On 7 June, 10:37, Tim Watts wrote:
On 07/06/10 09:26, David WE Roberts wrote:



I've been watching with interest as I am about to finally fit my pair of
B&Q windows.

Hi David,

Aye - the techniques will be the same...

Do you have lots of frame packers and glazing packers at hand (including
bridge packers - these have ridges and go agains the inside of the frame
in the glass recess) to hand. I note that Screwfix are doing a mixed bag
of glazing packers (at last) but they forgot the bridge ones, so make
sure you've got some 'cos they are hard to get.

One thing - if you were contemplating filling a large gap below the
frames with mortar, would it have been an option to lay and level a bed
of mortar before hand, let it cure and then stand the frame directly on
that? Or at least, have a 5mm gap for the final sticky foam but the rest
mortar?

No reason that wouldn't work. It would be more ideal than 2" foam. I'd
leave 10-15mm clearance though - foam is quite happy with that - in fact
it's easier to inject it in.

Are you relying on sealant to fill the joins or will you be using trim
strip?

I have some minor adjustments to make vertically and am trying to decide
if a plastic frame extender (10mm deep) screwed to the top would be a
better option than a small bed of mortar at the bottom or some extra foam.

Shouldn't be necessary.

The trick is to borrow someone (SWMBO will do or even a big kid) who can
stand inside and steady teh fram while you get the 1st couple of fixings
in. It gets exponentially easier as you go.

The other trick is to cut a bunch of wooden wedges out of scrap (5-10
degree angle) in both thick 2-3cm and thin (1cm - down to nothing) to
stuff round the frame as you get it levelled and true.

I advise a dry fit, mark where to drill the frame holes, looking out for
the best bricks rather than the crumbly bit that Murphy gives you if you
don't check)

Take the frame out and drill the holes in the frame to suit the fixings.

With all this done, the chances of the frame wibbling when you drill the
wall is much reduced IME. Get one in and then check the vertical
alignments and in/out position, then get one the other side. If you do
both of these either at the top, or the bottom, you get to swivel the
frame in situ which gives you some leeway. If you don't do the fixings
up you'll also get to tweak the frame left and right before finally
tightening.

I do the top and bottom fixings (if any) last, watching out in all cases
that I'm not bowing the frame.

For the toeing and heeling of the glazing, I strongly advise watching
that video and read some guides (google will give you links to supply
only companies with very detailed instructions).

You will need (ideally) a small rubber tipped mallet for banging the
beading in (that's scary but usually goes better than you expect[1]) and
a glazing shovel (something to lever the frame against the glass to get
the packing shims in). I've managed with just a frame packer on tiny
windows, but my bigger one is hard. So I'm planning on trying a wooden
spoon (flat stirrer type). If that fails, I'll glue a frame packer onto
my bolster and wrap it to buggery in PVC tape and use that. Never use
metal tools against the glass.

[1] One other thing - as you tale the beads out, write on the back in
felt pen where it came from. The top and bottom *should* be the same but
might in fact be 1mm out which can show. Also, note the order of
installation - in mine, it's top and bottom first then side beads.
Choose wrong and you can't get the others in! And they're buggers to get
out again.


They usually fit the short beads first, since they are harder to bend
to get them in. The longers ones, you bend them to get the corners in
first, then tap them in towards the centre.
Simon