Can anyone tell me how to install a window?

Question

WE ARE PUTTING IN A WINDOW IN THE KITCHEN,IN A NEW LOCATION,IT'S A VINYL WINDOW.

Answer 1

If it is by Pella, read here:
http://www.thermastar.com/install.asp

In any event you are better off with the instructions from the manufacturer, this way your warranty will not be effected and the company will have no way out but to reimburse you should a claim occur. Please measure 5 times before cutting. Good Luck! You'll be fine!

Answer 2

You will need to have the rough opening cut out into the wall.
Make sure you have the height correct.
The top of the window will need a header built and the local code may have a say in that dimension. The header will rest on a jack stud, which is what will hold it up, next to the jack studs you will have the wall stud (framing) which is secured to the top and bottom plate. The bottom part of the window will have the sill stud and lintels , cripples that hold framing square and should be on 16" centers.
When framing is complete, wrap open areas of the rough opening with tar paper. Depending on your exterior finish..siding , wood , plaster etc.. you will need to cut back for your windows brick molding. This is the part that you will be driving nails or screws through and finishing with a window screw cap cover.
If you have siding that is vinyl then also take into account the new "J" channel trim that will go around the window.
With window set in rough opening, this is where you should have a few cedar shingles or small 1/4" to 3/8" wood blocking to keep the window off the bottom (expansion, contraction) rule.
Using a level to make sure the window is level and square you can begin securing from the outside with nails or screws (which ever is called for) Usually with vinyl windows it requires to stay aprox. 2 to 4 inches from corners if it is flange type and screw every 10 inches after that. If your window is the other vinyl types with holes in the brick mold just secure as manufacture has placed holes for the purpose. Screws should be snug and not over-tight.
With the last method you must run a bead of latex caulking around the perimeter of the window.
If all has went good your window jambs on the interior should be fairly flush to your interior wall surface and ready for casing.
Remember to watch and locate any electrical wires , plumbing venting etc..that may be hidden in walls from sight.

Answer 3

I have never installed a window, but I have installed a couple of new doors. Favorite TV shows are "HOW TO or DYI" first let me tell you the instructions are with the window. To make really sure, go to a couple of home improvement stores ...........They are always glad to help.....
Just ask them how to. as long as you have at least an intermediate knowledge it should not be
hard.

If you like doing that sort of thing you won't be able to wait for the next one. Make sure you have a
tape measure
square
level
drill
hammer
nails
saw (preferably and electric or cordless) no hand saws too much work.
You also need the exact measurement of window
if its replacement. In your case a New Construction Window.

Here is a tip...........when they say replacement they don't tell you they probably don't make that size anymore.
To get the measurements you need to take off the trim inside and measure from outside corner to outside corner of frame. That includes height and width. Or for New construction.....They give the exact dimensions with the window.

MAKE SURE YOU DO YOUR HOME WORK AND REMEMBER TO ...........MEASURE TWICE AND CUT ONCE.

Good Luck!

PS I am a carpenters worst nightmare. I usually work as my own contractor and I sub contract the work..........I also write my own contracts...........

Answer 4

That depends on if you have framed it out or not. If you install a new contractor grade window, then you just cut the hole in the wall, TYVEK or other means of weather proofing it and then put the new window in and screw it down from the outside. If you frame it out first, then you get a replacement window, weather proof the same way as with the contractor window and screw it in from the insides of the window. Make sure you shim the window so it is square in either case. Personally, I would go with the replacement window myself. If you ever have to replace the window going in, you will have to frame it out anyway, so you might as well do it now.

http://www.sunwindows.com/Services/Installation_windows_01.html

Attached are more complete instructions.

Answer 5

You need to make sure that the sill is level, if not you will need to shim your window to ensure that it is. Next you will need to make sure your window is square in the opening, you can do this my measuring diagonally across your window, when both directions are the same measurment then it is square, remember precision is key, so down the the 1/16 of an inch. After you do all that you will need to close your bottom sash so it is barely open, check the margin, the space between the bottom of your sash and the sill of the window. If they are uneven you will need to adjust the middle of your window with shims to compensate for the margin.

Answer 6

if its a big window you need to remove a couple of bricks above each side of the window and put supports in, then you can knock out where the window will be and put in a lintel (a beam that goes accross the top to take the wieght, that will be longer than the window) than install the window, dnt forget the expanding foam.

Answer 7

you need a header&jack studs. Its a major job guy! Really need to know the size of window. h&w of the r.o.in the house.Get back to me sounds like fun.

Answer 8

check diynet.com or hgtv.com and search window installation.

Answer 9

VINYL REPLACEMENT WINDOW BASICS




It wasn't too long ago that vinyl windows were considered a less-than-ideal choice for replacement windows. But advances in design plus improvements in the formulation of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) have made vinyl windows a high-quality product that competes favorably with wood.


Vinyl windows have always had some advantages over aluminum and steel. Metal is a highly efficient heat conductor–a great property when it comes to pots and pans, but not so slick when you're talking about window frames. As window glazing has improved, the difference in insulating value between the glass and the frame of a metal window became greater and greater.


