replacing broken panes in aluminum sliding windows
#1
09-10-08, 04:06 PM
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: TX
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replacing broken panes in aluminum sliding windows
Anyone recommend a good site on DIY broken panes replcement.?
These look like they have some type of rubber channel the glass fit in and that all was placed in the frame channel.
Getting the shards out if proving to be a bear. The sites I found discuss removing the window, something I do not want to do. I would like also to keep from spending moe money on all sorts of tools. I just bought new panes, along with several sheets of plywood. Seems we have a hurricane scheduled to truck on through.
Thanks,
Skysoldier
where would
I find a good site for diy
These look like they have some type of rubber channel the glass fit in and that all was placed in the frame channel.
Getting the shards out if proving to be a bear. The sites I found discuss removing the window, something I do not want to do. I would like also to keep from spending moe money on all sorts of tools. I just bought new panes, along with several sheets of plywood. Seems we have a hurricane scheduled to truck on through.
Thanks,
Skysoldier
where would
I find a good site for diy
#2
09-10-08, 04:38 PM
Group Moderator
I think if you post some pictures of your window sashes (inside/outside/and closeups of sash edges) and maybe give a little more information regarding the style of window you have, that some of our members here could walk you through it. Do you have double hungs, single hungs, sliders, or what? Single pane glass or insulating glass units (IGU's)?
#3
09-10-08, 05:04 PM
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: TX
Posts: 86
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replacing glss, aluminum windows
The window units are aluminum, single pane glass. There are two units per "window" each in two sections. The bottom section slides up and down. There are two panes of glass per section (the bottom sliding section is one the upper section is the other.)
Sorry I can't forward any pictures. I still use a film camera, and it will take to long to go get film, take pictures, get the film developed, converted to digital and sent out.
Hope that answers questions
Skysoldier
Sorry I can't forward any pictures. I still use a film camera, and it will take to long to go get film, take pictures, get the film developed, converted to digital and sent out.
Hope that answers questions
Skysoldier
#4
09-10-08, 06:23 PM
Group Moderator
Ok. Well, without a picture it's pretty hard to visualize exactly how to go about it, but I'll try. The ones I have worked on that are single pane usually have a rubber strip on the inside that pushes into a kerf around the perimeter of the glass. Removing it with a thin putty knife, it should peel right out. Hopefully it didn't get brittle, because you have to reuse the old strips. You might be able to get replacement ones at a glass shop if needed. The glass is usually glued into the frame with either a black butyl, or a grey "chewing gum" type of sealant. If you're lucky maybe they used plain old silicone, because that's a lot easier to cut out.
You first would remove the rubber strip, which gives the glass a little room to come in when you start cutting the glazing on the outside. To cut the glazing (the stuff used to glue the glass in) a bent linoleum knife sometimes works well. (we heated one up with a torch and bent it in a vise, to make a pretty handy deglazing tool). They make some that look like pizza cutters but I doubt you're going to go out and buy an expensive deglazing tool for this job. Wearing leather gloves is a good idea while you work on glass.
The glass almost always breaks on these types of windows... sometimes I'll break it out intentionally before starting by cutting the main part of the glass out with a glass cutter, scoring it (on the outside) into pieces like a pan of brownies, put tape over the lines that I scored, then go inside and tap on the glass with a hammer to break out one piece at a time. What will be left will be about 1" worth of glass around the perimeter, which you can tape with duct tape if you are worried about the sharp edges. Maybe this will make it easier to get out the remainder of the glass.
Now, if you don't have the type of window where there is a rubber glazing strip on ONE side of the glass (inside) then you might have the following kind:
I know sometimes if the glass is surrounded by a U-shaped marine glazing boot (inside and outside of the glass will have rubber showing around the perimeter of the glass) then you do usually have to take the sashes out, take screws out of the 4 corners of the sash, and tap the rails and stiles apart with a hammer and block of wood to get them off the glass. Lay the pieces down in the order you took them off so they don't get all turned around. Then you can put the marine glazing boot on the new glass and reassemble.
If you have a single hung, (top sash doesn't come down) and you have a marine glazing boot around the glass, I'm not sure how that top glass would come out.
Still other kinds of these windows had a plastic or vinyl stop that snaps into the inside edge of the frame. They're pretty hard to remove without destroying them- slicing them off and getting new ones to replace the old brittle ones.
Hopefully some of this rambling will help you out. Johnam is another member here who probably has a lot of experience with this type of window and glass replacement, so maybe he will chime in if I overlooked something.
You first would remove the rubber strip, which gives the glass a little room to come in when you start cutting the glazing on the outside. To cut the glazing (the stuff used to glue the glass in) a bent linoleum knife sometimes works well. (we heated one up with a torch and bent it in a vise, to make a pretty handy deglazing tool). They make some that look like pizza cutters but I doubt you're going to go out and buy an expensive deglazing tool for this job. Wearing leather gloves is a good idea while you work on glass.
The glass almost always breaks on these types of windows... sometimes I'll break it out intentionally before starting by cutting the main part of the glass out with a glass cutter, scoring it (on the outside) into pieces like a pan of brownies, put tape over the lines that I scored, then go inside and tap on the glass with a hammer to break out one piece at a time. What will be left will be about 1" worth of glass around the perimeter, which you can tape with duct tape if you are worried about the sharp edges. Maybe this will make it easier to get out the remainder of the glass.
Now, if you don't have the type of window where there is a rubber glazing strip on ONE side of the glass (inside) then you might have the following kind:
I know sometimes if the glass is surrounded by a U-shaped marine glazing boot (inside and outside of the glass will have rubber showing around the perimeter of the glass) then you do usually have to take the sashes out, take screws out of the 4 corners of the sash, and tap the rails and stiles apart with a hammer and block of wood to get them off the glass. Lay the pieces down in the order you took them off so they don't get all turned around. Then you can put the marine glazing boot on the new glass and reassemble.
If you have a single hung, (top sash doesn't come down) and you have a marine glazing boot around the glass, I'm not sure how that top glass would come out.
Still other kinds of these windows had a plastic or vinyl stop that snaps into the inside edge of the frame. They're pretty hard to remove without destroying them- slicing them off and getting new ones to replace the old brittle ones.
Hopefully some of this rambling will help you out. Johnam is another member here who probably has a lot of experience with this type of window and glass replacement, so maybe he will chime in if I overlooked something.
