Replacing Aluminum Frame Single Pane Windows

In our past articles I talked about all the steps required to properly 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 those old windows in your home are made of aluminum instead of wood? Is the process the same? No, it's not the same at all. So, the next few articles are going to explain the differences between replacing wood windows versus aluminum windows.

When discussing the proper frame style for replacing the wood sash windows, I explained the difference between new construction frames versus replacement frames. When replacing aluminum windows, there is another option we have to consider regarding frame style. It's called a "retrofit" frame. Let's go over each frame type. First, we have the new construction frame with the nailing fin. If you choose 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 around each window.(I get tired just talking about it!)In addition to being a whole lot of labor, you can run into major problems trying to install the exterior product around each window opening. If your home 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't get a perfect match. What if you have wood siding? Well, you can cut away 2" of the siding around each window to get to the nail fin, then you can apply 1 X 2 or 1 X 3 trim around each window. Certainly not as much work as the stucco home, but probably more work than the average homeowner cares to tackle. What if each window is surrounded by brick? Let's not even go there! You would have to remove the bricks, then re-install 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 used to replace the wood sash windows, or something called a retrofit frame, that is popular in the west where stucco is a common exterior. Since the procedure for measuring is the same regardless of the frame style chosen, this article will discuss the proper measuring procedure, and future articles will explain the difference in the installation process for replacement versus retrofit.

If you look at the portion of the aluminum frame that goes around the window opening into your surrounding walls, you will see three separate "legs" that form two pockets. The outside leg and the center leg form 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. Find 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 right. This should be the narrowest measurement. Then, subtract 3/8" from that measurement. This is the width of the replacement window. Measure the height the same way. When measuring the height, measure as close to the center of the window as possible. This is especially important on windows wider than six feet, because the top wood header has a tendency to sag over time, making the center of the opening the narrowest. You don't need to deduct 3/8" from the height like you did on the width. 1/4" is fine. These are the dimensions you use when ordering your vinyl window. If you have any picture windows(windows without a vent panel), there will only be two legs and one pocket. You still measure the same way.

Next week I will discuss whether your home is a candidate for retrofit frames or replacement frames...

John Rocco has been installing replacement windows since 1978. To learn more, visit How To Install Windows

Online Home Improvement Resource Heads West
24-7PressRelease.com (press release) - 7 hours ago
Online contractor referral service and home improvement resource BizziBid is pushing hard to offer all of it's services to the entire California market. ...

Some in Volusia getting help to protect homes from bad weather
Daytona Beach News-Journal, FL - 8 hours ago
Of those, about 630 have been approved for tax-free home improvement grants to help pay for protective upgrades. The state program, My Safe Florida Home, ...

Police calls: Home improvement place missing 4 ladders
Mansfield News Journal, OH - 3 hours ago
Jackpot Spin and Win, 381 Ashland Ave. -- An employee reported someone broke out a glass door and stole $400 Thursday. Promotional Products Co., 250 Wayne ...

Saving Pots Pave the Way for Home Improvements
PR Newswire UK (press release), UK - Aug 29, 2008
HALIFAX, England, August 29 /PRNewswire/ -- This research is part of the annual Halifax Home Improvement Survey, a series of research pieces that are ...
Saving pots pave the way for home improvements Easier (press release)
all 2 news articles

Boston Globe
Lowe’s opening new home improvement store at Alamo Ranch
Bizjournals.com, NC - Aug 21, 2008
Inc. is set to open the home improvement retailer’s newest store in San Antonio. Mooresville, NC-based Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW) will open its new store at Alamo ...
Rebuilding at Home Improvement Stores? Motley Fool
Home improvement won't improve quickly MarketWatch
Home improvement retailers fall with Home Depot Forbes
Xinhua - CNNMoney.comall 707 news articles

Halifax: People using savings to fund home repairs
Money News, UK - 21 hours ago
Some 80 per cent of people who have embarked on a home improvement project during the last 12 months have paid for it in part or entirely with their own ...

BBC News
Storm-inspired shoppers already stocking up at local home stores
Pensacola News Journal, FL - Aug 28, 2008
Sales are increasing at local home improvement stores as Tropical Storm Gustav’s threat moves closer to warm Gulf waters. At the Lowe’s Home Improvement ...
Video: Gustav Follows Katrina's Path CBS
New Orleans bracing for big test from Gustav Buffalo News
Mississippi Coast Not Taking Chances WKRG-TV
Boston Globe - NECNall 6,490 news articles

Regulators crack down on home improver
Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN - 12 hours ago
Renaissance Exteriors Inc., a Maple Grove home improvement company, has been banned from accepting new work while it finishes commitments to about 100 area ...

Construction Lots Bldg. Sells for $3.6M
CoStar Group, MD - 6 hours ago
Construction Lots Home Improvement Warehouse fully occupies the property. Jaime Medress and Steve Gonzalez of Marcus & Millichap-Phoenix represented the ...

Most Gulf Coast Structures Not Safer Today Than They Were Three ...
MarketWatch - 18 hours ago
Most coastal-area home improvement stores now carry shutter kits and, even more importantly, they carry permanent anchors that can be pre-installed to ...

Wind Chimes and more...

Windchimes for great gifts!

A Guide to Commercial Steel Buildings