Single pane Window glass repair in an aluminum frame
Posted: Monday, January 03, 2005
by johnr
How To Install Windows
Happy new year everybody. I hope this is the year that you all find whatever it is that you are seeking in life. I really enjoyed seeing my family this holiday season, but two weeks is about all i can handle. I'm definitely glad to be back here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
Let's suppose you still have those old aluminum single pane windows in your house,and one of the neighbor kids throws a ball through it. ( Your kid would never do that!) Depending on where you live in the country, you can pay anywhere from $75 to $150 to get it repaired. Well, if you're willing to spend an hour or two, you can get the window fixed for around $20 or $30. I'm not going to try and explain how to cut your own glass. I am going to explain how to get the old glass out, measure for the new glass, and install the replacement glass. So, let's use this article to explain the most common type of aluminum frame window.
If you have a sliding window, one of the panels will be stationary, and the other will slide back and forth. If the slider is the one broken, you simply lift up and swing the bottom out. If the bottom won't come out, check for rollers on top. Sometimes the top rollers are adjusted up so the slider can't be removed. Just loosen the screw holding the roller in place and lift up with some force. That should push the rollers down, allowing you to remove the panel. Lay the panel on a table and measure the width and height of the glass only. Take this measurement and add 1/2" to both the width and height. This is the size of the new glass that you need to order. Measure the thickness of the old glass. It will either be 1/8" or a little less than that. The thin glass is called single strength and is actually about 3/32". The 1/8" glass is called double strength glass. Be sure to order the right one. If you order double strength glass because you figure it's stronger than the old single strength piece, you are going to have a devil of a time putting the frame back together. That tiny 1/32" difference can be a real pain in the neck. Trust me, you want to replace single strength with single strength.
Now, it's time to take the frame apart and remove all of the old glass. Make sure to put on a heavy pair of gloves to avoid getting cut. You will find a screw in each corner of your frame. You want to remove two of these screws in opposite corners. So, if you remove the bottom left screw, you need to also remove the top right one. Now, take a rubber mallet, slide one of the corners off the table that has the screw removed, and tap the frame to separate it from the glass. Set that half of the frame aside, then do the same thing to the other half. Now you should have two halves of the frame, a piece of rubber, and lots of glass. Throw away all the glass, then clean out the rubber, making certain to get every piece of glass out of there.
When You get the replacement glass home, lay it on the table with one long and one short side hanging over the edge. Put the rubber on those two overhanging edges. Put one half of the frame (it doesn't matter which half) against the glass and tap the corner on first. Then tap the long edge onto the rubber until it seats. Then do the short edge. Now, put the other two edges over the table and do the same procedure. Finally, install the screws in the corners. Put the panel back in and you're done.
If the broken pane is the stationary portion, there is a little extra work to get the panel out. You need to take out the slider first, then remove the two screws holding the center bar in place. Tap the center bar away from the panel until it is off the side of the panel. Set it aside. Then tap the frame edge to pull it out of the channel attached to the wall. Once it's away from the side channel, you can lift it up and out like you did with the slider. You remove and install the glass in the frame just like you did with the slider, put the frame back in the opening, tap it into the side channel, install the center bar and screws, and install the sliding panel. That's it! You're done. If your window doesn't fit this description, fear not! I will be spending the next several weeks trying to cover every conceivable window configuration. So, i will chat with you all next week. And GO USC TROJANS!!
John Rocco has been installing
replacement windows since 1978.
To learn more, visit How To Install Windows
Let's suppose you still have those old aluminum single pane windows in your house,and one of the neighbor kids throws a ball through it. ( Your kid would never do that!) Depending on where you live in the country, you can pay anywhere from $75 to $150 to get it repaired. Well, if you're willing to spend an hour or two, you can get the window fixed for around $20 or $30. I'm not going to try and explain how to cut your own glass. I am going to explain how to get the old glass out, measure for the new glass, and install the replacement glass. So, let's use this article to explain the most common type of aluminum frame window.
