctly. Check square again. I usually have about a 1/8" tolerance for being out of square- depending on the model of window and the size. On one like this, I aim for 1/16" tolerances.
So there you have it! The new unit is now installed and all you have to do is foam around the perimeter and replace the inside stops. The outside can either be caulked or have aluminum cladding installed. On this job, we cladded the outside trim and also stained and installed some new trim on the inside.
So, did we make our deadline for that day?
I'm thankful to say that the Lord blessed our labors and we were out of there by about 4:15!
So hopefully that gives you a bit of insight into what I do for a living here in the States... Besides drywall finishing, I think installing windows is my favorite job to do :)
Next blog post I'll have some on a wedding we went to...
God bless,
-nate
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