Windows in brick are supposed to be flashed and with weepholes on top.


"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...
wrote:
My house was built in 1989. Most of the builder grade, double pane,
double hung, aluminum frame windows have ruptured seals and are fogged
up. I am considering repacing them myself but have no idea how to
remove them.

The original windows seem to have a flange that has been nailed to the
sheathing before the siding was put on. The house has aluminum siding
and also brick veneer, and I don't want to damage either when tearing
out the old windows.

The interior is drywall boxed in around the window openings with a sill
made of a corian looking material. Damaging the drywall would be easy
enough to fix, but I'd like to avoid that too.

I take on a lot of home repair projects and get good results, and I
assume I have all the tools I need. I just need some direction here as
to how to start.

One final question, and I suppose this is something all DIY people need
to ask themselves at one time or another: Will there be any real
savings buying windows from Home Depot and installing them myself vs
ordering from one of the many local companies, who I assume get them
bulk for better prices, and letting their crew install them?

Thanks,
Christopher


I have a half height brick veneer also and since I didn't know how to do
it I hired a window guy to put in the three front windows. I was amazed
at how simple it was. You just collapse the frame by drilling holes in
the aluminum and then use a come along to put the sides together.
Essentially it pulls the nail out of the wood, no damage to the siding or
the brick. Then remove the flange on the new windows (see CR response) set
the frames in drill holes in the frame and use screws to hold the frames
in. Sealing can be a bit of problem but basically use caulk, If you can
leave a bit of the flange on the frame it will help and then overlap with
a bit of waterproof material, i.e., #30 felt, heavy vinyl, etc. You may
find that the new widow frames also set back more which will require
cutting the inside wall board and your sill.

In my case, I bought the other windows and installed them, but I also cut
the siding back (wouldn't want to do that with brick) and then made 1-1/4
molding that goes around the window, with grooves that are filled with
ground to finish off the window. I still removed the flanges and
installed with screw to make the windows fit with a about 1/2" stand out
from the surface of the siding. Worked very well, but you need a saw and
router to make the molding from 2x4s and a sense of what would look good.

The cost of having it done will be about 3 times the cost of buying the
windows at HD. You might want to have someone do a window or two and
watch what they do before you decide to do it yourself.

BTW. There is no comparison between old aluminum frame windows and new
vinyl for insulation and sound reduction.