Re: window question
Posted: Sun May 25, 2014 1:59 pm
Yes, upgrading the windows was definitely on our list of things to do, but we are moving and are trying to fix the house up to get ready for market with limited funds.
Ok, scary nightmare window mystery NOT so scary after all...
The window pane is pressed into the aluminum frame from the front. I watched a few Youtube videos on general window pane installations and most of them seemed to show some type of pop-in retainer or glazing that held the window pane to the frame with removal from the outside. I just refused to believe that complete removal of the window frame was necessary just to replace a broken pane. So, I did some closer inspection and it turns out I was right...this isn't going to be such a big deal after all.
The window pane is held into place against the inner frame surface by either caulking or some type of adhesive. It is then secured around the perimeter by small sections of plastic "glazing" which can be removed fairly easily. The best place to start is nearest to where the glass is damaged. I began by duct-taping the entire glass to help keep the pane together as much as possible and for safety reasons. I then removed a small section of broken glass near the perimeter and could then easily remove one of the ten short sections of vinyl/plastic glazing seal. Here is a picture of where I removed the first section of glazing seal. You can see the edge of the glass pane. However, before you can remove the whole pane, there is a faux grid pattern assembly on the outer face of the window pane that must also be removed. It is not attached to the pane, only held in place by retainers at the frame edge. It's made up of thin lengths of rectangular extruded aluminum tubes which are held together at their intersections by plastic couplers. The other ends attach to the window frame with aluminum retainer clips mounted in between and underneath the ten short glazing sections. You can easily pull this whole "grid" away from the window once you remove one of the retainer clips as it will then "flex" quite a bit without coming totally apart. Best way to do that is to remove a section of glass pane near the frame so you can easily lift up the outer edge of one of the glazing strips and slide out the aluminum retainer. Here's a picture of the retainer I removed from the area pictured above. Take care not to mangle them when removing, as they are fairly fragile. I'm holding it up near another retainer that is still in place so you can see what they look like. Once the grid assembly is removed, then you can just pry out the rest of the little plastic glazing sections and the window pane will be free except for the glue or caulking sealing it to the inside of the frame. I haven't removed my window pane yet because I don't have a piece to go back in yet, but I anticipate needing some solvent to soften the glue so the glass can be removed without breaking it further. If I knew the exact dimensions of the glass, I would just break it out and cleanup the frame afterwards. At this point, I'm not sure if I can get an accurate measurement of the glass pane with it still mounted. If so, then removal by breakage will be the quickest.
Initially, I was concerned that the inside edge of the plastic glazing strips actually went BEHIND the window pane. They do not. They only go BESIDE the pane edge. I was afraid if I pryed the glazing strip too hard that the whole pane might break, but once I removed a small piece of glass, it was easy to see that the strip only bordered the edge of the glass and didn't extend underneath it. You don't want to damage these glazing strips so you can reuse them with the new glass and they also hold your "faux grid" in place. Here's a closeup picture of the end of one of the glazing strips. The "L" section on the very right side is what borders the glass pane. If you compare it with the first picture in this post, you can see how it aligns to the window pane and that it will NOT extend behind the pane. So basically, the mystery is solved... just gotta go get some glass and a cutter now and get to work!
Ok, scary nightmare window mystery NOT so scary after all...
The window pane is pressed into the aluminum frame from the front. I watched a few Youtube videos on general window pane installations and most of them seemed to show some type of pop-in retainer or glazing that held the window pane to the frame with removal from the outside. I just refused to believe that complete removal of the window frame was necessary just to replace a broken pane. So, I did some closer inspection and it turns out I was right...this isn't going to be such a big deal after all.
The window pane is held into place against the inner frame surface by either caulking or some type of adhesive. It is then secured around the perimeter by small sections of plastic "glazing" which can be removed fairly easily. The best place to start is nearest to where the glass is damaged. I began by duct-taping the entire glass to help keep the pane together as much as possible and for safety reasons. I then removed a small section of broken glass near the perimeter and could then easily remove one of the ten short sections of vinyl/plastic glazing seal. Here is a picture of where I removed the first section of glazing seal. You can see the edge of the glass pane. However, before you can remove the whole pane, there is a faux grid pattern assembly on the outer face of the window pane that must also be removed. It is not attached to the pane, only held in place by retainers at the frame edge. It's made up of thin lengths of rectangular extruded aluminum tubes which are held together at their intersections by plastic couplers. The other ends attach to the window frame with aluminum retainer clips mounted in between and underneath the ten short glazing sections. You can easily pull this whole "grid" away from the window once you remove one of the retainer clips as it will then "flex" quite a bit without coming totally apart. Best way to do that is to remove a section of glass pane near the frame so you can easily lift up the outer edge of one of the glazing strips and slide out the aluminum retainer. Here's a picture of the retainer I removed from the area pictured above. Take care not to mangle them when removing, as they are fairly fragile. I'm holding it up near another retainer that is still in place so you can see what they look like. Once the grid assembly is removed, then you can just pry out the rest of the little plastic glazing sections and the window pane will be free except for the glue or caulking sealing it to the inside of the frame. I haven't removed my window pane yet because I don't have a piece to go back in yet, but I anticipate needing some solvent to soften the glue so the glass can be removed without breaking it further. If I knew the exact dimensions of the glass, I would just break it out and cleanup the frame afterwards. At this point, I'm not sure if I can get an accurate measurement of the glass pane with it still mounted. If so, then removal by breakage will be the quickest.
Initially, I was concerned that the inside edge of the plastic glazing strips actually went BEHIND the window pane. They do not. They only go BESIDE the pane edge. I was afraid if I pryed the glazing strip too hard that the whole pane might break, but once I removed a small piece of glass, it was easy to see that the strip only bordered the edge of the glass and didn't extend underneath it. You don't want to damage these glazing strips so you can reuse them with the new glass and they also hold your "faux grid" in place. Here's a closeup picture of the end of one of the glazing strips. The "L" section on the very right side is what borders the glass pane. If you compare it with the first picture in this post, you can see how it aligns to the window pane and that it will NOT extend behind the pane. So basically, the mystery is solved... just gotta go get some glass and a cutter now and get to work!