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In our previous articles I talked about all the steps needed to appropriately replace your old wood sash windows with energy efficient vinyl windows. I told you how to measure for the new windows. Then we discussed the removal of the wood sashes and parting bead. Finally, I told you how to install, seal, and trim the vinyl replacement windows. But, what if these old windows in your house are produced of aluminum instead of wood? Is the approach the identical? No, it's not the identical at all. So, the next couple of articles are going to explain the differences in between replacing wood windows versus aluminum windows.

When discussing the correct frame style for replacing the wood sash windows, I explained the difference in between new construction frames versus replacement frames. When replacing aluminum windows, there is an additional solution we have to contemplate regarding frame style. It's called a "retrofit" frame. Let's go over every frame kind. First, 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 window opening, pull out the nails holding the aluminum window to the studs, nail in the new vinyl window, apply flashing, caulk, and re-install the exterior around each and every window.(I get tired just talking about it!)In addition to being a whole lot of labor, you can run into main issues trying to set up the exterior product around every single window opening. If your home has stucco, you have to try and match the rest of the stucco. It can be accomplished, but not by you. Even most skilled stucco guys can not get a ideal match. What if you have wood siding? Effectively, 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 three trim around every window. Certainly not as much operate as the stucco house, but possibly far more function than the common homeowner cares to tackle. What if each window is surrounded by brick? Let's not even go there! You would have to get rid of the bricks, then re-set up them all when finished.

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 particular used to replace the wood sash windows, or some thing referred to as a retrofit frame , that is popular in the west exactly where stucco is a typical exterior. Since the procedure for measuring is the identical regardless of the frame style chosen, this write-up will discuss the appropriate measuring procedure, and future articles will explain the distinction in the installation process 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 1st pocket. Your screen and stationary panel will be in this pocket. The center leg and inside leg form the second pocket, and your sliding panel is in that pocket. Locate 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 correct. This should be the narrowest measurement. Then, subtract 3/eight" from that measurement. This is the width of the replacement window. Measure the height the identical way. When measuring the height, measure as close to the center of the window as feasible. This is specially crucial on windows wider than six feet, since the best wood header has a tendency to sag over time, generating the center of the opening the narrowest. You do not need 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 image windows(windows without having a vent panel), there will only be two legs and one pocket. You still measure the exact same way.

Next week I will talk about whether or not your home is a candidate for retrofit frames or replacement frames..

John Rocco has been installing

replacement windows because 1978

To understand far more, visit How To Set up Windows waukesha window installation