Window Liquidators sells vinyl replacement and new construction windows for you to install or have installed by a professional. Installing new construction windows is easy, even for someone who is new to DIY windows.
Read these instructions carefully and identify all the parts and tools used during the installation.
Most work can be done from inside the house. Double check the opening and your new window size to be sure it will fit before removing the old window components.
Some windows are shipped with bands around the middle of the window or have some other way to keep the unit square. Do not remove these until the unit is in the opening and secure.
Today's vinyl replacement windows need only simple hand tools for installation:
The caulk you use is important. For interior use, if you are going to paint, choose an acrylic-based sealant. Exterior caulk should be a high-performance elastomeric polymer sealant that closely matches the color of the window. We offer OSI Quad exterior window caulk, which matches the above criteria.
The rough opening must be plumb, level, square and ½-inch larger than the window size in width and height, not including the nailing fins. Close and lock the sash to keep the window square during installation.
Use self-adhesive flexible flashing a minimum of 4″ wide, approved for use on vinyl, wood and house wrap. This flashing must meet a minimum water resistance of 24 hours per ASTM-D779. Sill flashing should extend beyond the sides of the window nailing fin at least two inches. Apply jamb and head flashing similarly, extending two inches past each side.
Apply a 3/8-inch continuous bead of silicone caulking to the interior surface of the nailing fin, covering the holes in the fin, to seal the window's fin to the sheathing or house wrap. If the rough opening is larger than the window by more than ½-inch, also apply caulk to the sheathing, ensuring the bead is no more than ¼-inch from the edge of the rough opening.
To keep the window straight and level, install shims at all locations where the jamb, intermediate jamb, or stiles of a slider meet the sill. Evenly place ¼-inch shims on the sill plate. Double or triple windows should have a shim under each mullion, intermediate jamb, or center stiles of sliders.
Set the window on the shims and adjust the side clearance to be equal on both sides. Tack one upper corner of the nailing fin to keep the window in place. Check the sill with a level and adjust shims as required. Measure the window diagonally from corner to corner to ensure it is square.
Use stainless or galvanized steel roofing nails, a minimum of one inch, or long enough to penetrate studs. Nail the entire perimeter of the nailing fin to the sheathing using every other slotted hole (single windows) or every hole (double/triple windows). Nail snug but do not "sink" the nails.
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