Dismantling of windows according to the rules

Replacing the old wooden window with a metal-plastic one involves dismantling the structure that was previously installed in the opening. The most obvious solution is to entrust the dismantling to the same craftsmen who will mount the new metal—plastic structure. They know how to dismantle wooden windows or outdated PVC windows — and in 95% of cases solve the problem very quickly.

But sometimes the dismantling work has to be carried out on its own. Our recommendations will help you understand the technology and its nuances.

Preparatory work

Dismantling a window is much easier than installing a new one — but still the complexity of this task will be very high. From the opening you will extract a large and heavy structure that can break under its own weight or with any manipulation with it. In addition, there is a risk of damage to the edges of the opening, decoration or interior.

So that the process goes quickly and without unpleasant surprises:

• We release the window sill. Almost always the window sill is dismantled, but even if you plan to leave the window sill (it is made of stone, concrete or solid wood and is strong enough) — everything that will lie on its surface will interfere with the work.
• We remove the curtains and dismantle the cornice, if it is not above the opening, but in the area of installation work.
• If the work is not carried out in a private household — be sure to protect the space under the window by pulling a warning tape. In the process of dismantling, part of the structure may fall out — it is important that this does not cause injuries.

In addition, when the window is dismantled — especially in an old house — a significant part of the plaster slope is destroyed. The result is a large amount of dust and debris entering the room. We wrote in detail about how to protect ourselves from dust in an article devoted to the preparation for installation work. So here we will just confine ourselves to a reminder — what can be taken out, you need to take out, what cannot be taken out, you need to cover with plastic wrap.

Dismantling of a wooden window

In the vast majority of cases, a plastic window is put in place of a wooden structure. So it is more often necessary to dismantle such windows.

Sashes

 The dismantling of the wooden window begins with the removal of the shutters:

• At the first stage, you need to remove the paper that was used to seal the cracks, as well as putty.
• The next stage is the removal of the beads. Each bead is carefully lifted with a spatula, chisel or flat screwdriver.
• After removing the beads, we take out the glasses.
• We lift the sash with a tire iron and remove it from the hinges. Without glasses, it will be easy, in addition, it will be possible to carry out manipulations with the application of force, without fear of the appearance of fragments.

Pay attention! If the hinges have been taken care of, and they are in good condition, you can remove the sash without removing the glasses. This will speed up the process many times, but it is better to do the work with an assistant, especially if the sash is large.

Low tide and window sill

So, the shutters are removed and the opening is open. Next, you need to dismantle the window sill and the ebb installed in the lower part of the structure:

• The ebb, which is usually fastened with nails, is simply carefully torn from the base. If screws were used for fastening, you can try to unscrew them.
• We do the same with platbands or tin plates. We pry the part with a pry bar closer to the place where the fastener is placed and tear it off from the base.
• The window sill is usually held on cement mortar — so you can not do without the application of force. We start a crowbar or crowbar under the window sill and lift the tool, tearing the window sill from the base.

Important! Sometimes the task turns out to be very time-consuming. In this case, the concrete window sill is broken into pieces using a hammer drill or a sledgehammer, and the fittings and mortgages are sawn with a grinder.

Frame

The wooden frame that remains in the opening can be fixed in different ways. Most often, long thick nails are used to fasten it, and the space between the frame and the edge of the opening is filled with textile insulation, tow or similar material.

Dismantling of the frame is carried out as follows:

• First, the frame needs to be cut into several parts. This is done either with a hacksaw (for a long time), or with an assembly cutter, or with any other suitable tool.
• Each individual fragment is attached with a crowbar and removed from the opening. Parts of the frame in this case work as a lever. But you need to act carefully — the less destruction there is, the better.
• If nails were used as fasteners, they themselves come out of the wall. Other fasteners have to be unscrewed or cut off with a grinder.

Important! The slopes during the dismantling of the frame can be severely damaged or completely destroyed. If you need to save them, then before starting dismantling work along the frame in the plaster layer, deep grooves are cut with a stroborez, and then the frame is dismantled as carefully as possible. Alas, even such preparation does not give guarantees — the old plaster can "go in layers" with any impact.

How to dismantle a metal-plastic window

The need to replace outdated plastic windows with modern designs is becoming more frequent. Plastic windows are usually changed when their characteristics (primarily thermal) or appearance cease to meet the requirements of the owners.

Thanks to the modular design, dismantling a plastic window requires less effort — but there are also nuances here.:

• First you need to remove the shutters. To do this, remove the pin from the upper loop, lift the flap and remove it from the lower loop.
• We dismantle the finishing of the slopes. If the window was attached not to plates, but to anchor fasteners, we remove double—glazed windows from the blind parts of the frame, after removing the beads.
• We remove the mounting tapes — both internal and external.
• The layer of mounting foam is carefully cut through. With a large layer thickness, part of the foam can be removed.
• We dismantle the ebb by unscrewing the screws with which it is attached.
• We remove the window sill from the fasteners (the technology depends on which method of mounting the window sill was used).
• We unscrew the anchors or screws that hold the mounting plates — using a screwdriver or a screwdriver.

Pay attention! It is better to unscrew the fasteners last, because they are the ones that hold the frame in the opening. After unscrewing the fastener, the frame must be held to prevent it from falling.

Now it remains only to remove the frame from the window opening. Dismantling allows you to keep all the elements of the plastic window intact, because the design will be quite suitable for re-installation. For example, old windows from an apartment or a private house can be used for glazing outbuildings.

Despite the high complexity of the work, the dismantling of a plastic window can be done with your own hands (if there is an assistant, it is quite good). At the same time, it is important to preserve the window opening as much as possible, and if it is necessary, then the structure itself for reuse.

You can order a high-quality professional installation of metal-plastic windows by following the link