Expert Techniques for Reglazing a Window
Crack! An errant baseball, a hurled stone, or a falling branch is all it takes to end the life of a windowpane. And for most modern, doubleglazed windows, that means a trip to the local glass shop for repairs. But for old-fashioned, single-glazed wood sash, you can easily replace the pane yourself. It's one of the rare homeowner projects that doesn't require some practice to tool the putty," says Tom Silva, This Old House general contractor. "You want to end up with neat, crisp creases in the corners and straight runs in between.“ Whatever the glazing project, he recommends taking out the window sash and laying it flat on a workbench, if possible. "Trying to reglaze a sash that's still in it's opening takes longer, and it's far more difficult to do a good job."
Getting Started: Tools 1 ½-inch putty knife: For tooling putty; should be flexible and clean. 5-in-1 painter's tool: For scraping out old putty. Heat gun: For softening old putty. 1-inch paintbrush: For priming sash.
Materials Glass: For pane dimensions, measure the opening from top to bottom and side to side, then subtract 1/8 inch from each measurement. Aluminum foil: Protects undamaged glass from heat. Glazier's points: Hold glass against sash. Tom uses push-type points with shoulders. Glazing putty: Seals the edge of the glass against the weather. Tom uses an oil-based product in a can. Exterior primer: Seals wood against moisture; extends putty life.
Don gloves and safety glasses and cover the broken pane with a rag. Tap the center of the rag-covered pane with a hammer to loosen the shards. With gloved hands, wiggle free any pieces that remain embedded in the putty. If the sash is still in the window opening, or the pane has a crack or two but is otherwise intact, it's best to remove the putty first, then the glass.
Apex Security Engineering Ltd Flint Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 1HJ 01462 673 431 www.apexengineeringgroup.com