I am installing Series 200 Anderson gliding windows in my basement. The windows are ~ 4 1/2" deep. The basement walls are 8" block and I've constructed a buck with PT 2X8.

Given the 8" of block, the 2X4 frame, and the 1/2 drywall, there's a big distance from the edge of the window to the edge of the drywall (~7 1/4" to "extend").

I want a wood return (rather than drywall). I thought I'd rip some 1X8 down and build a box, then use a bracket to secure the outer face of the box to the outer face of the window.

Does this make sense? I'm a pure novice at windows and I imagine there's a better way to handle this? Any insight or words of wisdom would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Guy

 

Guy: just rip 1x8's to the width needed to cover from the window to the edge of your wall treatment on the inside. Then install case molding around the opening. With a depth of nearly 8 inches, you won't need a stool, so you could just have a cased opening all the way around.

 

Guy,

You don't need any sort of bracket to attach your 1x8 "box" extension jamb onto the window. It will be fine if you just make it the right size, push it tight against the window, shim it into place inside the rough opening so that it's centered where you want it on the window, then use finish nails to tack it to the R.O.

Ordinarily, I'd use pocket screws to attach a jamb onto a window like that, but you'd need an awful long bit, AND you'd need to have a lot of room (1/2-5/8") around the edges of the jamb to get the screws and bit into the pocket holes and a flashlight to be able to see what you're doing.

As chandler mentioned, once the casing is on, that will also help to keep the jamb in place.

Something else you could do that often makes life easier, is to make the jamb as large as possible within the rough opening, while still keeping it symetrical as far as the window is concerned. Then add an additional piece of trim where the jamb meets the window (such as a screen moulding or a baseshoe). That additional moulding can be very helpful if you need to cover a small gap or crack where the jamb meets the window. It can also save you from having to taper your jamb if things aren't perfect, which they seldom are. Just a thought.

 

XSleeper,

Thanks for the suggestions.

Regarding the casing keeping the jamb in place, does that mean I should nail the casing to the RO and not to the jamb?

 

Casing usually has a 3/16" reveal around the perimeter of the jamb, and the inside edge of the casing is nailed to the jamb. The outside edge of the casing is nailed to the framing of the rough opening. So if you put the casing on the jamb first, it would be kind of like a "nailing fin" for the jamb.

But you'd still want to nail the jamb to the rough opening. And it will be more secure if you shim it as I mentioned earlier. And to shim it, the casing would have to be installed last.

 

Really to both. Usually with short (1") brads into the jamb, and longer (2") into the ro, because you are going through case, wallboard and into the ro wood itself, and you want your fastener to be at least 1/2 way into the support lumber.