Installing Vinyl Windows the Right Way
- By John Schofield
- Published 12/29/2011
- Home Management
- Unrated
If you have basic carpentry skills in your bag, you can easily install the new set of vinyl windows that you bought for your house. Many of the homes today opt for vinyl because they are quite durable and provide very good insulation inside the home. Compared to other materials they are versatile in terms of colour, sizes and styles; so you can surely find one that will fit the specific look that you are aiming for in the room you are trying to redecorate. Maintenance is low; and it requires quite less from you, so more and more people choose vinyl.
Installing It Right
To make sure that the installation will go well, you need to be able to good measurements of both length and breadth of the opening that you need to fill. These measurements should help you purchase the right window for your home; as well as the tools that you will need. If you want to do it properly, then you have to be ready with the right tools; you need a couple of finish nails, screwdrivers, carpenter’s square, hammer and level. All these things will be very essential; and once you have got your hands on them you can begin with the installation process.
Step 1: Using the level, you need to see if the bottom stud on surface of the window is laid evenly. If by inspection you find out that it is not levelled, you will have to level it out using furring strip of 1 by 4.
Step 2: After checking for proper levelling, you can try to position the
new vinyl window on the frame with the help of about two to three people, especially if the window is quite heavy. Assign two helpers to stay outside of the house and then, have the other help you hold it from the inside. The carpenter’s square will be quite helpful here; it will make sure that the window sits perfectly on the centre of the frame.
Step 3: Once that the window has already been fitted perfectly into the frame, you can add some shims on the sides of the windows to give it a really tight fit into the frame. Do not make the fit too tight, however, because this might keep the window from operating properly and it could cause the frame to bend due to excessive pressure.
Step 4: Securing the window into the space can be done effectively by driving some nails through it; begin at the top. Be careful, and make sure to always keep the window levelled on all four sides because you may not be able to do this once you have screwed the windows in.
Step 5: Before finalising anything else, like fastening the shims, for instance, you should check that the window works properly first. You need to open and close it from the inside and outside because you may not be able to do this once the shims have been nailed permanently.
Step 6: Once the shims have been attached and the window is working fine, you can begin to insulate it by adding fibreglass or spray foam between the gaps that surround the window. You can also seal the window using trim boards or some drywall from the inside and caulk and aluminium to seal it from the outside.
Installing It Right
To make sure that the installation will go well, you need to be able to good measurements of both length and breadth of the opening that you need to fill. These measurements should help you purchase the right window for your home; as well as the tools that you will need. If you want to do it properly, then you have to be ready with the right tools; you need a couple of finish nails, screwdrivers, carpenter’s square, hammer and level. All these things will be very essential; and once you have got your hands on them you can begin with the installation process.
Step 1: Using the level, you need to see if the bottom stud on surface of the window is laid evenly. If by inspection you find out that it is not levelled, you will have to level it out using furring strip of 1 by 4.
Step 2: After checking for proper levelling, you can try to position the
Step 3: Once that the window has already been fitted perfectly into the frame, you can add some shims on the sides of the windows to give it a really tight fit into the frame. Do not make the fit too tight, however, because this might keep the window from operating properly and it could cause the frame to bend due to excessive pressure.
Step 4: Securing the window into the space can be done effectively by driving some nails through it; begin at the top. Be careful, and make sure to always keep the window levelled on all four sides because you may not be able to do this once you have screwed the windows in.
Step 5: Before finalising anything else, like fastening the shims, for instance, you should check that the window works properly first. You need to open and close it from the inside and outside because you may not be able to do this once the shims have been nailed permanently.
Step 6: Once the shims have been attached and the window is working fine, you can begin to insulate it by adding fibreglass or spray foam between the gaps that surround the window. You can also seal the window using trim boards or some drywall from the inside and caulk and aluminium to seal it from the outside.
