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How To Install A Garden Window

Garden Window
Found often in kitchens, garden windows can also be an attractive option for most any room in your house. With a projection out from the wall of 16 inches to 24 inches garden windows can add a lot of space to a room. The boxy design and glass roof make them a great place for growing plants or as a collectibles display area. Garden windows also usually include front or side opening windows which allow for ventilation and are often available in awning or casement styles. Home stores usually have garden windows in several common sizes. However, locating a stock window that will fit your needs can sometimes be difficult. If this is the case, you will probably need to build out the rough opening for the window to fit a standard garden window size. Instead, you may also be able to custom order a window to fit your existing roughed out opening. The amount of glass in a garden window has a direct effect on how energy efficient it is. As a minimum, look for double-pane glass with low emissivity (low-E) coatings. And for colder climates, more efficient types of glass are available. Some garden windows contain a flange for nailing that attaches to the framing and holds the window in place. Other units hang on a separate frame that is then attached to the outside of the house. In this example, the garden window used has a built in mounting sleeve that slides into the roughed out opening and is attached directly to the rough framing.

What You Need Tools: tape measure, level, hammer, circular saw, framing square, chisel (for wood), caulking gun, stapler, drills and bits, utility knife Materials: garden window kit, 2x4?s, wood strips, shims, building paper, exterior trim, drip edge, 3 inch screws, construction adhesive, 4d siding nails, 8d galvanized casing nails, interior trim, paintable silicone caulk

1: Remove the interior and exterior trim and then the existing window. 2: Check the rough opening measurements and make sure to verify the correct window size. The rough opening will be about 1/2 inches larger that the window on all sides. If needed, attach wood strips to the rough framing as spacers to bring the opening to the necessary size. 3: Use a level to make sure the sill of the roughed out opening is level and the side jambs are even. Make sure each corner is square with a framing square. The weight of the garden window will require that the rough framing is in good condition to support its weight otherwise, you may need to reframe the rough opening before proceeding. 4: Insert the new garden window into the opening and press it tight against the framing. To support the unit you may use notched 2x4?s under the bottom edge of the window, until it has been securely fastened to the framing. The inside of the window sleeve should be flush with the wall surface. 5: Check to make sure the sill is level and shim beneath the lower part of the sill if needed to bring it to level. 6: When the garden window is in place and you have made sure it is level hold a piece of window trim in place along the exterior of the window and trace an outline onto the siding. Remove the window and cut the siding down to the sheathing using a circular saw. 7: Install some strips of building paper in between the siding and the sheathing and staple in place after you have wrapped them around the framing. Work from the bottom up on the sides, so each piece overlaps the piece below. 8: Reposition the window and reshim it. Make sure the space between the window and the siding is equal to the width of the trim on all sides. 9: Drill pilot holes every 12inch to 16inch through the window sleeve (making sure you countersink). Make sure you drill all the way into the rough header, jack studs, and window sill. 10: Insert shims between the window sleeve and rough frame at each predrilled hole, this will prevent the window frame from bowing. Fasten the window to the frame using 3 inch screws and continue to check that it remains level and square while you tighten the screws. 11: Using a stud finder, locate the studs near the edge of the window and mark them. Place the support brackets in place over the stud marks you have just made and, make sure the shorter end is against the siding and the longer edge is against the bottom of the window and fasten the brackets into place. 12: Cut a piece of drip edge to size, apply construction adhesive and slide it under the siding above the window. Cut each trim piece to size and attach it using 8d galvanized casing nails driving through the pilot holes. 13: Seal the edges of the trim with paintable silicone caulk. 14: Cut the ends off all protruding shims on the interior of the window until the shims are flush with the framing then insulate the caulk gaps between the window sleeve and the interior wall. 15: Finally, finish the project by installing the interior trim around window.


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