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In our previous articles I talked about all the measures essential to correctly 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. Lastly, I told you how to set up, seal, and trim the vinyl replacement windows. But, what if these old windows in your home are created of aluminum rather of wood? Is the process the same? No, it really is not the identical at all. So, the next couple of articles are going to clarify the differences between replacing wood windows versus aluminum windows.

When discussing the suitable 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 one more choice we have to think about with regards to frame style. It is referred to as a "retrofit" frame. Let's go over every frame type. Very first, we have the new construction frame with the nailing fin. If you decide on to go this route, you have to remove 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 about every window.(I get tired just talking about it!)In addition to becoming a whole lot of labor, you can run into major problems trying to install the exterior item around every single window opening. If your property has stucco, you have to try and match the rest of the stucco. It can be done, but not by you. Even most professional stucco guys can not get a ideal match. What if you have wood siding? Nicely, you can cut away two" of the siding around each and every window to get to the nail fin, then you can apply 1 X 2 or 1 X three trim about every window. Surely not as significantly perform as the stucco house, but probably a lot more perform than the common homeowner cares to tackle. What if each and every window is surrounded by brick? Let's not even go there! You would have to eliminate the bricks, then re-install them all when finished.

Trust me, you do not want to replace your old aluminum windows with new construction vinyl windows. You want to use either the replacement frame like the 1 employed to replace the wood sash windows, or something called a retrofit frame, that is popular in the west where stucco is a frequent exterior. Because the procedure for measuring is the same regardless of the frame style selected, this report will talk about the appropriate measuring procedure, and future articles will explain the difference in the installation approach for replacement versus retrofit.

If you look at the portion of the aluminum frame that goes about the window opening into your surrounding walls, you will see 3 separate "legs" that form two pockets. The outdoors leg and the center leg type the first 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. Discover 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 appropriate. This ought to be the narrowest measurement. Then, subtract three/8" 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 achievable. This is especially essential on windows wider than six feet, due to the fact the best wood header has a tendency to sag over time, creating the center of the opening the narrowest. You do not need to have to deduct 3/8" 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 with out a vent panel), there will only be two legs and one particular pocket. You nonetheless measure the very same way.

Subsequent week I will talk about no matter whether your residence is a candidate for retrofit frames or replacement frames..

John Rocco has been putting in

replacement windows since 1978

To understand much more, check out How To Set up Windows new vinyl siding