How To Replace Aluminum Windows With Vinyl Windows

Upgrade to energy-efficient vinyl windows

Not every window replacement job goes smoothly. That's what contractor Steve Roth discovered when hired to replace dated aluminum windows in a Michigan home.

"The windows themselves are probably 35 years onetime and have lost their functionality," says Roth. "The worst part is that the aluminum had oxidized over the years. The condensation that the aluminum material transfers into the interior of the house during the extremely cold Michigan winters had deteriorated the units themselves."

According to Roth, the single-paned windows were no longer serving as a bulwark for exterior temperatures, and so the homeowners were spending a fortune on heating bills. To solve the problem, Roth adamant that energy-efficient vinyl-framed windows from Simonton Windows should be installed. The windows he specified are Energy Star-qualified for the Northern Climate Zone and feature Depression-E glass with Argon gas filling.

"Quite just, the difference is like night and day between the quondam aluminum windows and the new vinyl windows," says Roth. "Once we get this project finished, the energy savings will kickoff immediately for the homeowner. And, the owners also benefit from added curb appeal and resale value thank you to the new windows.

"While the removal of the older aluminum windows was challenging, it's definitely worth it in order for the homeowners to accept more than energy-efficient vinyl windows installed in their domicile."

Before the celebrating could start over the new windows, the old ones had to come out. Tackling the project during the cold winter months gave Roth truthful insight into the difficulties of pulling out the existing aluminum units that had oxidized over several decades.

Pace 1: Remove the storm windows from the exterior of the home.

Step ii: From the interior, remove the aluminum window stop on one side of the unit of measurement with a reciprocating saw.

Footstep 3: Once the window cease has been removed, the sash frames tin be removed from the unit.

Step 4: To remove the aluminum jamb from the window opening, start by using a reciprocating saw to crosscut the jamb. Exist careful non to damage the interior jamb surface.

Stride 5: After the jamb is cantankerous cut, it can exist collapsed and removed. The exterior will accept an unfinished look.

Step 6: The remaining window area should exist cleaned out, then a jamb needs to be blocked out with forest until the jamb is flush with the brick veneer.

Step vii: Once insulation is added to the framed opening between the capsule and the back of the brick veneer, the new Simonton vinyl window is placed in the opening up to the blocking materials to ensure a tight fit.

Step 8: Later on ensuring that the unit is plumb and level and square in the opening, use screws to secure the window to the wooden blocking in the opening. Always refer to the manufacturer'south written instructions to ensure the installation goes smoothly.

Pace 9: For the interior, install moulding up to the window to trim out the inside of the home.

Step 10: On the exterior, caulk the window up to the brick veneer to ensure an airtight fit.

The newly-installed Simonton vinyl windows are a dramatic improvement over the corroded aluminum windows. The new units will help salve heating and cooling costs and can now stand up much stronger to the cold Michigan winters. And, as an added bonus for the homeowners, they no longer need to hassle with maintenance issues or the use of tempest windows during the winter months.

About Simonton Windows

Simonton Windows produces Energy STAR® qualified replacement and new construction windows and doors, including a line of impact-resistant products.