At first glance, updating the glass in a window opening may seem like an easy operation. This is partly true, but there are many technical nuances without which the replacement will not produce the expected result. Poor replacement of glass in windows, in particular, will not provide the proper level of sound and heat insulation. Not to mention the reliability of the entire window design. Therefore, you should carefully approach this procedure, taking into account all the technical subtleties and not forgetting about the functions of the window opening as such.
What should be done before replacement?
First of all, the preparation of the opening for replacement is carried out. For the entire operation, a carpentry tool may be required, among which a hammer, mallet, chisel. It will immediately be useful to prepare a construction knife, putty knife, sealant and tape measure with a pencil - these devices will come in handy later. If a broken glass is replaced in a window, then the structure should be disassembled and the fragments removed. For the convenience of the operation, glazing beads can be dismantled - these are narrow wooden planks that fix the glass sheet to the main frame. If thin nails were used to install the glazing bead, then they can be dismantled with one chisel. With thick and long nails you will have to work with a nail clipper. The beads are carefully removed, after which the remains of the glass with the smallest fragments are removed.
Technique for replacing glass in a wooden frame
By the time the glass is replaced in a wooden window, the frame should be free of locking narrow strips. Removing glazing beads is sufficient to free the structure from fragments, but a layer of old sealant should remain at the location of the web. It should be cleaned and a reliable foundation prepared - if necessary, remove the dilapidated layer of the frame. Next, the glass is replaced in a wooden window with the integration of a new canvas. By the way, measurements can be taken at this stage, knowing exactly what parameters you have to deal with. This is important because cleaning the surface of the frame can add a few millimeters in the height of the glass.
Installation of a new canvas is also carried out using sealant and glazing bead. The lower edge of the glass is processed by the composition, after which it is fixed in a free opening. Thus, glass is replaced in windows with one and two canvases - in both cases, work is done from the side that provides the most free access. At the final stage, the glazing bead is installed. It can also be fixed with thin studs, but the trims must be new.
Technique for replacing glass in a PVC window
Work begins with the elimination of the same glazing beads. Only if in the case of wooden windows they were narrow planks, then in PVC constructions they are wider and thicker plastic elements framing the inner edges of the frame. They can be pulled out along the gluing line - the glazing bead should either snap off or come out soundlessly from its groove. You need to remove all four glazing beads, starting from the freed corner. After that, the glass is replaced in a plastic window, under the dimensions of which a new canvas has already been prepared. By the way, since often PVC double-glazed windows contain several paintings, then you do not need to completely disassemble the structure - only the damaged element needs to be changed.
After removing the glazing beads, it is necessary to remove the damaged glass, and then clean the installation site from the old sealant. It should also be borne in mind that the glass panes are filled with silica gel. You can fill the interior with a new tool, but experienced craftsmen recommend restoring old silica gel by heating in the oven. The installation of new glass is carried out according to the same principle as in the case of a wooden window. The canvas is framed by sealing rubber, and then it sits in its groove, the edges of which were previously treated with sealant. Next, plastic glazing beads are installed in their place. If necessary, they can be knocked out with a mallet or a hammer.
PVC window adjustment
Manipulations with glass, gaskets and glazing beads inevitably affect the general condition of the structure. Immediately after replacing the violations in the regulation, they will not let you know. But during operation, they can be felt in the form of blowing, the formation of cold bridges, insufficiently smoothly working mechanisms, etc. Accordingly, a general window repair will be required. Replacing the glass, in particular, may be accompanied by adjustment of the sash in several positions. With the help of eccentrics and a hex key, you need to go through several points of the structure:
- Sash position vertically.
- Horizontal position.
- Sash angles with adjustable upper and lower hinges.
- Adjustment of clamping force in the part of the locking pin of the clown.
Errors when replacing glass
The most critical errors are related to measurements. As already noted, it is desirable to carry out this operation at the last moment, when the structure is ready to install a new canvas and its dimensions will not change. In addition, it is impossible to take measurements specifically for the length and width of the glass niche - 2-3 mm should be left on each side, since both plastic and wood can expand depending on weather conditions. Further, the replacement of glass in the windows is carried out only under the condition that all consumables are dried and have undergone technological training. This is especially true for glass, which after manufacture must be aged for at least 24 hours for natural drying. When working with PVC windows, all manipulations with the mechanisms are preferably carried out with the introduction of lubricant.
Conclusion
Deterioration or damage to the glass sheet also gives a good reason to update the fittings. The same glazing beads, the filler of the inner chambers of the plastic windows and the seals can be replaced only if the glass is removed. Therefore, the replacement of glass in windows can be made as a comprehensive update of the design. The operation itself is quite accessible even to inexperienced home masters. The main thing is to carefully approach the measurements and installation operations, and also not to save on consumables in the form of sealant and silica gel.