I own a rental property that has several combination type windows, ie picture window with a casements on each side. The picture windows are in good shape but the casements are shot. I would like to replace them with double hung replacement windows. I have replaced windows before but never casements. I am not quite sure on how to measure the opening for a replacement casement window. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated

 

Measuring casement windows can be tricky at times. Most casement windows have removable stops on the top and sides with a operator cover on the bottom. Sometimes however these pieces are one with the frame of the window. Which ever you have you should envision the frame without the stops and that would be your opening. Make sure that you leave enough room to insulate and shim. (1/2" off width, 3/8 off height) You may have to whip out the hammer and chisel to remove this piece if it is part of the frame when it comes time to install. No matter what you will almost surely have to put new stops on the inside and outside when putting a replacement unit into a casement frame.

Good Luck

 

Here is a photo of the windows. Any additional insight? Thanks,

Steve

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tough to see from pic, but I think B and C are one piece and are removable. Your operator cover is long gone and there should be another piece just like B and C on top. Those pieces are stops which when removed will give you a frame to set your replacement in. Piece A would be where I measure from because your Piece BC is nailed into piece A. Subtract from your opeing dimension and Voila'. That is your tip to tip measurement.


A little note about ordering windows. There are more than one way to order them. Most common are by giving them your opening size, which they then subtract the necessary amounts for a replacement unit, OR the tip to tip method which is the way I do it.. I give them tip to tip measurements because I know exactly what size I want my replacement unit to be. Do NOT let some big box order taker in the millwork department subtract from a tip to tip measurement. Because it has happened to customers of mine who wanted to buy their own windows. Which is fine. Also always, always, always give the dimensions width X height.. Never in a million years give them height first even if you tell them it is X" tall by Y" wide. They will screw it up. It has happened before.
This time by an apprentice window installer who wanted to fix his Mom's window. So. Be aware of what your are ordering, because once it's ordered there is no return on special order windows.

Good Luck

 

Thanks for the advice. I did the measurement as you suggested. Can you explain what you mean by measuring "tip to tip"? The actual measurement from point A to point A is 18" for the width. BC is one piece as you surmised. AS for the length, I can see the "frame" and I am measuring the distance between the bottom and top of the frame for the height. The area I am measuring from is visible in the pictures - I am assuming the base is where part BC meets at the bottom of the picture. I have done numerous doublehung replacements so forgive me if I don't quite get it all the first time with this casement.

You are correct that places like Home Depot will add 1/4 inch to the width and 3/4 inch to the height. Thanks again for the help which is very much appreciated


Steve

 

Tip to Tip is a term we use to basically mean that the numbers you give your window supplier is what you want the actual unit dimension of the new replacement window to be. It lets them know to not cut anything back or add anything.

It is what we use because we know how much gap we want between the frame and new unit, (if a opening is really out of wack, we like to make the gap bigger for squaring the unit properly), what trim we put on can play a role on the size of the new unit as well ( 3/4 inch quarter round is twice as forgiving as 3/8 " window stop).