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I want to replace my vinyl windows (they are old and don’t operate smoothly). The house is brick veneer with 1″ air space between brick and sheathing. They are nailed into the sheathing through the flange on the face of the frame. The brick covers the flange.
Can the vinyl window frame be taken out and a new window be put in ? Since the brick covers the flange (and the nails), it looks like it would be difficult. It seems like this would have been easier to do with wood windows with brick moulding around them and the brick butting up against the brick moulding. All you would have to do is take off the brick mould and then take the window frame out and put a new one in, and replace the brick moulding. The reason that I bring up wood windows is because this got me thinking about what kind of windows I would want if I was building a new house. Aside from the appearance issue of painted wood compared to vinyl, is there an advantage to using a window based on the possibilty that they may have be replaced at some point. It seems like some are a lot more difficult to replace than others, since the siding or brick covers the nailing flange on some window types. I saw some aluminum Marvin windows at a home show that had an aluminum brick mould. They looked like they would be no more difficult to replace than wood windows.
Replies
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Dan,
Yes, the old window can be taken out and a new one put in.
Remove the sashes and probably the interior trim. Now, somehow, the vinyl frame has to come out. This process will be a combination of a reciprocating saw, hammer & flat bar, large plyers, brute strength, and luck. I would try to separate the frame from the nailing flange first and then go from there.
Once you have a clean opening and depending on what the framing/jamb situation is, you have a couple options.
#1 Install a new replacement in the old opening. This could either be another vinyl window, a wood replacement window, or something like a Marvin Tilt Pac.
#2 You could build the sides and top of the opening in and install a new construction window with brick molding, either wood or the aluminum you spoke about. These would probably have to be custom sizes, therefore costly.
#3 Build the 3 sides in to a standard rough opening size for an Anderson clad window, for instance, and then make your own casings whatever size they need to be.
With these last two options, you will also need larger interior trim.
As far as ease of future replacement, the vinyl replacement window would be the easiest to replace. Coincidentally, that's the one that would need replacing the soonest.
Have fun,
Red dog
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I want to replace my vinyl windows (they are old and don't operate smoothly). The house is brick veneer with 1" air space between brick and sheathing. They are nailed into the sheathing through the flange on the face of the frame. The brick covers the flange.
Can the vinyl window frame be taken out and a new window be put in ? Since the brick covers the flange (and the nails), it looks like it would be difficult. It seems like this would have been easier to do with wood windows with brick moulding around them and the brick butting up against the brick moulding. All you would have to do is take off the brick mould and then take the window frame out and put a new one in, and replace the brick moulding. The reason that I bring up wood windows is because this got me thinking about what kind of windows I would want if I was building a new house. Aside from the appearance issue of painted wood compared to vinyl, is there an advantage to using a window based on the possibilty that they may have be replaced at some point. It seems like some are a lot more difficult to replace than others, since the siding or brick covers the nailing flange on some window types. I saw some aluminum Marvin windows at a home show that had an aluminum brick mould. They looked like they would be no more difficult to replace than wood windows.