Selecting the appropriate frame style when installing new windows

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Last week, I told you how to measure for your vinyl replacement windows when replacing aluminum windows. Now that you happen to be ready to order your new vinyl replacement windows, we need to have to speak about the different frame style options offered. In most of the country your choices 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 residence. The replacement frame is basically the new construction frame minus the nailing fin.

But in the west, where stucco properties are widespread, producers came up with a third type of frame referred to as a retrofit frame. The retrofit frame has a fin about 2 inches wide, located flush with the outside face of the window. This is the finest selection when replacing old windows, but not all jobs will accomodate a retrofit frame application. So let's talk about how to determine which chasuble frame is going to operate 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 by way of the side channels as well as the prime header. We will get into a lot 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 of the window exactly where the flush fin would usually go, you can nevertheless use the retrofit style frame. You would require to remove the wood surrounding the opening, install the retrofit window, advent candles then buy and install new wood trim. The old trim will no longer fit since the retrofit window frame dimensions will be larger in width and height than the old window frame. Yet another choice is to install the retrofit fin on top of the wood trim. You can do this as extended 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 less than three inches deep. The reason is due to the fact a very good good quality retrofit window will have a 3 inch frame depth from the back of the flush fin to the innermost part of the frame. That innermost component demands to be further into the house than the innermost element of the aluminum frame so that the aluminum frame will be hidden after we apply the inside trim. What if you have brick around the window openings? Or siding? Then what? Nicely, if you can install the window against the face of the brick or siding and still have the innermost portion of the vinyl frame be further into the home than the old frame, then you can use the retrofit style frame. If not, then you have to monstrance 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 relatively thin fin, you can also trim down the fins so the window fits amongst the brick or wood. That would get rid of the need to have to trim out the outside. Some manufacturers of retrofit frames will have grooves in the back of the retrofit fins. You merely run a utility knife in the groove till you are able to break off that piece of the fin.

The principal point to don't forget when determining whether or not or not to use a retrofit frame or a regular replacement frame is that in order to use the retrofit frame there demands to be much less than three inches from the outside point where the flush fin will rest to the inside point in the area exactly where the old frame ends. If it really is less than three inches, go with the retro, much more than 3 inches, use the replacement frame and add trim to the outside in lieu of the flush fin.

Subsequent week I am going to clarify the process of removing the old aluminum window.