Do-it-yourself installation of plastic windows

When planning to replace old windows with new ones, many people wonder how difficult it is to install them yourself. The answer is a job of medium complexity. In terms of time, replacing a medium-sized window with dismantling the old one takes about 3,5-4,5 hours. This is for someone with no experience. Employees of firms doing this all the time spend less than an hour on it. But the installation of plastic windows with their own hands by the owner of the premises cannot be compared with the hasty work of “professionals”. They simplify the process indecently, arguing that prices have not been raised for 6 years now and they have no time to waste time on trifles. If you are lucky enough to find really masters, then you can entrust the installation to them. If not – better spend the weekend and install yourself. 

Construction of plastic windows

To properly understand the installation process, you need to have an idea about the design of windows. Let’s start with materials and names. Plastic windows are made of polyvinyl chloride, which is abbreviated as PVC. Hence the second name – PVC windows.

The main element of any window is the frame. For plastic windows, the frame is made from a special multi-chamber profile. It is divided by partitions into a number of cells – chambers. The more of these cells, the warmer the window will be. When they talk about how many cameras will be in a plastic window, they have the number of cells in the profile.

In the middle of the structure, in the largest chamber, a blue insert is visible. This is a reinforcing element of increased rigidity. It gives the profile the required strength. In plastic windows, this insert is made of plastic, in metal-plastic windows it is made of metal (usually aluminum). That’s the whole difference between them.

There is also a division of profiles into classes: economy, standard and premium. The best choice if you need normal windows is the standard class. In the economy class, the partitions are too thin and they begin to freeze almost from the moment of installation. Premium comes at a high price with options that are essentially unnecessary.

If you want to have the best profile for plastic windows, take the class standard of any factory. There is no particular difference between the products of different companies. They have been standardized for a long time and all the stories of managers about the benefits are fairy tales. If they are manufactured on factory equipment, there is no difference between them: all factory profiles have long been standardized.

Profiles for windows in the standard version are white, but can also be brown – to match the color of any tree, and even pink – on request. Colored profile windows are more expensive than similar white ones.

window structure

To understand what is at stake in the description of the installation process, you need to know the name of each component of the structure.

It consists of:

• Frames. This is the base of the window.
• If the window consists of several parts, the frame is divided into parts by an impost – a vertical component. If the window is in two parts, there is one impost, If out of three – two, etc.
• The opening part of the window is called the sash, the fixed part is called the capercaillie. A double-glazed window is inserted into them – two, three or more glasses, hermetically fastened together. A foil tape is laid between the glasses, providing tightness. There are double-glazed windows with special properties: with reinforced glass, tinted and energy efficient, which, according to manufacturers, reduces heat loss through windows. There are also double-glazed windows, between the glasses of which an inert gas is pumped. It also reduces heat loss.
• Double-glazed windows are pressed against the frame with a cap – a thin plastic bar. The tightness of the connection is ensured by a rubber seal (usually black).
• Locking fittings are installed on the sashes. This is a specific set of mechanisms that provide opening and locking. They can be different, as they provide different functionality: opening, opening with ventilation, opening + ventilation + micro-ventilation.
• To ensure tightness, rubber seals are installed on all parts – the frame, impost and sashes.

At the bottom on the outer side of the frame (the one that faces the street) there are drainage holes that are closed with special caps. Through them, the condensate that forms inside due to the temperature difference in the street and in the room is discharged to the street.

Another window has a low tide – a board on the outside that drains precipitation and a window sill inside. The side and upper parts from the side of the street and the premises are closed with slopes. They can also be made of plastic or made using a different technology.

How to adjust a PVC window, read here.

How to measure a plastic window

When ordering windows, you will need six sizes: the height and width of the window, the length and width of the window sill and slope. In order to measure everything correctly, it is necessary to determine whether you have made a window opening with a quarter or without.

You look at the opening. If the outer part of the window is narrower, an opening with a quarter. In this case, measurements are taken at the narrowest point: openings rarely have ideal geometry, so you will have to measure at several points. Find the smallest value, add 3 cm to it. Pass the height as it is.

If the opening is even, the calculation is different. Measure the width and height. Subtract 3 cm from the measured width, 5 cm from the height. This will be the height and width of your window. We remove 3 cm in width, since a gap of at least 1,5 cm is required on both sides for mounting foam. We subtract 5 cm in height, since all the same 1,5 cm are needed from above, and 3,5 cm from the bottom will go to install the window sill.

