Window Replacement

When we bought our house, we had noticed what looked like dirt on our living room window. One of the first things I did after moving in was try washing the window. That’s when we realized it wasn’t dirt. We eventually figured out it was mold between the glass of the double pane window. We were annoyed our home inspector didn’t catch it. It’s been slowly growing over the years. We got bids from professionals to replace the window but it was always very expensive.

Finally, we felt comfortable enough to tackle it ourselves. The original window did not open, which I hated. We ended up ordering a replacement (no nailing flange) JELD-WEN V-2500 window from Home Depot. We timed it so the window was delivered the day after Christmas so we could install it during the holiday break.

Our first step was to remove the old window. We scored the caulk and took out what screws we could access. Mike used the reciprocating saw on the rest:

Then, Mike pried the window out from the outside with some help:

Overall, it was fairly easy to remove. We thought it would be really heavy but the two of us could handle it no problem. The window removed:

After measuring, we had to add wood to the top and bottom of the opening for the new window to fit:

The window sill was already slopped correctly so we didn’t have to adjust that:

Mike also had to remove drywall on the left and right sides so the window would fit:

We then dry fit the window. Some stucco needed to be removed so I held the window (while it rested on the sill) as Mike chipped away at the stucco. He started with a hammer and chisel:

But then had to upgrade to a grinder saw to remove the stubborn stucco:

Once the window fit perfectly, we added caulk and a waterproof membrane before installing it:

We didn’t have the waterproof membrane cover the entire wood because we originally planned on the rest becoming the inside sill. Later, we realized we needed another piece of wood to cover the foam insulation so that became the actual sill:

Screwing in the window:

After it was in, we checked for level and plumb and then used foam spray to insulate around it. Always wear disposal gloves when using this stuff. I helped clean some overflow without using gloves and it got on my fingers. Nothing got it off. It took a couple weeks before it was finally gone from my skin. Other than that, foam insulation is pretty easy to use:

It was late by the time the window was fully in. It felt great to see the new window the following morning:

Next, we added moulding around the window:

Some of the casing trim was warped so Mike used a piece of wood to push it flat before nailing it in:

Our son helped a little:

The completed window, opened. Navi approves:

We also added window tint on the new window so we could get rid of the outdoor shade. The sun had bleached our older couch so we want to avoid that with our new couch:

While we were installing casing, we replaced the old (more narrow) casing around the nearby slider. We also bought new faux wood blinds that matched the new blinds in our bedrooms:

The completed living room window and slider:

We also fixed the stucco on the outside – this time remembering to use blue tape to protect the frame. It was a smaller project than the slider stucco fix so Mike used ready mix stucco:

The finished outside although we still need to add outdoor trim:

We are very proud of our new window! With our newfound knowledge, we can now tackle larger projects. 😉