VINYL WINDOW How To install like a PRO

Part 3 on this window. We showed you how to measure it. We showed you how to remove the old one. Now we will show you how to install the new one. Please let us know what you think. Just a note about the insulation we use. We like to use the pink fiberglass insulation instead of the expandable foam. Just our preference. Some might object to that but we have had good success with it. If you use foam please get the recommended material. Not all foams should be used on vinyl replacement windows. Thanks for watching.

Transcript: 

Vinyl Window - How to Install Like a Pro

Okay, so now we have this all cleaned up – the rough opening. So, what I'm going to do is I'm going to preset this window to make sure we've got a good fit and I'm confident that we do. But we're going to do a test run on it anyway. Let's see how that fits right down on the sill, and then we move it in. Look at that – beautifully done.

So, now what I'm going to do is I'm going to take the window out, and I'm going to cut a strip of insulation. I'm going to set that insulation on the sill, and then we're going to reset that window because once I have this in, I'm not going to be able to insulate underneath it. We're going to do that, show you how to do that, and then how we can attach the window and make it all work the way it's supposed to.

Okay, so now we pre-fit that to make sure we were good, and what I want to do is I'm going to put some insulation on that sill. So, I'm going to cut it to the width and the length that it needs to be. The window is three inches wide, so I'm going to take the insulation. This is where I like to use these workbenches. This is actually just a folding table, and it works really nicely. It's slim, it folds up, it fits in my vehicle really well – easy storage. So, what I'm going to do is I'm going to cut. I'm just going to go the width of my T-square straight edge, and I'm going to do 34 inches, and that gives me about what I need. Nice piece, uniform. So, I'm going to take that and I'm going to set it down here. I'm going to keep it off the edge a little bit.

Now, before I set my window, I need to have my screws. So, I'm going to grab those. I've got my screws that I'm going to use for the window. A lot of times, these screws come with the window, but for some reason, this one didn't have them, so I have screws. I'm going to use these three-inch screws to be able to set this window.

Let me go ahead and get my drill over there and a couple of these screws. I'm going to keep my putty knife with me, and you'll see why, or you could use the pry bar. So, the window fits right in, right on top of that insulation. So, I've got a good, nice tight seal on the bottom. So, I'm going to pull this back tight, right tight to your windowsill. That way, you've got a good fit.

So, what I'm going to do is I'm going to make sure because we have the old lines to the old stop. If you look here, you see the line. This will make that window plumb in the rough. So now, I'm going to take my putty knife, and I'm going to bring it down right in the crevice, and that allows me to slide down the shield. And this is a hole where you put your screw. And if you look down towards the bottom here, you have the same thing – you have a shield, and then there's the hole for the screw.

Okay, so I'm going to do the other couple so they're ready. Okay, so I'm set there. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to put a couple screws in because I'm tight to that bottom where your windowsill is. I'm going to put these screws in first. Now I'm not going to completely finish that screw yet until I get the other ones in, and I'll show you why.

Okay, so we've got our screws in. They're not set – they're just in to hold the window. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to check the plumb on the window. So what I'm looking for is this top bubble. So, I'm going to put that side to side. Plum, see, we're off – we're not. So, if you see, to plumb that, I have to go this way because I have to plumb it out – you see the space from the bottom. So, for that to be plumb, I gotta move it that way. So let me do that.

How about plumb the other way, Jeff? Um, just check that. Make sure – let's make sure it's good. We should be – look at that, we are perfectly plumb. Looks good. So, that one's good. Like we followed those lines, and we felt that those would probably be good, and they were, but now we just have to do it from side to side.

So now, this is why I kept those screws loose. Now what I have to do is I'm going to put this screw a little tighter until it's plumb, and then I can set the other side. I didn't go too far. So now I'm going to check that again. I still have a little ways to go. Ah, there we go – we got it. We've got it with that. So that's plum.

Okay, so now we can finish putting these screws. We don't want to overtighten them. We just want to make them snug. Okay, so this window doesn't move at all, and that's important. That means we've got it good and snug, and we're good to go.

