How do you fill the gap when you pull a window?

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Manalto
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Re: How do you fill the gap when you pull a window?

Post by Manalto »

I think I'd prefer to have access to the jamb from the inside, particularly on the second floor, since I'll be working on the windows inside the house. That sounds like a good, secure method though.

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Re: How do you fill the gap when you pull a window?

Post by heartwood »

I second all the suggestions above....
I typically build a frame from 1 x 2 1/2" wood and 6 mil clear plastic stapled to it...
if you're doing a whole room with numerous openings, you can use plywood with a square of plexi for
daylight....
...jade

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Manalto
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Re: How do you fill the gap when you pull a window?

Post by Manalto »

I like the plastic-stapled-to-a-frame idea, especially for mild weather.

Last night I picked up three six-over-six double-hung windows (six sashes) in good condition (one broken pane, 35 good) for $25. They're larger (40 X 43) than my windows, so the glass, which has a wee bit of ripple, is usable. I know I could replace my cracked windows with hardware-store glass for far less than $25 (plus the cost of a cutter) but that's not the name of the game, is it?

ImageNew Britain windows by James McInnis, on Flickr

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Re: How do you fill the gap when you pull a window?

Post by 1918ColonialRevival »

You did well with the salvaged panes. I need to try to find some more myself to replace a couple of cracked panes I have. You would think it would be easy since it seems Baltimore is the replacement window capitol of the Mid Atlantic, but they can be tough to track down with original glass in them. The salvage warehouses have caught on and are now charging $50 a sash, which gets expensive fast (a few years ago you could pick up sashes for about 5 bucks a piece).

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Manalto
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Re: How do you fill the gap when you pull a window?

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I get the impression that removed windows are regarded as valuable antiques or trash - there doesn't seem to be a middle ground. What do the vinyl window companies do with them?

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Re: How do you fill the gap when you pull a window?

Post by 1918ColonialRevival »

Manalto wrote:What do the vinyl window companies do with them?


I hate to say it, but they probably end up at the dump.

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MJ1987
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Re: How do you fill the gap when you pull a window?

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My house has older (probably 1970s/1980s) storm windows. Though the ultimate plan is to replace with wood, I'm leaving them up until I do. This has proven especially wise since they're all that stands between me and the elements when I remove the sashes for rehab. I'm a bit leery of putting insulation or plywood in the window because it looks pretty shabby. I know it sounds a little vain, but I'm trying to keep the new neighbors happy!
Matt


I built a chimney for a comrade old;
I did the service not for hope or hire:
And then I travelled on in winter’s cold,
Yet all the day I glowed before the fire.


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Vala
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Re: How do you fill the gap when you pull a window?

Post by Vala »

Here's an idea for plywood on the outside without having to use nails or screws to hold it in place. Found this on a blog online.

Seems easy enough to construct.
frame3.jpg
frame3.jpg (656.84 KiB) Viewed 448 times

1918ColonialRevival
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Re: How do you fill the gap when you pull a window?

Post by 1918ColonialRevival »

MJ1987 wrote:My house has older (probably 1970s/1980s) storm windows. Though the ultimate plan is to replace with wood, I'm leaving them up until I do. This has proven especially wise since they're all that stands between me and the elements when I remove the sashes for rehab. I'm a bit leery of putting insulation or plywood in the window because it looks pretty shabby. I know it sounds a little vain, but I'm trying to keep the new neighbors happy!


Depending on how it is where you live, having the sash out of the window for a period of time may not be an option. I know for me it isn't. Not only for the open invitation of crime, but there are also people in the neighborhood who are busybodies and like to report things to the city. Then you get into a battle with the bureaucrats downtown, which is never fun.

I haven't done the windows on the front of my house yet, but on the ones I did, I re-hung the sashes in the evening when I was finished. I don't necessarily advocate this because I had to clean them again each time I took them down before I could start any more work on them.

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Manalto
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Re: How do you fill the gap when you pull a window?

Post by Manalto »

Thanks, everyone, for chiming in with your suggestions and observations. Lots of good ideas and things to think about.

1918ColonialRevival wrote:
Manalto wrote:What do the vinyl window companies do with them?


I hate to say it, but they probably end up at the dump.


I've thought about getting in touch with a replacement window company to see if there's a way to head off some of those windows on the way to the dump. (Haven't done it.) What a shame, especially when you think about what is usually replacing them.

MJ1987 wrote:I'm a bit leery of putting insulation or plywood in the window because it looks pretty shabby. I know it sounds a little vain, but I'm trying to keep the new neighbors happy!


I don't see it as vain at all; it's just being a good neighbor (and keeping them quiet). Since I'm away from my house so much, I'm acutely aware of how I'm perceived by my neighbors, and that was what motivated me to paint my house first (which is against my better judgement restoration-wise) - to send the message, loud and clear, that I care about the place (it worked like a charm - the response has been positive). I think, however, that window restoration is an understandable, if not admirable, process and a sheet of plywood holding the place for a few days is inoffensive. People can be pretty intense, however, so I defer to your judgement regarding your neighborhood. Maybe if I use a sheet of plywood for that purpose during window restoration, I'll paint it a solid, dark color (crazy cousins are kept in the basement anyway) to make it less conspicuous.

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