How-To : Home Improvement

Your garage door could be a huge vulnerable spot on your home in the even of a hurricane or high windstorm. If the winds pressure were to destroy your garage door, wind and water could easily enter your home. Once the wind enters your home, this could lead to other windows being destroyed due to the pressure, or worse yet, the roof of your home blowing right off.

Not only that, water damage to furniture and electrical equipment can be a major problem in an event such as this.

Nowadays, people that live in areas with these concerns are starting to wake up to this fact and taking protective measures.

Adding storm windows and a reinforced garage door can help increase your security. The storm window will replace your existing windows, keeping them sealed tightly to be sure no unwanted elements are allowed in.

Hurricane window protection is also available for your needs. This can either be the type that you must install with news of the hurricane, or a hurricane window that stays in place at all times and protects your home not only from hurricanes, but also increases the energy efficiency in your home, keeping cold and hot air in when needed, depending on the season.

If you need to protect your garage door, measures can be taken here as well, either replacing the entire garage door with a non passive reinforcement that you use during news of the storm, or using a passive system which maintains a reinforced state all year long.

If you’re worried about the appearance of a storm window, or a hurricane window you’ll pleased to know that they are made with the customer in mind, therefore they are made to be as attractive as any other type of window, and can actually be used to replace just about any type of window that you have in your home.

As well, window hardware can be chosen to enhance the windows beauty even more so, and add a decorative feature, while allowing you to match the appearance to those decorations in the rest of the home.

Either way, ignoring this task or procrastinating can cause huge devastation to your home, which you surely do not want.

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While most buyers of double glazing are looking for replacement windows to help reduce their energy costs, or because their old windows are rattling in their frames, there’s a whole class of buyers who are ‘trading up’ - replacing perfectly good window frames for the sake of having the windows they want. They may be looking to replace all of their windows with a different style, or trying to restore their home to its architectural period.

And then there are the homes that were fitted with the first wave of double glazed windows in the 1960s and 1970s. The original windows that featured double glazing as an energy saving measure were aluminum framed and conformed to the best energy standards of their day. There have been enormous advances since then - in materials, techniques and styles. For many people, it’s time to upgrade to the new standards, even if the old windows are still holding firm.

There are other reasons that people turn to replacement windows as well. Last spring, for instance, my mother decided it was time to replace the mullioned casement windows in her kitchen. She’s always hated them, but they came with the house - and were brand new when she bought it. She shopped around for months until she finally found exactly what she wanted - a full three three-sided greenhouse window with shelving built into the window frames. Each pane is double glazed, and the entire effect is stunning. Her choice of replacement window transformed the entire kitchen.

Whatever your reason for seeking replacement windows, the following advice can help you choose the right ones.

Prioritize your needs

Think through your reasons for replacing your windows and place a priority on each. There are many choices of materials and styles of replacement windows available, and each has distinct advantages over the others. If you’re concerned with restoration, for example, and want authenticity, then wood framed double glazed windows will probably be at the top of your list. If your primary need in replacing windows is affordability, then PVCu framed windows are a far better choice.

Do your research

Research windows and styles, certainly, but also check into the companies that you choose to do business with. Ask around to friends who’ve replaced windows about their experience with particular suppliers and contractors.

Invite three to four companies to your home to get an estimate

Don’t make a choice based on one

Always have your windows measured by a professional

Don’t order based on your own measurements, no matter how reliable you think they are. Choose a company that will take the measurements themselves, if for no other reason that it then becomes THEIR responsibility if any of the windows ordered don’t fit the space for them.

Finally, don’t assume that you’re stuck with the same look you’ve got. Replacement windows can make a spectacular difference in your home’s appearance and value. Barring prohibition for historical or council reasons, you can have that picture or bay window you’ve always wanted. It’s all a matter of finding it.

Matthew Anthony written many articles including double glazing and other pieces such as window blinds.

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Let’s suppose you still have those old aluminum single pane windows in your house,and one of the neighbor kids throws a ball through it. ( Your kid would never do that!) Depending on where you live in the country, you can pay anywhere from $75 to $150 to get it repaired. Well, if you’re willing to spend an hour or two, you can get the window fixed for around $20 or $30. I’m not going to try and explain how to cut your own glass. I am going to explain how to get the old glass out, measure for the new glass, and install the replacement glass. So, let’s use this article to explain the most common type of aluminum frame window.

If you have a sliding window, one of the panels will be stationary, and the other will slide back and forth. If the slider is the one broken, you simply lift up and swing the bottom out. If the bottom won’t come out, check for rollers on top. Sometimes the top rollers are adjusted up so the slider can’t be removed. Just loosen the screw holding the roller in place and lift up with some force. That should push the rollers down, allowing you to remove the panel. Lay the panel on a table and measure the width and height of the glass only. Take this measurement and add 1/2″ to both the width and height. This is the size of the new glass that you need to order. Measure the thickness of the old glass. It will either be 1/8″ or a little less than that. The thin glass is called single strength and is actually about 3/32″. The 1/8″ glass is called double strength glass. Be sure to order the right one. If you order double strength glass because you figure it’s stronger than the old single strength piece, you are going to have a devil of a time putting the frame back together. That tiny 1/32″ difference can be a real pain in the neck. Trust me, you want to replace single strength with single strength.

Now, it’s time to take the frame apart and remove all of the old glass. Make sure to put on a heavy pair of gloves to avoid getting cut. You will find a screw in each corner of your frame. You want to remove two of these screws in opposite corners. So, if you remove the bottom left screw, you need to also remove the top right one. Now, take a rubber mallet, slide one of the corners off the table that has the screw removed, and tap the frame to separate it from the glass. Set that half of the frame aside, then do the same thing to the other half. Now you should have two halves of the frame, a piece of rubber, and lots of glass. Throw away all the glass, then clean out the rubber, making certain to get every piece of glass out of there.

When You get the replacement glass home, lay it on the table with one long and one short side hanging over the edge. Put the rubber on those two overhanging edges. Put one half of the frame (it doesn’t matter which half) against the glass and tap the corner on first. Then tap the long edge onto the rubber until it seats. Then do the short edge. Now, put the other two edges over the table and do the same procedure. Finally, install the screws in the corners. Put the panel back in and you’re done.

If the broken pane is the stationary portion, there is a little extra work to get the panel out. You need to take out the slider first, then remove the two screws holding the center bar in place. Tap the center bar away from the panel until it is off the side of the panel. Set it aside. Then tap the frame edge to pull it out of the channel attached to the wall. Once it’s away from the side channel, you can lift it up and out like you did with the slider. You remove and install the glass in the frame just like you did with the slider, put the frame back in the opening, tap it into the side channel, install the center bar and screws, and install the sliding panel. That’s it! You’re done. If your window doesn’t fit this description, fear not! I will be spending the next several weeks trying to cover every conceivable window configuration. So, i will chat with you all next week.

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

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