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