So an important thing though is now that we've got it in, we want to make sure both sashes work right and when we lift the screen that it does what it's supposed to do. Okay, and that'll tell us that the window is ready to start doing the finished touches. Now let me see. Okay, we should be good. So, we're going to finish this up and see how we do that.

So to finish this window, we're going to take the sashes out, and there are shim screws on the sides of each of these, and we're going to take them out. We're going to adjust those to stabilize because it's a tall window that's at the center of this window. And then we'll be able to insulate it and not get it closed up.

We pull the clips and lift this. Comes right out, and then we lower that and we lift it to bring it out of the top. We'll do the same thing on the upper one. Got your clips on the top – bring it out, lift the one side, it comes right up.

Okay, so if you look, you see the screw here that will allow us to put that shim in. Okay, so it's not – it's not this screw because that's your tension spring, the one there. It's that screw, and then there's a piece of hardware on the other side of that window that tightens up to the jamb as you screw that in. Get my small screwdriver. All right, so if Dennis brings the camera over – I don't know if we can see in here, but I put that out and if you look, you'll see where that shim pulled tight to the rough of the window. Let me stabilize this.

Okay, so we're going to turn that shim in, and hopefully you can see as it comes through. Okay, we've stabilized the window – we're nice and tight – we're good. So now we're going to put the sashes back in.

So what we do – you have your screwdriver, see this? This lens that unlocks and that locks. So, we're going to bring this down about even with the other one, and then we're going to lock it in place to hold it. Now we're going to take – because we got to put that top sash in first. The top sash doesn't have the locks on it – always remember that. I forget myself. So, we're going to put this in, and there's a 90-degree angle, so we're going to take – I'm going to put that in that slot, and then I'm going to put this one in the other side. All right, so I'm in.

Now, we could just take and turn it up, and it will unlock it, see? And release, and up – there we go – nice and smooth. Now we check the window. Oh, that goes up very nicely – up and down because the window is plumb both ways.

And we stabilize this – you always want to make sure that window goes up nice and easy. So, we're all set to put in the second one. So, we're going to do the same thing – take, remember we want to have it nice and flat. We got a bit of 90. That wasn't even – no. We do this, sometimes I just forget. Take my screwdriver. That should be pretty close, I think.

Okay, see what we got. I guess it wasn't so close. All right, you know what I'm going to do? I don't need these anymore, so make sure those are down. I'm going to do this – that way I'm sure I'm even. Okay, try that. Now we're even. Okay, very nice and ready to go. Now we can insulate – we can put our trim back on, and we're good.

Okay, so now we're at the point we can insulate this window to finish it up and then get those stops back up. So, this is what I'm going to do – same width. I'm going to go about the width of my T-square, my straight edge, and then I'm going to show you how to pack it in there.

Okay, so I'm going to take my razor knife, and I'm going to cut some insulation – a nice, clean cut. And because I had my shims, they actually work as a nice tool to pack this insulation in here. This is what I do – I take this and I put it up on the edge, and I just pack it in. And this is nice because this doesn't really push on the window unless you overpack it. But if you go in like this and you begin to go in and you ease it in, it goes in very nicely. You get a really, really good seal. And it's nice when you insulate these windows – make sure you don't see any light coming through. That guarantees that the insulation is there and doing its job. So there we have it – the window's done.

So our project is just about done today. Jeff's going to do a couple of other little things. He's got to put the stops on, and he's going to paint that. He's going to touch up the trim, and he's going to caulk it. And then he's going to seal the outside, and we're just going to caulk the outside – that's good. The trim outside is okay. Maybe in the spring, we can paint it if we would like or we can get it coiled if we want to. But that's it for this project, and Jeff did a great job. So you know what? This is Dennis with Home Rehab Pros. We're glad you tuned in to watch. Please hit that thumbs up button, and if you haven't subscribed, please do that as well. And you know what? You can do a project just like this. Just muster up the courage and let's just do it, and we'll see you in the next video.