Correct installation of plastic windows with your own hands

Windows made of polyvinyl chloride with several double-glazed windows are easy to install, wash and even change, in a word, they have a lot of advantages over their wooden counterparts. Installing plastic windows with your own hands will not be difficult if you know how to hold a drill in your hands, use a level and own a standard set of tools. It is easy to find GOSTs and advice from professionals in this field on the Internet.

What to look for when installing windows on your own

Independent work has its drawbacks: manufacturers do not provide a guarantee for products if measurements and installation were carried out by non-professional craftsmen. It will be possible to replace a window block or a broken element only if employees of the manufacturer or certified service providers participated in all stages.

Window systems are not subject to strict standardization; they can be of any size, shape and design. Therefore, it is necessary to measure a specific opening for installation extremely carefully and more than once. An error of even a few millimeters will lead to the fact that the window may simply not enter the opening or be too small. Experts can fix small flaws, but if you don't have experience, it's better not to risk it.

Installation steps

Installation of plastic windows consists of several mandatory steps:

• measuring the opening;
• dismantling the old frame;
• installation of a new window block.

Let's analyze them in detail.

Measurement of window openings

The quality of the window installation depends on the correctness of the measurements. First of all, you need to free the work area from everything unnecessary. Remove curtains, vases, books and other little things from the windowsill.

When measuring, you need to pay attention to the type of opening (it is a quarter or even).

If the window opening is with a quarter, the measurement is carried out along the narrowest perimeter. Measurements must be taken in several places, in height and width, because there may be initial defects and irregularities in the opening. In this case, the smallest indicators should be taken as a basis.

To obtain reliable dimensions along the horizontal plane, 2 cm are subtracted from the width (the size of the mounting slot on both sides).

Vertical measurement is made between the windowsill and the slope from above. In this case, the height of the window sill, the width of the mounting slot and the height of the support profile are subtracted from the obtained size.

The building level checks all kinds of curvature of the opening along the axes. All the measurements obtained are plotted on the drawing, in which the window should have the form of a rectangle inscribed in the sketch of the actual window opening with all available curvatures. All size adjustments are made based on the data received.

Dismantling the old window block

To remove an old window, the sashes must first be removed from their hinges. Then, using a hacksaw, cut the frame on both sides. Using a pry bar, remove part of the frame with fasteners from the wall. All parts of the frame are removed in a similar way.

Next, the opening is freed from the remnants of insulation, plaster, loose pieces of brick and other debris. If in bare brick or concrete walls there are cracks more than a centimeter deep, they need to be repaired with cement mortar. It is not necessary to ideally level the surfaces for the installation of a new double-glazed unit; it is easier then to seal the gap with an assembly foam solution. But large cracks and chips need to be repaired.

If the installation is carried out in autumn or winter, before installation, you need to clean the window opening well from frost. And the wall from the end should be warmed up and dried with a construction hair dryer.

Window installation

Installation of plastic windows can be done in two ways:

1. Fixing the frame with anchor bolts.
2. Mounting on anchor plates fixed to the profile.

The first method is more time consuming, since it requires parsing the window block, but it is more reliable. The second method is used when the window block is not being printed. With this installation method, the wind load must be taken into account. In case of strong gusts of wind, window blocks can warp and sag. To install windows in a region with strong winds or on a high floor, choose a window installation with a block printout.

Stages of installing a window unit

Before installing PVC windows with your own hands, if they have sashes, it is better to remove them. This will ease the construction and make your job easier.

It is not necessary to remove the protective film from the frame until the window is fully installed. This not only protects the glass from unnecessary dirt, but can also protect the canvas if it falls.

To install the window correctly, you need:

1. Before installing the window, place the installation profile under the window sill and wooden wedges around the entire perimeter of the window opening. The width of the wedges must be the same as the width of the mounting slot. In order for them to hold and not fall out when installing the window, they need to be glued with glue or polyurethane foam. The wedges should be positioned where the anchor bolts will pass.
2. Insert the frame into the window opening. Set its position vertically and horizontally using a level.
3. Mark the location of the anchors or screws. Drill holes for them. The holes can be drilled either through the frame or directly into the wall. It is not necessary to tighten the anchors or screws at this stage completely.
4. Install ebb and waterproofing. A vapor-permeable waterproofing gasket is glued along the entire perimeter of the window opening. The ebb is attached to the installation profile with self-tapping screws. After that, the place under the ebb tide foams well.
5. Assembly of PVC window parts. If the doors were removed before installation and the double-glazed windows were pulled out, now they need to be installed back. This must be done before foaming all the gaps between the window opening and the frame.
6. Installation windowsill... It is installed on wooden guides located along the entire length of the opening perpendicular to the frame at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other. In this case, the window sill should have a slope of 2-3 ° towards the room. This will allow condensation to drain away rather than stagnate in the corners of the window. The correct installation of the window sill plate is checked using a level. The gap between the wall and the window sill is foamed. Until the foam completely hardens, something heavy is placed on the windowsill so that the foam does not displace it.

Before foaming the gaps, moisten the wall surface with water from a spray bottle. This will increase the adhesion of the foam to the wall.

Safety engineering

Before you start working on your own, you must make sure that you are safe.

Here are a few rules to keep your window block intact and keep you healthy and safe:

1. Find helpers. Ideally, 3 people should be involved in the installation. Because PVC windows are a heavy and fragile structure that two cannot always hold.
2. Without experience and professional training, it is not worth installing windows above the 2nd floor. Even if you have safety equipment, it is not worth the risk.
3. Use only proven tools and consumables so as not to damage the window and do not redo the work after a few months.

After the installation of plastic windows with your own hands is completed, you do not need to open them during the day. Wait for the foam to dry completely.After that, you can finally check the functioning of the window system, remove the protective film and start finishing the slopes.

How to install plastic windows with your own hands - video