dcsimg

Repairing windows in your old house

By: Shannon Lee , Contributing Writer
In: Home Improvement Tips, Green Renovations

When we first bought our forever home, one of the big selling points were the windows. Tall, gorgeous, and completely unadorned, those windows let in the kind of light that truly brought the outside in. Another selling point was the completely wooded landscape, with mature trees everywhere, providing just the right amount of shade for the property.

So we have beautiful windows and beautiful trees. I'll bet you can imagine what happened next.

When the spring storms began to roll through, they brought with them the kind of wind that cleans out the dead wood. It was the kind of wind that sends old, dead branches crashing to the ground. In the midst of one of those storms, there was a particularly hard gust of wind, and then a sound like a gunshot right above our heads. Even as we ducked, we could hear the sound of falling glass. A wayward branch had torn from one of those trees, struck a hard blow to the upstairs window, and sent remnants of glass crashing to the driveway below.

This was a problem for obvious reasons. But there was another problem -- we live in the middle of nowhere. We had already learned that getting a contractor out to our home was next to impossible. That meant that we would have to repair or replace that lovely double-pane window ourselves.

What it takes to fix a window

Given my love of old houses, I had a great deal of experience with replacing glass in single-pane windows. But double-pane? We decided to clean up the glass first and then figure the rest out as we went along. With the help of a ladder and some heavy-duty gloves, we were able to use a sharp knife to cut through the remaining seal and caulk and remove the dangerous shards of glass. Once that was done, the question became how to replace all that glass.

Double-pane windows can be tricky. Sometimes they are designed so that repairs aren't possible -- replacement is the only way to make sure that the window is as sound as it should be. This means pulling all the trim from around the window, carefully pulling out the entire window unit, replacing it with a new one and restoring the trim. This can take a great deal of time and effort, and might be best done by a professional contractor.

Some windows allow for removal of just one section of glass. One panel can be removed from the window, and then carefully replaced with a new one. This is made much easier if your windows are of standard size, as the proper panel can be ordered through most home improvement stores. The glazing is typically a rubber seal, which can be cut and removed with a sharp utility knife. There is also a sealant or caulking that holds the glass to the frame, and that has to be cut as well.

Once that is done, pulling the window out can be tough, especially if you are on the second floor! The solution is to use a suction handle on the inside of the window, and then pull it through to the inside of the house when the sealant is released.

Cleaning out the frame is the easy part, and then it's time to put the new panel in. Use plenty of caulking around the frame, set the panel in the window, and then apply new glazing to hold it in place. Make sure to keep the window dry for several days to make sure the sealant sets properly.

How did our window turn out?

After removing the glazing, we realized the harsh truth: The entire window would have to come out. If the window had been on the ground floor, we would have definitely tried that ourselves; but since it was on the second floor and neither of us like balancing on a ladder, we chose to look for a contractor anyway. It took us a solid three months to find someone who would come out just to replace one window, and it cost much more than we anticipated, but it had to be done.

While we waited impatiently for someone to come out and help us with the problem, we covered the window with a thick tarp. This served not only to protect the window but also to provide a bit more insulation than the now-broken window could have given.

The good news: Now we know exactly what kind of windows we have, and what it takes to replace them. So when a window on the bottom floor meets with a flying branch -- as it eventually will -- we will try our hand at replacing the window ourselves and see what happens.

Share/Save/Bookmark