How to Add a Window to Your Shed
Adding a window can give your shed extra light ventilation. You can use an old window or build one to fit. The following will provide you some tips on how to add a window to your shed.
Step 1 - Decide on the Location
Look around your shed and choose the best place for a window. It should be about eye level and in a position supported by the horizontal members of the shed wall.
Step 2 - Cut Out the Hole For The Window
Mark the location of the window. Drill a hole in each corner and use a jigsaw to cut the hole.
Step 3 - Make a Frame
Add 2 inch pieces of square timber around the hole you just cut. Fit the timber to the inside of the shed. If you cut the hole next to a horizontal member of the shed wall, that will become a part of the frame.
Step 4 - Make the Window
The simplest method is to create two frames slightly smaller than the hole you made in the shed wall. These frames can be made from 1 inch by three quarter inch timber. The glass for the window will be sandwiched between these two frames.
Step 5 - Cut a Rebate for the Glass
In one of the two frames, cut a rebate for the glass. You can do this with a router, a plow plane or a mallet and wood chisel. The rebate needs to be at least ¼ inch deep and preferably ½ inch deep.
Step 6 - Fit the Glass
Spread a layer of linseed oil into the putty for the glass to rest. Put the second frame on top of the first frame and press it so that the putty is compressed by the glass. Screw the two frames together, but be careful not to place the screws so that they will scratch the glass.
Step 7 - Fit Hinges
Fit two hinges to the inside face of the top of the frame. Fit these to the top frame that you built around the hole in the shed wall.
Step 8 - Test the Window
The window should open inwards and upwards on the hinges. Use a hook to secure it in the closed position. You can hold it open by building a small prop into the frame.
If you have an existing window that you want to use, you can simply cut the hole in the shed wall to accommodate it. Shed windows can make a big difference in the lighting of a shed and improve the ventilation. If the gaps around the window in the frame are too big, they can be sealed using rubber tubing tacked to the frame at the position the closed window comes to rest.