The length of the window sill and the ebb is taken with a margin – 5-10 cm more than the width of the window opening. During installation, both the ebb and the window sill are “drowned” a little into the adjacent walls, and the excess will go there. The width of the ebbs is standard, so the nearest larger one is selected. On window sills, the situation is different. Its width is chosen arbitrarily – at the request of the owner. Some people like wide ones so that they can put something, someone prefers flush with the wall. So there are no rules here.

Even when ordering, you will need to specify how many and what parts will be in your window: whether or not there is a capercaillie, where it is located, how many sashes, which side they are on, how they should open. You will need to specify the type of fittings (ventilation, micro-ventilation).

Prepare

If you change windows, do-it-yourself installation of plastic windows begins with the dismantling of the old one. Problems usually do not arise: to break not to build. After dismantling, it is necessary to revise the opening: remove everything that can fall off. If there are any protruding parts, they must be removed – with a hammer, chisel or power tool. When the plane is leveled, it is necessary to remove all construction debris. Ideally, sweep everything up to the dust, otherwise the foam will not “grab” with the wall during installation.

If there are too large potholes or cavities, it is better to cover them with cement mortar. The smoother the opening, the easier the installation will be. With loose wall material, they can be treated with binders: penetrating adhesive primers.

How to install correctly: choosing an installation method

There are two different methods: with and without unpacking (disassembling) the window. When unpacking, holes are drilled through the frame, through which an anchor is driven into the wall. This method is more difficult, but the mount is more reliable.

When installed without unpacking, metal plates are attached to the frame from the outside, and then they are attached to the walls. This, of course, is faster, but the fastening is very unreliable: with significant wind loads, the frame will warp or it will sag.

If you really don’t want to disassemble the window, you can also mount it on a plate, but use not narrow and thin ones, but thick and wide ones, which are still often used when installing the truss system.

In principle, small windows mounted on mounting plates, provided there are no significant wind loads, can stand normally. If you live in a region with strong winds, and they blow mainly through your windows, if the apartment is located in a high-rise building on a high floor, then installation with unpacking is necessary.

Watch an emotional and intelligible video below, which explains why it is better to use an anchor.

Installing a mosquito net is described in this article.

Do-it-yourself installation of plastic windows: step by step instructions

Let’s describe both methods: suddenly you need a method with mounting on plates. It is used in buildings made of foam blocks, the bearing capacity of which is small and the load from the windows has to be distributed over a large surface. This method of installing plastic windows is also necessary if the building is built using a “layered” technology. For example, there is concrete in front and behind, and a layer of insulation between them. If the window should be in a soft layer, then it will need to be fixed with plates. Installation of PVC windows in brick, cinder block, panel, etc. the house is desirable on the anchor.

Installation with unpacking

Do-it-yourself installation of plastic windows begins with measurements. Measure the frame and window opening, make sure they are compatible. After that, you can get to work. The process begins with the disassembly (unpacking) of the PVC window. Here are the steps:

1. 1. 1. 1. Removing the window sash:
            • Close the window (the handle is turned down).
            • Remove the plastic covers on both hinges. They pry off with a screwdriver.
            • There is a pin on the top loop that provides a movable connection. It is in the center and protrudes a little. They press on it until it drowns (you can take a metal plate, rest it on the pin and lightly hit the plate). The pin will pop out from the bottom. Now you can grab it with side cutters or pliers and, pulling it down, pull it out.
            • Holding the sash at the top, open the lock. To do this, put the handle in a horizontal position. Having tilted the upper part slightly towards you, lift the sash, removing it from the lower pin.

            The entire sash has been removed. To make it clearer, watch the video. It describes in detail how to remove and install the sash on a plastic window.

         2. On the capercaillie, remove the double-glazed window. It is held on by pegs. They need to be removed, then the double-glazed window itself will be removed without problems. Remove the pins like this:
            • Something narrow and durable is inserted into the gap between the bead and the frame. If there is no special tool, it is best to use a small spatula. Disassembly begins with one of the long sides.
            • The spatula is carefully driven into the slot with a corner and gradually move the glazing bead away from the frame.
            • Without removing the tool, they move along a little, again pushing the bead aside.
            • So they go along the entire length. As a result, the glazing bead is almost separated, it is simply removed.
            • With the short side, everything is simpler: the freed edge is hooked and, by turning the spatula, is removed from the groove. Grasp the freed edge with your hand and pull up.

