Replacement window sizing (keep brickmold?)

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bogucki
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Replacement window sizing (keep brickmold?)

#1 Post by bogucki »

I have a house that was built in the 40's. The original windows were replaced in the 80's with aluminum replacement windows. From what I can tell, the original wood window frames were chiseled down and covered, along with the brick-mold, with aluminum cladding. The aluminum windows butt to the old window frames from the interior.

My question is, should I remove all of the framing, brickmold and size the new windows to span from brick opening to brick opening? My primary residence window's are like this. There is no brick-mold or exterior sill. The windows span the entire brick opening, are caulked along the perimeter which meets the brick and water is shed at the bottom away from the window by the angled brick base.

Am I wrong to think that removing all of the old framing and sizing them to fit the opening would be faster than reworking and sanding all of the existing brick-mold, sill etc.?. The interior of the house is being completely remodeled so I can clearly see from the inside, the original rough opening which matches the brick opening.

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TheWindowNerd
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Re: Replacement window sizing (keep brickmold?)

#2 Post by TheWindowNerd »

Yes I would go brick to brick if you do not care about any trim detail.

TheWindowNerd

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Windows on Washington
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Re: Replacement window sizing (keep brickmold?)

#3 Post by Windows on Washington »

You need to check out the Rough Opening (RO) and see what that allows for as well.

You planning on keeping the interior trim?

bogucki
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Re: Replacement window sizing (keep brickmold?)

#4 Post by bogucki »

I can see the rough opening from the interior since all the trim is removed from all windows.

My main concern is the old caulk and paint lines on the brick. If I eliminate the brickmould and the old wood window frames and then set the new window in the place that the current window mounts, I will have no way to conceal the old caulk and paint lines on the brick.

Should I cut out out everything, current window frame bucks, brickmold, old wood window frames, and then install the new replacement window out where the brickmould used to rest, thus allowing me to blend the old caulk and paint line with new caulk? Then I would just build new bucks in the opening to conceal the gap and have a deep interior window opening?

If I go brick to brick, how much smaller should I make the windows than the actual rough opening? 1/2" smaller for both directions?

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TheWindowNerd
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Re: Replacement window sizing (keep brickmold?)

#5 Post by TheWindowNerd »

bogucki wrote:I can see the rough opening from the interior since all the trim is removed from all windows.

My main concern is the old caulk and paint lines on the brick. If I eliminate the brickmould and the old wood window frames and then set the new window in the place that the current window mounts, I will have no way to conceal the old caulk and paint lines on the brick.

Should I cut out out everything, current window frame bucks, brickmold, old wood window frames, and then install the new replacement window out where the brickmould used to rest, thus allowing me to blend the old caulk and paint line with new caulk? Then I would just build new bucks in the opening to conceal the gap and have a deep interior window opening? I think you are on the right track for how you want to do it.
If I go brick to brick, how much smaller should I make the windows than the actual rough opening? If the brick is straight then I would probably go 1/4" smaller than the smallest brick dimesion, this will give you a tiny bit of wiggle room and then you just caulk the exterior. 1/2" smaller for both directions?

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Windows on Washington
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Re: Replacement window sizing (keep brickmold?)

#6 Post by Windows on Washington »

Anthony's advice is spot on.

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