PVC, on the other hand, is a nonconductor of heat. It doesn't truly insulate like wood, but the design of a vinyl window adds greatly to the frame's insulating value. The primary reason that insulating glass works is because there is a pocket of trapped air, called dead air space, between the inner and outer panes. Vinyl window frames work on the same principle. The frames are hollow, built with multiple chambers to add strength. Those chambers also trap air and thereby slow heat transfer.


Good quality vinyl windows are nearly equal to wood windows in their overall insulating value, but not just because of the frames. Compared to old shop-built wood double-hung windows, the factory weather-stripping in modern vinyl windows allows only a fraction of the air leakage around the sash. As a rule, air infiltration is even more important than insulating quality in preventing heat loss.


Vinyl windows come in a variety of styles, including single- and double-hung, horizontal sliding, casement, awning and hopper. Sliding patio doors are also available. The color is part of the PVC formula, so vinyl windows never have to be painted. Most come in white and almond, some with wood-grain overlays inside.


Vinyl windows offer the same style features found on other top-quality windows–divided light grids, decorative glass, tilt-out sash on single- and double-hung units, high-efficiency locking systems, premium configurations such as circle tops, bay and bow units and even brass hardware. Like all vinyl products, they are also maintenance-free.


A few manufacturers still make dark brown windows, but many have stopped manufacturing dark colors. Despite advances in formulation, vinyl is still more sensitive to temperature variations than other window materials, and dark colors absorb heat more readily than light colors.













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FEATURES OF VINYL WINDOWS



There are differences in the quality of vinyl windows just as there are in any building product. Some of the features that distinguish different windows include:


Vinyl formulation. Early vinyl windows had problems with extreme expansion and contraction during temperature swings, as well as fading, peeling and cracking when exposed to direct sunlight. Manufacturers have switched to PVC without plasticizers (called UPVC) to minimize movement and developed additives that help resist the ultraviolet rays in sunlight.


Frame design. Vinyl window frames may be screwed together like aluminum windows, or welded at the corners. Windows with welded frames tend to be sturdier, as well as more energy efficient, since air is sealed inside.


Glazing. Modern vinyl windows are available with the same high-tech glazing used in top-of-the-line wood windows–insulating glass with low emissivity (low E) coatings, and filled with argon gas to increase insulating value.

Many states have adopted an energy efficiency rating system for windows developed by the National Fenestration Ratings Council (NFRC). The NFRC rating lists the U-value for the overall window, not just the glass. The lower the U-value, the more energy efficient the window.


If your house has older wood double-hung windows, vinyl is a good replacement choice and a reasonably easy do-it-yourself project. You don't have to remove your old windows entirely, because vinyl replacement windows are made to fit in the sash opening.






From the Estimator's Encyclopedia,
© 1993, Greg Brooks Communications


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MEASURING VINYL WINDOWS



The most important part of the installation procedure comes before you even have your windows. It is critical that you measure your old window opening properly and accurately.


Vinyl windows are custom-built and can't be returned if they don't fit. Most are manufactured in 1/4" increments, and you'll want to get the closest fit possible.


Manufacturers' measuring instructions vary, but the following procedures are typical.


To measure the width, raise the lower sash and measure the jamb-to-jamb width in three places–near the top of the window, at the middle and close to the bottom.


To measure the height, measure from the head jamb to the sloped sill just past where it meets the inside window stool.


Don't assume that all your windows are the same size. Draw a rough sketch of your house and number each window you plan to replace, then measure each of them separately.







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INSTALLING VINYL WINDOWS



To install a vinyl replacement window, first remove the old sash. A traditional double-hung window has two sets of removable stops. All have an inside stop that holds the lower (inner) sash in place and a blind stop that separates the two sashes. The outside stop is nailed to the edge of the sash and is not removable.
Pry off the inside stops carefully so you can reuse them. Cut the sash ropes and remove the lower sash, then pry out the blind stop and remove it. Remove the upper sash.

Set the replacement window in the opening. It should fit snugly between the stool on the inside and the outside stops of the old window on the outside. If the new window is narrower, you may need to nail a strip of wood to the jamb to fill the gap between the window and the outside stop.


Some vinyl replacement windows have sloped extrusions on the bottom that match the sloped sill of your old window; others are flat. If the bottom of your new window is flat, you may be able to use a piece of lattice or door stop as a support for the front edge of the window.


If not, you'll have to rip an angled support. To do so, set the window in place in the opening, and measure the gap between the front lower edge of the window and the old sloped sill.


You can make supports for all your windows at one time. Plane the edge of a board at an angle that roughly matches the slope of the sill, then rip a strip of wood to match the gap. To install the support strip, cut it to length and nail it in place directly beneath the point where the front edge of the new window will rest.


Center the window in the opening. Use a carpenter's square to make sure the window is square, then shim the sides of the window directly behind the predrilled screw holes in the jamb. Screw the window in place through the side jambs, then replace the inside stop.


Go inside and check the window to make sure it operates properly. Then go back outside and run a narrow bead of caulking all around the window to seal the gap at the outside stop.

Answer 10

plumb, level and square.
and that's the truth.
and use stainless fasteners, it matters.