For Laura

Re-framing a Window

Re-framing a window. This is the third of four we have done so far. When the "home improvement company" installed these, they pulled out the old, double-hung sashes, cut the sash cords, removed the pulleys, and screwed these windows in place using the existing jambs and plates that were part of the old window. The existing windows were not very strong, but ripping them out and using the existing sashes and plates made these new windows probably even worse. The new, vinyl frames widened at the side because they were installed poorly, and as a result the sashes did not set tightly. To fix this, we have to pull just about every window and re-frame it.


Here is a window before working.

Now it is removed. Plastic hangs outside to keep the heat in as we work. This takes 2-3 hours per window (including coffee breaks and dithering).
Here is what the old jamb looked like - the ovular holes show where the sash cord pulleys were.
All the old wood is gone.
The new frame is in. This is a bitch to do with the drywall already in place.
The window is back in place. The yellow thing in the window is our building permit.

They are not properly framed, still. When the walls were completely open, we should have ripped each window out, and properly framed each one with king, trim, and cripple studs and proper headers. This would have taken a ridiculous amount of time and was not required, though, since the replacement windows can (and are) installed in the old framing and jambs. The larger frame around the window (two regular studs, two plates, and some cripple studs) hold our new, inner frame for the window quite well, and the inner frame keeps the window level, right, and tight enough. The improvement in sealing out the cold is noticeable, and the windows function much better.