i will be installing a large picture window in the near future. it is appr. 8 ft. wide and 5 ft. high with a slight curve or arch . the glass is 1 inch thick. it is custom made by marvin. the difficult part of the installation is that the opening is about 15 to 20 ft of the ground and i have to take the old window out before i put the new one in. i am thinking about renting a sissorlift to get that heavy window up in the air. i have 3 alu poles with alu planks but i am not sure if they would hold that much weight ( 2 installers plus the window = 1000 lbs +) the ground is level cement and the house is brick. i have never handled a window this big. my specialty is finish carpentry. any input from you guys is greatly appreciated. by the way the owner is paying for the lift if i would rent one. thanks again.
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I have pump jacked that size easily..but if the HO is buying lift time..why not?
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Why look here?
Having done that, with perhaps lesser windows - these were mulled together about a 5x5 picture over two casements, you really, really, want some stability there. We used scaffolding, and I was not a fan of that at all. It sounded good in theory, but exactly what you said, weight of window plus two or three guys to move it is more than you ought to be putting on the planks. A scissor lift could work, so could a Lull with a flat deck.
Incidentally, suction cups, ala marble / glass installers, are a godsend when lifting a window like that. You can get them rated for different weights, and the ability to put a handle virtually anywhere it suits you is awesome.
Having people on the inside with suction cups there is also beneficial - they can help move it into place and hold it while you are dropping nails out of your five thumbs.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
Suction cup handles - wow that's a great idea I never would have thought of...That's what I love about this place!
For something that big (and heavy) and that high off the ground, I would look long and hard at hiring a commercial window installer to get in place.
If that just isn't an option, make sure your liability insurance and workmans comp are fully paid up before you start. - lol
I'd look carefully for a way to rig a block and falls above the R.O., and maybe for a way to nail on a temporary ledger below the R.O. That way you can use your alum-a-pole for access, and the weight of the window is always independent of the scaffold. Is it nailing-fin or traditional?
-- J.S.