DIY Window Removal and Replacement
First off, you need to buy the replacement window. Never remove a window first, and then buy a window after you’ve got a large hole in your home. Most windows need to be ordered, and this can take weeks if not months. At some of the larger home improvement centers, they have many windows in stock, and it’s simply a matter of picking out the right one.
At your local building supply, or home improvement center, you should check out their display. There are a number of options you can use to replace your old window. Fixed pane windows are the easiest option. As its name implies though, they are fixed. This means they don’t open. Unless you don’t plan on opening the window or the existing window is fixed glass already, then this option is probably not the best one. There are four styles of windows beside the fixed glass. Conventional wooden sash windows; casement windows; awning windows; and sliding windows are the basic four types that they make. You should review those options with the salesperson at your local home improvement center or building supply company.
No matter what design or style of window you select, they will come with installation instructions, including information about what size the rough opening will be, and whether or not it can be installed with the siding on or off. Follow all the manufactures specs to prevent from voiding the warranty. This article describes the general procedure for installing a window.
Once you have your window ordered its time to remove the old one. If your home is wooden framed, it’s likely the exterior is secured with screws or nails on the outside flange. It may also be screwed or nailed inside the window along the interior jamb. Remove these with a screw gun and pry bar. If your home is block, then it is likely screwed from the interior jamb and stuccoed into place from the outside. Remove the screws and use a cold chisel to remove the stucco from around the exterior jambs and sills. This part takes a lot of work and skill to remove the window. It’s probably a good idea to have someone help hold the window from the inside.
Now that the window is removed you will need to dry the outside with felt paper or Tyvec. If your home is block, you can skip this step. Cut six inch strips for around your window. Add a foot or more so that each piece of paper overlaps the next by six inches. Start at the bottom the overlap the sides so as to prevent water or moisture from entering the window. Finally add the top piece.
Place the window into the hole, with a helper on the inside holding it in place. Check for a proper fit. You should have around a half inch gap on all sides. Remove the window and apply caulking to the manufactures specs. Usually it is applied to the exterior flange, sometimes it is applied to the inside jambs. Now place the window back into the hole.
Have your helper push the window tight into place and from the inside, you will need to check the window for level and plumb with a level. Insert shims into the rough opening around the window to make it plumb and level as necessary and make sure you have the same spacing around the rough opening. Now you’re ready to fasten it once you have it level and plumb.
Some windows screw in from the side, some require screws or nails in the exterior flange. Which ever your window requires, do this now. Remember not to over tighten the screws on the interior jamb. This can cause bowing of the jamb and will cause air leakage in the future, and may affect the opening and closing of the window.
It’s probably a good idea to add extra caulking around the exterior of the window and smooth it in with an old putty knife or leftover shim. Push the caulking into the cracks of the flange to secure it from water leakage. Check to see if the window opens and closes properly. Also check that the window locks correctly. If you did all the steps correctly and according to manufacturers specs, then you should have a properly working window.