Now, it's time to take the frame apart and remove all of the old glass. Make sure to put on a heavy pair of gloves to avoid getting cut. You will find a screw in each corner of your frame. You want to remove two of these screws in opposite corners. So, if you remove the bottom left screw, you need to also remove the top right one. Now, take a rubber mallet, slide one of the corners off the table that has the screw removed, and tap the frame to separate it from the glass. Set that half of the frame aside, then do the same thing to the other half. Now you should have two halves of the frame, a piece of rubber, and lots of glass. Throw away all the glass, then clean out the rubber, making certain to get every piece of glass out of there.
When You get the replacement glass home, lay it on the table with one long and one short side hanging over the edge. Put the rubber on those two overhanging edges. Put one half of the frame (it doesn't matter which half) against the glass and tap the corner on first. Then tap the long edge onto the rubber until it seats. Then do the short edge. Now, put the other two edges over the table and do the same procedure. Finally, install the screws in the corners. Put the panel back in and you're done.
If the broken pane is the stationary portion, there is a little extra work to get the panel out. You need to take out the slider first, then remove the two screws holding the center bar in place. Tap the center bar away from the panel until it is off the side of the panel. Set it aside. Then tap the frame edge to pull it out of the channel attached to the wall. Once it's away from the side channel, you can lift it up and out like you did with the slider. You remove and install the glass in the frame just like you did with the slider, put the frame back in the opening, tap it into the side channel, install the center bar and screws, and install the sliding panel. That's it! You're done. If your window doesn't fit this description, fear not! I will be spending the next several weeks trying to cover every conceivable window configuration. So, i will chat with you all next week. And GO USC TROJANS!!
John Rocco has been installing
replacement windows since 1978.
To learn more, visit How To Install Windows
This Article has been viewed 14,507 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
Top-level comments on this article: (9 total)It's a good start. I wish there were pictures...
Thanks, this is the first instructions I have been able to find on how to remove the stationary pane. Which direction do you tap the center bar? Towards the sliding section or out away from the house?In almost all cases, you tap towards the sliding section. However, if the screws holding the bar are on the sides instead of on the outside, those are removed away from the house.
Yes pictures would be helpful. When you say take the slider out first, do you mean the piece on the bottom of the window that keeps the window in place? I'm not sure what you mean. Thank you.
My aluminum frame window has plastic strips that hold the glass against the frame. When viewed from the side edge, the strip is like a right triangle, where the "hypotenuse" is slightly curved and is the side meant to be seen after installation is done. I can't figure out how to install these strips. Any help will be appreciated. The window looks like a double hung sash. Only the bottom window moves and this is the pane that is broken.
Mike, you use a thin flat screwdriver or a still putty knife and pry where the plastic stop meets the aluminum. Pry towards the center of the glass. If the window is old, the stops may be brittle and break. If that happens, you probably wont find replacement stops, so you will have to use caulk or silicone to cover the gaps. It can be tricky, but if you take your time, you can do it.
Where are the screws located on the bar to remove the stationary window? I don't see any.
The screws will be on the top and bottom outside. If you dont have any screws, then there will be 4 plastic or rubber stops going around the outside of the glass. You will need to pull out those stops, then go inside and cut away the tape or glue holding the glass to the metal.
Excellent technical writing! Question: typically where might I find the two screws holding in the center post. The interior pane was broken out and tidied up over 15 years ago by someone else.
I have a broken stationary window and the center post is not held in with screws. Any suggestions on how to remove it? Any help will be appreciated.The glass should have stops outside. They will either be rubber opr plastic. You have to remove the 4 stops, then go inside and cut the adhesive that holds the glass to the metal frame. Sometimes thye glass is barely held to the metal, and opther times you have to run a box cutter blade around the perimeter to break it loose.I also have a broken interior pane on my stationary wndow. But I have dual panes (for insulation purposes). So the outer pane does not need to be replaced. Are the procedures the same? I simple would like to remove the interior pain and take it to someone to replace the glass.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.