How To Replace A Basement Window

How to Supersede a Basement Window

By Robert Robillard on Home Repairs And Remodeling

Basement Window Replacement

Nigh homes with full basements have small rectangle fashion basement foundation windows. If your business firm is older, chances are that these windows are wood, and may need replacing. This article will focus on how to replace a wood basement window.

Replacing a basement window is a fairly straightforward process and tin save on heating and cooling costs.

Types of Basement Windows:

In that location are two types of basement windows, wood and steel.

Woods window frames accept a woods frame and are secured in concrete or brick and steel windows have "steel buck" frames; bucks are a steel box window frames embedded into the concrete.

How to Replace a Basement Window

Measuring for your Replacement Window:

When measuring for a new window consider whether you are removing a woods window or a metal frame window.

For wood windows you lot want to remove the wood frame [jamb] in addition to the window sash. This means you will need to measure the width and peak of the actual window frame, non the window sash.

For best results measure from the inside. Measuring the window frame on the exterior can exist complicated with a sloped window sill.

Once you lot take your woods frame measurement, gild a replacement to fit that measurement or a smaller measurement. The departure in infinite tin can be filled afterwards with mortar.

On metallic window frames y'all will need to make up one's mind what parts of the metal cadet frame can be removed and what tin not. Typically the metal frame or "buck" is embedded in poured physical and unless it is severely rusted only leave it in place.

Yous tin remove metal frames with a cold chisel, reciprocating saw with metal blades and a pry bar merely it can exist an backbreaking task.

If you lot are leaving the receiving metal frame in place and using a smaller window then measure to the metal frame and lodge your window to that size or slightly smaller.

TIP: Measure width and height in three places and always employ your smallest dimension. And order slightly smaller to fit, and club your window without nailing fins.

How to Replace a Basement Window

Removing Onetime Window:

Remove the erstwhile sash and woods frame. Use a reciprocating saw and pry bar to facilitate removal. For metal frame windows remove everything except the steel buck frame.

One time the window is removed you want to clean up and inspect the rough opening in the physical or brick opening. Make any masonry repairs as needed to the opening.

Prepare for Modifications:

Be prepared to make modifications to the rough opening or the new window. Sometimes a ridge of concrete is found under metal frame windows. Use hammer and cold chisel to flake away mortar from sides of opening, if necessary. To avert this chiseling work, order a smaller window to fit into the opening without removing the ridge.

Other times modifying the window may work in getting that perfect fit. I have used a multi-tool to cut off or modify the pvc window fins on the outside edge of the window.

Installing The New Window:

Remove the sash and screen from the window so you lot can access the screw holes.

Center window in the opening and concur it up to the house mud sill.
Pre-drill holes through the window frame and secure window to the mud sill with galvanized or stainless steel screws.

If attaching to masonry, use a hammer drill and secure the window into identify past installing double-threaded physical screws along the sides and top of the window.

Install spiral encompass plugs if they come up with your replacement window.

Filling In the Gaps:

Depending on the size of gap you have, fill any large gaps betwixt the window and masonry foundations with one or a combination of the following:

□ Mortar

□ Mortar and brick, stone

□ Caulk along the sides and acme of the window frame

□ Spray urethane foam nether the sill to seal the bottom of the window

□ Custom cutting pipe insulation to fill bap and forestall mortar from falling out.

TIP: Utilize pipe insulation or foam capitalist rods to keep spray foam or mortar from falling through back side.

Provide Finish Touches

Shine trowel mortar forth the exterior face of the window, blending the foundation to the window and covering your gaps. Slope whatsoever bottom ledges to shed water in a direction away from the window. [Exercise not clog or cover whatever window weep holes]

Fit the sashes and screen back into the window and caulk the within gap between the cement and the window equally needed.

Basement Replacement Photos

The photos in this commodity involved a brick over rock foundation with woods sash windows and a large frame and slopped sill.

The existing bricks created a slopped sill then all nosotros needed to practice was fill in the bottom and sides of the opening. We set up our new window upwardly to the mud sill and out closer to the exterior face of the foundation. Nosotros filled in the difference in size with brick and mortar.

Working from the outside of the building, we used foam pipe insulation to proceed the mortar from falling into the interior finished basement.

One time finished we applied a finish glaze of mortar to the within covering the foam pipe insulation and smoothing and blending for a finished look.