            Now you can try to remove the double-glazed window. Just be careful, it’s heavy. If it doesn’t work, remove one more of the glazing beads. Just make sure that the window is tilted so that the double-glazed window does not fall out. Now, if necessary, you can replace the double-glazed window yourself. Watch a video on how to remove glazing beads from PVC windows.

      1. The freed frame along the outer perimeter is pasted over with a special self-adhesive tape. Its installation is recommended by GOST. With her, the window does not stand out so much.
         

      2. Remove the protective tape with the campaign logo. If you leave it, it will fuse too much with the frame under the influence of the sun and it will be problematic to remove it.
      3. The prepared frame is inserted into the window opening. For its exposure, mounting wedges are used. They must be installed in the corners and under the impost. The rest are arranged as needed. Putting them on the window is set strictly according to the level in three planes. Pre-fix the position of the window. That’s what mounting plates can be used for.
         

      4. Take a drill and a drill that matches the size of the diameter of the anchors. Make holes for fasteners. 150-180 mm recede from the upper edge. This is the first hole. The bottom one is about the same distance from the bottom corner. Between them, in a standard window, another anchor is installed: the maximum distance between the two fasteners should not be more than 700 mm.
      5. Having made a hole, they will check whether the frame has moved (level in all three planes), then they hammer in the anchor and tighten it. You can not drag: the profile should not bend. Repeat this operation as many times as necessary.
         

      6. Install drains outside. To do this, first, a vapor-permeable waterproofing (it is self-adhesive) is glued onto the outer part of the frame. Small strobes are made on the sides of the window opening, into which the edges of the tides are then inserted.
         

      7. A layer of foam is applied to the part of the window opening outside, where the ebb will rest on the wall. Sometimes, if the height difference is large, a lining profile is installed here. and then an olive is attached to it. The ebb, cut to size, is brought under the ledge of the frame and there it is attached to the frame with self-tapping screws.
         

      8. The tide also foams along the lower edge.
         

      9. Next, foam the opening. When installing plastic windows in the summer, the gap between the frame and the window opening is sprayed with water from a spray bottle. This is necessary for better polymerization of the foam.
      10. A vapor-permeable heat-insulating strip is glued along the frame contour – it is also recommended by GOST.
      11. Take a balloon with foam and fill the existing gaps by 2/3 of the volume. If the gap size is large – more than 2-3 cm – foam is applied in several stages. A time interval of 10-15 minutes is required between two layers. When the first layer is partially dry, it is also sprinkled with water and the second is applied. This is repeated until the volume is filled by 2/3.
          

      12. Without waiting for complete polymerization, the free edge of the heat-insulating tape is glued to the window opening. Just note that when using the tape, the slopes will need to be made plastic: plaster and mortar do not “stick” to it.
      13. Assemble all parts of the window. Only finishing work remains, and they are not a hindrance.
      14. A vapor barrier tape is also installed under the window sill in the lower part (also GOST recommendations). The window sill rests on support pads made of hardwood treated with impregnations. The distance between them is 40-50 cm. They are made in such a way that the window sill is slightly inclined towards the room (about 5 °).
          

Watch the video on how to properly install a window sill when installing a plastic window. There are many secrets.

The slopes are installed or sealed last. There is another video on this.

How to make slopes on a plastic window, read here. How to make slopes from drywall, read here.

Installation without unpacking

The main subtleties are described above, so this chapter is small. Installation for this option begins with the installation of mounting plates. They are of two types: U-shaped and linear. It is important to choose the most reliable thick metal.

They are installed at the same distance as the anchor: 150-250 mm from the edge and no more than 700 mm between the middle ones. They are simply screwed to the profile with self-tapping screws.

Then do-it-yourself installation of plastic windows with mounting plates is identical to that described above, starting from the moment the window is set to the level in the opening. Only they fix not the frame, but the plates and not on the anchor, but on the dowel-nails. Drill a hole, bend the plate, insert the dowel, putting the plate in place, twist the dowel. Further, all actions are identical.

Now it’s clear why installers prefer them: it takes a decent amount of work with disassembly, anchoring, etc.: screws are much easier to tighten. True, if you take powerful plates, they will hold tightly. No worse than anchors. For example, such as in the video.