Deciding on the suitable frame style when installing new windows

Last week, I told you how to measure for your vinyl replacement windows when replacing aluminum windows. Now that you are prepared to order your new vinyl replacement windows, we require to talk about the distinct frame style alternatives available. In most of the country your options are limited to either new construction or replacement frames. New construction frames come with a nailing fin to attach the frame to the studs in the course of the construction of the new house. The replacement frame is basically the tabernacle keychain new construction frame minus the nailing fin.

But in the west, exactly where stucco homes are widespread, manufacturers came up with a third type of frame named a retrofit frame. The retrofit frame has a fin about two inches wide, located flush with the outside face of the window. This is the greatest choice when replacing old windows, but not all jobs will accomodate a retrofit frame application. So let's talk about how to figure out which frame is going to perform for you.

If you have a stucco exterior, retrofit is the way to go. You install the new window from the outside, and the flush fin covers the old aluminum frame that you are going to leave in location. Then you screw the new window in making use of deck screws through the side channels as nicely as the top header. We will get into much more detail on the actual installation in a future article. If you have a stucco exterior, but there is a wood trim about the opening cassock investigation of the window exactly where the flush fin would usually go, you can nonetheless use the retrofit style frame. You would need to have to remove the wood surrounding the opening, install the retrofit window, then obtain and install new wood trim. The old trim will no longer fit since the retrofit window frame dimensions will be bigger in width and height than the old window frame. An additional choice is to install the retrofit fin on top of the wood trim. You can do this as long as the depth from the face of the wood trim to the point in the house of the innermost portion of the old aluminum frame is much less than 3 inches deep. The cause is since a great top quality retrofit window will have a 3 inch frame depth from the back of the flush fin to the innermost component of the frame. That innermost element requirements to be further into the residence than the innermost portion of the aluminum frame so that the aluminum frame will be hidden after we apply the inside trim. What if you have brick about the window openings? Or siding? Then what? Properly, if you can install the window against the face of the brick or siding and nonetheless have the innermost component of the vinyl frame be additional into the house than the old frame, then you can use the retrofit style frame. If not, then you have to use the replacement style frame,then use trim to finish the outside. If you are in a position to get a retrofit frame with a fairly thin fin, you can also trim down the fins so the window fits among the brick or wood. That would get rid of the need to trim out the outside. Some manufacturers of retrofit frames will have grooves in the back of internet san diego sheriff warrant the retrofit fins. You basically run a utility knife in the groove until you are able to break off that piece of the fin.

The major point to remember when figuring out regardless of whether or not to use a retrofit frame or a regular replacement frame is that in order to use the retrofit frame there needs to be much less than three inches from the outside point where the flush fin will rest to the inside point in the room where the old frame ends. If it is less than 3 inches, go with the retro, far more than three inches, use the replacement frame and add trim to the outside in lieu of the flush fin.

Subsequent week I am going to explain the approach of removing the old aluminum window.