REPLACEMENT OR RETROFIT STYLE FRAME? WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Written by John Rocco


Last week i told you how to measure for your vinyl replacement windows when replacing aluminum windows. Now that you're ready to order your new vinyl replacement windows, we need to talk aboutrepparttar different frame style options available. In most ofrepparttar 100098 country your choices are limited to either new construction or replacement frames. New construction frames come with a nailing fin to attachrepparttar 100099 frame torepparttar 100100 studs duringrepparttar 100101 construction ofrepparttar 100102 new home. The replacement frame is basicallyrepparttar 100103 new construction frame minusrepparttar 100104 nailing fin.

But inrepparttar 100105 west, where stucco homes are common, manufacturers came up with a third type of frame called a retrofit frame. The retrofit frame has a fin about 2 inches wide, located flush withrepparttar 100106 outside face ofrepparttar 100107 window. This isrepparttar 100108 best choice when replacing old windows, but not all jobs will accomodate a retrofit frame application. So let's discuss how to determine which frame is going to work for you.

If you have a stucco exterior, retrofit isrepparttar 100109 way to go. You installrepparttar 100110 new window fromrepparttar 100111 outside, andrepparttar 100112 flush fin coversrepparttar 100113 old aluminum frame that you are going to leave in place. Then you screwrepparttar 100114 new window in using deck screws throughrepparttar 100115 side channels as well asrepparttar 100116 top header. We will get into more detail onrepparttar 100117 actual installation in a future article. If you have a stucco exterior, but there is a wood trim aroundrepparttar 100118 opening ofrepparttar 100119 window whererepparttar 100120 flush fin would normally go, you can still userepparttar 100121 retrofit style frame. You would need to removerepparttar 100122 wood surroundingrepparttar 100123 opening, installrepparttar 100124 retrofit window, then purchase and install new wood trim. The old trim will no longer fit sincerepparttar 100125 replacement window frame dimensions will be several inches

REMOVING OLD ALUMINUM WINDOWS

Written by John Rocco


This week we are going to talk aboutrepparttar process of actually removing your aluminum windows in preparation for installing vinyl replacement windows. Let's start with a horizontal sliding window, which is pretty common nationwide. There is going to be a sliding panel and a stationary panel. You want to removerepparttar 100097 slider first. All you do is sliderepparttar 100098 panel open, grabrepparttar 100099 sides ofrepparttar 100100 panel with your hands,lift up and swing out. Under ideal circumstances, it would be that easy. However, there are small obstacles that can prevent you from lifting outrepparttar 100101 panel.

Many sliding windows have rollers onrepparttar 100102 top as well asrepparttar 100103 bottom. The top rollers don't actually do anything, they are there more as spares to replacerepparttar 100104 bottom rollers when they wear out. But many timesrepparttar 100105 window installer will adjust these top rollers to prevent anyone from lifting outrepparttar 100106 panel. If this isrepparttar 100107 case with your windows, there will be a screw atrepparttar 100108 top of each side rail. If you loosen these screws, then lift up onrepparttar 100109 panel, it should come out. Another obstacle involves a little piece of rubber thatrepparttar 100110 manufacturer places inrepparttar 100111 top track. This rubber piece hasrepparttar 100112 same effect as adjustingrepparttar 100113 top rollers. It prevents you from lifting outrepparttar 100114 panel because it's wedged betweenrepparttar 100115 top ofrepparttar 100116 window panel andrepparttar 100117 top ofrepparttar 100118 upper track. If you can see thatrepparttar 100119 window panel isn't lifting allrepparttar 100120 way up inrepparttar 100121 top track, andrepparttar 100122 top rollers are notrepparttar 100123 reason, then you have to dig out that rubber piece. It's usually atrepparttar 100124 point inrepparttar 100125 center, whererepparttar 100126 sliding panel and fixed panel overlap whenrepparttar 100127 window is closed. Reach in there with a long, thin screwdriver, and try to pry it out.

Once you haverepparttar 100128 slider out, take outrepparttar 100129 screen. You can just pull it out. No need to be gentle since you're throwing it away anyway. The last step isrepparttar 100130 fixed panel removal. There are a few different applications here. All of them will have a center vertical bar. It's usually there to acceptrepparttar 100131 locking mechanism onrepparttar 100132 slider, but not always. Look for screws holding this center bar in place. They will either be onrepparttar 100133 outside top and bottom, or you might find them onrepparttar 100134 side channel whererepparttar 100135 screen would go. Checkrepparttar 100136 top and bottom corners.

Assuming you foundrepparttar 100137 screws and removed them, you now need to takerepparttar 100138 center bar off. Take a screw driver and a hammer and taprepparttar 100139 center bar atrepparttar 100140 very bottom. Tap it offrepparttar 100141 fixed panel frame. Now, pullrepparttar 100142 fixed panel away fromrepparttar 100143 side where it rests inrepparttar 100144 side channel. What you are trying to do is sliderepparttar 100145 fixed panel openrepparttar 100146 same way that you didrepparttar 100147 sliding panel. Then, you can liftrepparttar 100148 fixed panel up and out. Sometimes,repparttar 100149 fixed panel won't want to slide open because it has gotten stuck inrepparttar 100150 side track. You can put a screw driver intorepparttar 100151 side channel and pryrepparttar 100152 fixed panel away fromrepparttar 100153 side. It doesn't matter if you bendrepparttar 100154 frame that's still attached torepparttar 100155 house, because we are going to hide all of that anyway.

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