Install Method

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TNgettinwindows
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2020 8:44 am

Install Method

#1 Post by TNgettinwindows »

Hello, new guy here :D In the process of getting quotes and vetting installers for replacement windows in a built in '87 Cape Cod style home. Before I can go any further, I need to know one important "truth". All but one company so far (5 out of 6) is taking interior measurements from drywall return to drywall return (horizontal) and drywall return to marble sill (vertical) so that the new window will be undersized and will slide into the opening and rest right on the marble sill. Given the new window is thicker than the old, a loss of around 1 1/2" of drywall and sill on the inside and just a bead of caulk around the whole window for finished product in the interior. Is this a standard and acceptable installation method??....or is it a big cut corner?? Thanks in advance!!

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TheWindowNerd
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Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 3:05 pm
Location: SE PA & NJ; DFW/Metroplex

Re: Install Method

#2 Post by TheWindowNerd »

What has the 6th company proposed.?

We often do similar to what you mentioned, most replacement windows are 3 1/4" thick.
I think there are several things to doing this well.
Tight measurements: I allow 1/16 to 1/8" of paly in the width, 1/4" in the height, this way the window can be squared up.
We ascess each opening for water management: does it have or need a drip cap?
Once the window is set we foam the perimeter with closed cell polyurethane window and door foam.
Next we bend and fit trim metal to marry the window to the building and seal with a high quality sealant.

wayne theWindowNerd.com

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Randy
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Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2004 7:26 am
Location: Houston, TX

Re: Install Method

#3 Post by Randy »

Is the exterior cladding siding, brick, rock or stucco?

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HomeSealed
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Joined: Mon Feb 15, 2010 3:46 pm
Location: Milwaukee, Madison, SE Wisconsin

Re: Install Method

#4 Post by HomeSealed »

Good feedback above.

There are various ways to install in an application like this, what you are describing is probably the most common. If you wanted the window to match original size and/or add a nail fin, the sheetrock would need to be cut back and the marble stool cut or replaced. As long as the windows aren't small to begin with, that glass loss generally isn't super noticeable so the downsize method is used frequently. What is really important however, as Window Nerd was alluding to, is the exterior treatment. Drip cap and/or the tie in to the existing water management system with new trim is what will keep the installation dry.

On the interior side, I generally like to install stops (qtr round or cove) as opposed to caulking, but if the openings aren't too racked and they can be measured tight, caulking can look good too.

masterext
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Location: Window Pro-Serves All of Northern New Jersey. Bergen, Morris, Union, Essex, Passaic, Sussex Counties

Re: Install Method

#5 Post by masterext »

Yes, measuring interior from drywall to drywall is by far the most common method here.

TNgettinwindows
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2020 8:44 am

Re: Install Method

#6 Post by TNgettinwindows »

TheWindowNerd wrote: Tue Aug 25, 2020 4:25 pm What has the 6th company proposed.?
Thanks for the response from everyone, I must not have settings correct because I was expecting an email when I received responses but got nothing :roll: The 6th company was going to take out the drywall returns and sill and completely frame the interior with trim for the "newer, modern" look (aka: new construction look?). They were, of course pretty pricey. I've got 15 windows of which 9 are standard (incl. 2 sets of doubles) and 6 are tall 60/40 aluminum windows in a sunroom addition added years ago. Right now I am pondering a $7000 quote for Alside Mezzo and a $8300 quote for Okna 600 series. The house has vinyl siding and matching color thin J bead around the windows, which I think is pretty ugly. I'm trying to get at the very least new white J bead, also discussed was some aluminum trim to give them a "framed" look on the exterior.

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