At some point, before the heat and humidity of summer arrive, I want to replace some of my old jalousie windows. Jalousie windows were used here in Florida, because they can be opened to catch the breeze without letting in the rain. The problem is that they have absolutely no insulation value at all, and they catch the breeze even when they're closed. So I thought I would try replacing the small bathroom window first, as a practice run, before I tackled the floor to ceiling windows.
Step one, measure the opening. On my first try, I measured the inside opening, and that was wrong, according to the guy at Home Depot I needed to measure the outside opening. So armed with the correct outside dimensions, I returned to Home Depot and ordered the correct window. I don't know why, but when I measure things the measurements are never correct. Yes I know, measure three times just to be sure, and I did that, yet when I got home and tried to install the window it was wrong. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Step two, remove the old window. Very easy, six screws and just pop the thing out of the wall according to the Home Depot do it yourself book. With all the screws removed, I pushed on the window and it didn't budge. After beating the damn thing with a mallet for an hour and chiseling the concrete from around the frame, it still didn't budge. Finally, after using a large crowbar and twisting the frame into a pretzel, I managed to rip the thing from the grip of the wall. I have to give Mark credit, because during all of this, he just watched calmly and quietly without screaming at me that I was destroying the house. Usually by this time he would be yelling at me to get somebody who knows what they are doing. I guess the Xanax the doctor gave him is doing it's job.
Step three, mount the new window into the opening in the wall. Of course you already know it isn't going in that easy. The window was a fraction of an inch too wide and too tall. My first impulse is to jam it in there with the rubber mallet and a lot of cursing, but early on I realized that wasn't going to work. Even after chiseling away some of the concrete around the frame, I didn't have enough clearance. At this point plan B is put into effect, and I got out the electric hack saw, and started cutting on the window. When I am done I have a hideously chopped up window that fits snugly into the frame in the wall.
Step four, caulk and patch the concrete around the window. After two tubes of caulk and a tub of concrete patch to fill in the gaping voids around the window, I'm done and it actually looks alright. You can't even tell that I chopped the hell out of the thing. Just one problem. After all that work, I slide the new window open, only to discover the damn thing is broken and won't stay up on the right side. As usual with my home projects, it will stay that way and Mark will just have to get used to it, because there's no way I'm going through all that again. Now, do I really need to replace all those other windows?
Step four, caulk and patch the concrete around the window. After two tubes of caulk and a tub of concrete patch to fill in the gaping voids around the window, I'm done and it actually looks alright. You can't even tell that I chopped the hell out of the thing. Just one problem. After all that work, I slide the new window open, only to discover the damn thing is broken and won't stay up on the right side. As usual with my home projects, it will stay that way and Mark will just have to get used to it, because there's no way I'm going through all that again. Now, do I really need to replace all those other windows?
well there must be a god. i was just thinking of trying to replace some of my old windows, on a scale of 1 to 10 how hard was it to do. let me know, thanks.... fluffy
ReplyDeleteIt took about three hours. I'd say for somebody as handy as yourself, it would be a 3. The problem was that the old window was embedded into the concrete sill. Also if you measure correctly, it would probably be much easier. It takes patience and some vodka.
ReplyDeleteif you just tilt your head slightly to the right, you can't even tell.
ReplyDeleteWhy am I not a bit surprised at this story? Oh yea, I've lived through many of your do-it-yourself projects with the same outcomes. I still remember the wonderful job you did on my kitchen door. Sophie could almost squeeze through the gap at the bottom.
ReplyDeleteYou did do a great job putting in the front windows...oops, I forgot, you had those installed by someone that knew what they were doing. Oh well, good luck on the rest of the windows. I'm sure all your outside animals will love the access they will have to your house.
I DO give you credit for trying! It takes a lot of motivation, ambition and patience to do what you did. Although it didn't work out as well as you would like, in the closed position it looks great. Give yourself a pat on the back.
ReplyDeleteAlan: If we are talking about the same window that that was embedded into the concrete sill. Wasn't that the one that I installed 14 years ago. The one in the studio apartment? Remember that? It was originally a small opening for an air conditioner that I chopped open with a slegde hammer to make a new window fit.
ReplyDeleteNo, Garet, not that one. By the way, you make it sound like you did all the work. I chopped at that concrete too.
ReplyDeleteNo, I believe you hacked at it. I chopped at it. hehe We did a good job though.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy you rented the front aprtment. Maybe now you can get the windows professionally installed.
One last note: Save your money. Don't fix your house up. It's the land that is valuable, unless you keep it and use it as income property then you have to keep it maintained.