Replacing old alumunim sliders

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hammerman
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Nov 14, 2004 11:30 pm

Replacing old alumunim sliders

#1 Post by hammerman »

Hi,

I need some advice on window replacement. I have a 40 yr old house with Aluminum Sliders. There is about a 4 3/4 in drywall return to the windows. The house is sided with aesbestos and I'd prefer to not have to disturb it. One of the contractors came up with a creative solution and I was curious for some feedback.

He recommended leaving the Aluminum frame in and using the track as a stop for replacement windows to rest against. on the out side of the house he would trim the excess aluminum frame off, caulk it and cap it. He says it will be airtight and water tight and much cheaper than anyother method.

I like the sound of it but I want to make sure I'm not going to have problems down the road. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Michael

johnmr12
Posts: 33
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 2:14 pm
Location: Northwest

#2 Post by johnmr12 »

Hammer, it's called retrofitting, or inserts, as i have heard it described on here. I did all of my replacement window jobs that way for almost 20 years. As long as the installer does it correctly, you won't know the difference.
Learn how to install vinyl replacement windows. Visit http://www.how-to-install-windows.com.

hammerman
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Nov 14, 2004 11:30 pm

#3 Post by hammerman »

John,

Thanks for the info. I knew you could do that with wooden double hungs but I never knew it would work with the old alumunim frames. I do have one more question. The old alumunim frames sweat when it is cold. Will this be a problem or will it no longer happen because they will be completely outside of the house now?

Thanks,
Michael

Guy
Posts: 552
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 12:41 pm
Location: Minnesota

#4 Post by Guy »

Unfortunately we here in MN are very critical on any home with asbestos wall board. If we get caught working in any area with Asbestos we can be fined by the state enough to put us out of business. So we won't even do an insert in these situations. We will make sure the area is cleared by the local inspectors before we can proceed. I have seen some very nice insert jobs done with that application though!! So if they can do it right I'd go ahead.

johnmr12
Posts: 33
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 2:14 pm
Location: Northwest

#5 Post by johnmr12 »

Hammerman, the area of the country where i did my work was never really cold enough to cause the "sweating" issue, so i'm probably not the best one to comment. But, i will give you my "opinion", and it might be worth what you paid for it. But, i think since the old frame will be encased in Vinyl and insulation (if the installer does a good job), the old metal will no longer sweat. That's just an opinion though, and not based on any personal experience.
Learn how to install vinyl replacement windows. Visit http://www.how-to-install-windows.com.

johnam
Posts: 24
Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2004 12:52 pm
Location: New York

#6 Post by johnam »

I don't see how the aluminum frame can sweat since it will be seperated from the heated room by a new vinyl (I assume) window.

E-Z
Posts: 104
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 12:13 pm
Location: North San Francisco Bay Area

#7 Post by E-Z »

The aluminum Windows sweat because of the single pane glass and the cold aluminum frame. Vinyl windows with warm edge spacer like Superspacer can help correct the problem. Your installer will have to insulate the cavity left between the new vinyl window and the aluminum frame real good to create a thermal break that will not allow the aluminum to conduct the cold into the house.

E-z
E-z
E-z Windows

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