Replacing basement windows.....
Have 4 rusting metal basement windows that I wanted to replace with something more energy efficient (and vinyl so no more ugly rusting). The catch is that they are installed into our poured concrete foundation. Ive had one basement co out (Basement Systems, seemed like a nice company, no marketing blitz to try and upsell anything, etc). They gave me a quote but the sales guy said he would need to check or have someone else come out to set expectations on how the finished job would look (basically because he wasnt sure what they could do with the existing metal frame....if it could be removed, etc). Assuming they cant (or wont) do it, I was wondering if anyone had suggestions on how (if?) I could do it myself. One of the frames is completely rusted thru in some spots, and because of that I can see the whole frame isnt inset in the concrete, just the edges, almost like the foundation was poured and the windows were pushed into the concrete before it dried. I really wanted to avoid having to use the existing sill/frame, because they are metal and rusting away. Thanks in advance. -Chris I had a similar situation with a metal frame around my basement window. I don't know how far your frames go into the concrete, but I was able to pry the metal frame out with a crowbar. It took some effort, but it came out. I then built a new frame out of pressure-treated wood to surround the new window and fit in the the opening. The frame was screwed into the concrete with Tapcon screws. If you make frame deep enough, you can nail quarter-round trim around both sides of the window to secure it in the frame. Other then that, I just insulated, caulked, and painted where needed. Thanks, reassuring to hear someone else has done it and it turned out ok I figured thats what Id end up doing, was going to cut the frame in the center and then pry it out. Definitely not doing this until the spring/summer, dont want to chance ending up with big holes in my basement during the winter. You mentioned you had to add pressure treated.....was a stock window size not able to fit? I found the 3 sizes Andersen offers off-shelf at HD, going to measure to see if those fit. -Chris I just used pressure treated wood to prevent rot from moisture in the concrete and outside. I found a stock size window that would fit. The frame was built to fit snug around the window, but as close to the concrete opening as possible. A little space between the concrete and wood can be shimmed/caulked. Good luck. Thanks again. Judging from the sales guys quick measurements, it might take some looking for a stock size to fit (well, Andersen 200 series basement windows wont actually fit). Ill try to take some better measurements to see if maybe he missed something. Tough part will be guesstimating how much room the frame itself takes up (i.e. if there is space between the steel frame and the concrete itself, and the thickness of the frame too). It would be nice to make a bigger window fit, but I dont feel like chipping away too much of my foundation. -Chris If you have an opening that is nice and square, the most common thing to do is to order a custom sized vinyl window that is about 1/4 smaller than the finished cement opening and just shim it in place, install 4 tapcons through the frame to hold it, and caulk both sides of the window with a good urethane sealant that will stick to concrete like Vulkum or Sonneborn NP1. A woodbuck is not needed unless you're planning on installing a window that has a nailing flange, and then you'd be trimming around the window with some trim. Unfortunately I dont have an easy way of determining if the opening is square until the window is removed. And to do that Id probably have to destroy it completely, which means Id have a problem on my hands if a replacement size wasnt available off the shelf. I was actually thinking of trying to drill several holes thru the steel frame, then marking how deep the drill bit goes before hitting concrete. Add those depths to the measurement of the frame and then Ill get a better idea of the opening size without completely killing the window (easy to caulk 1/8 holes). There is also a lip on the metal frame where the sash actually hinges from, so its possible that there is concrete under that lip too which means the opening is closer to that size, rather than the size before the lip. Ill try to get some pics for a better look. Thankfully Im not in the mood to tackle this project in the Fall so there is no rush. -Chris I dont have an easy way of determining if the opening is square until the window is removed So you don't have a tape measure? You can go about this however you like, but maybe if I expound a little, you'll see what I'm referring to. For a moment, forget about drilling holes or thinking about what's behind the frame. You don't have to tear it out to get a plan, and you don't have to tear it out to figure out what sized window you need. Just take a few measurements. You say you have a poured cement opening. When that's the case, removing the window does not change the size of the opening in any way. Those old basement windows are usually nothing more than an angle iron that is about 1 1/4 wide. Some had a beefier frame, shaped kind of like a { , that was perhaps 2 1/4 wide. At any rate, the frame does not go back into the cement very far and it doesn't take much to get them out. To determine the size of the opening, pretend the window isn't even there. You'll just go outside and measure the width and height of the cement opening. You can take those measurements inside and see if it's the same on the inside, you might find that they have parged the opening and made it a bit smaller on the inside... or not. If the foundation is poured, there should be a sloped sill on the bottom of the opening that should be fairly thick, and it should still be in good shape. If you get a vinyl window, it will probably be 3 1/4 wide, and when you install it, it will cover up all the rough concrete that will be left after you remove the old window frame. As you take measurements, check the openings to see if the heights and widths are basically the same. For instance, you might find that they are all pretty close to 32 wide. Or you might find that one opening is a little bigger for some reason... 32 1/2. Once you take all those measurements you can easily figure out what size window will work in all of your openings. To measure for square, you'd simply measure the diagonals of your opening. If the opening is square, the diagonal measurements will be the same. Since your new window will be a little smaller than your cement opening, it's not real critical that the opening be perfectly square. When you do end up removing the window frame you might find that there is a little concrete sticking into the finished opening... a wide cold chisel and a hammer will easily remove it. Also, a 4 1/2 angle grinder with a serrated cement blade will be very handy for grinding down and smoothing out any high spots that remain. This is really one of the easiest type of window to install- not much carpentry involved at all- so don't fret too much about it. As long as you know read a tape measure and order the windows the correct size, you'll do fine. Well, I think Ive gotten a little better reading a tape measure lately The only reason I questioned measure the opening is because it seems that there is a lip on either side of the frame that hangs lower than the concrete opening. Almost like the outer rim of the buck is steel channel, so the center of it is concrete but on the outside you see steel. Now, if I just measure inside the opening Im fine, and thats what Ill do (although it might make the window a little smaller than it could be, I think I can live with it). Now I just need to find a place that will let a homeowner order windows. Never had experience finding such a place, would a lumber yard do something like that? I only need 3 or 4 of these small basement windows. I really liked the Andersens at HD, too bad they wont fit. They were able to get more unobstructed glass because they're now selling the Fibrex windows off the shelf. For my house I wouldnt trust em (I said goodbye to the Andersen Renewal salesman), but for my basement I dont mind. -Chris Not sure what problem you're envisioning, but you're there and can see it, I can only imagine the hundreds of ones that I've done in the past. Best thing I can tell you is to measure OUTSIDE next to the window frame where it meets the cement. Then compare those measurements with those you have inside. In my experience, the outside measurement is usually the one you go with, even if it means the new window will sit out an inch or two farther than it did before. Basement walls are thick so you usually have some room to move it in or out to suit your needs / taste. If you're looking for a fiberglass frame (like Fibrex) so that you have more glass area than a vinyl or wood frame would have, Pella and Marvin also have a fiberglass/composite window that is narrow framed.
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