Have you ever thought about fixing a broken window in your
house, but didn't think you could do it because nobody ever
taught you how to cut glass? Well, you really don't have
to know how to cut glass in order to repair your window.
If you knew how to remove the frame, you could order a replacement
piece of glass from your local glass shop already cut to
the proper size. Then, it's just a matter of installing
the new glass into the frame. But, there are so many different
kinds of window out there, there is no way i could explain
them all in one article. So, this is going to be the first
in a series of articles describing the repair procedure
for each type of window.
There are really two categories of windows out there. They
are single pane windows and dual pane windows. Then, within
those two categories, there are several types of windows
in each category. Let's start with the single pane window
category. This would be older windows that were around before
the building industry became more energy conscious. It just
means that there is a single piece of glass in the frame
that surrounds it. A lot of homeowners mistakenly think
a horizontal sliding window must be a double pane window,
since there is a pane of glass in the sliding panel and
another pane in the stationary panel. The terminology refers
to the number of panes in the sliding or fixed panel alone.
In other words, a single pane horizontal sliding window
has a single pane of glass in the sliding panel, and a single
pane in the fixed panel. A double pane slider would actually
have two pieces of glass in both the sliding panel and fixed
panel. The pieces in each panel are separated by approximately
3/8" of air, and have a metal spacer around the edge
of the glass.
So, let's get back to the single pane repairs. One of the
more common types of single pane windows are the type that
uses putty to hold the glass in the frame. All old wood
windows are done this way. Old metal casement windows are
usually done this way as well. The casement window is the
kind with the handle on the inside bottom corner that you
crank, and the window opens outward on a top and bottom
pivot. Let's focus this article on the putty style replacements.
Before you begin, pick a local glass shop in your area
where you will go to pick up the new glass. Make sure they
are going to be open the day you do the work, and confirm
with them that if you call in an order for a pane of glass
in the morning, you can pick it up in an hour or two. You
dont want to remove the glass from the window frame, then
find out the glass shop won't have your glass cut until
next week. If they can't guarantee a two hour turnaround,
keep looking.
The fastest and easiest way to remove the old glass is
to break it out. Put an old sheet or a tarp on the ground
below the window. Then, put on some gloves. Use gloves with
a material that will prevent a piece of glass from cutting
your hands. A pair of gardening gloves should work fine.
Get yourself a pair of safety glasses as well. Trust me,
you don't want to get hit in the eye with a piece of flying
glass. As my Father always used to tell me, "Better
safe than sorry". Now, go inside with a hammer in hand
and knock the glass out of the center part of the window.
It's best to leave some glass sticking out around the edge.
You can grab the protruding glass and use it as leverage
to pop the old putty loose. The more old putty that you
can get to come out along with the glass, the less scraping
you will have to do. I have done some wood window replacements
where the putty was dried and cracked, and it practically
fell out on it's own. On the flip side, i have done some
where the putty had almost become a part of the wood. The
only way to separate the putty from the frame in those instances
is to use a putty knife to scrape it down to the wood. While
removing the putty, you will find little pieces of metal
that are used to hold the glass in place while applying
the putty. The wood windows use push points, and you can
get a package of new ones at the hardware store. If you're
working with the metal casement window, the metal clips
are called sash clips. You might have a harder time finding
these. Frankly, i don't see any problem reusing them.
Once you have all the glass and putty removed, clean the
frame with a paint brush. Then measure the width at three
spots:bottom, middle, and top. Take the smallest measurement
and deduct 1/8" for wood windows and 3/8" for
steel casements. Then, measure the height at the left side,
center, and right side. Take the smallest measurement and
deduct 1/8" on wood windows and 1/4" on casements.
When you order your new glass, order double strength glass,
and give the width first, then the height. When you get
the new glass home, the installation process is slightly
different between wood and steel windows. If it's wood,
put a thin bead of caulk on the frame where the glass is
going to make contact. Install the glass. The caulk will
hold the glass in place while you install the push points.
You can either apply putty or use white caulk instead. If
you're going to use caulk, cut the tip below the tapered
part, and cut at a 45 degree angle. You want the largest
possible hole to allow the caulk to cover the large area
previously covered by the putty. The caulk method is faster
than putty, but it requires more skill to make the job look
nice. If you have steel casements, the only option is putty.
The area is just too large to use caulk. The sash clips
install differently than the push points. The push points
stick into the wood, but the sash clips insert into small
holes in the side of the casement frame. Sometimes the holes
get plugged with old putty and it's easy to overlook them.
Take your time applying the putty. Make sure you use the
putty knife to smooth the surface. You just repaired your
putty window. I will be on Christmas vacation for the next
two weeks, but when i come back, i will continue this series
of articles on repairing single pane windows.
About the Author
John Rocco has been installing
replacement windows since 1978.
To learn more, visit How
To Install Windows
