Finishing Windows Before Installation???

nwksremodeler

I have a job coming up belonging to one of those customers that doesn't want the mess or the smell of stain and finish floating around HER house while having new windows installed. She asked why the windows, jambs, and casing couldn't be finished before installation? I really couldn't come up with a real good reason why not, other than the fact of possibly staring/cracking the finish on the prefinished windows and jambs while installing, squaring, leveling, nailing and screwing them in place. One would just have to be VERY CAREFUL during installation and be gentle! I guess its just the fact that it kinda goes against the standard installation practice, although I can see the benefits on cutting down on the mess in the house and the convience of doing this part away from the job off site at the shop. It would allow me to dismantle the windows, tape them off, stain, and finish, allowing enough time for them to dry on their own and allowing me to do the job on my time schedule and not worry about the outside factors of outside air tempature, which way the wind is blowing and the customer.

On this particular job I will be using Anderson casement and awning windows with the jambs shipped loose to accomodate not so perfect walls. With screwing the jambs to the windows does one really need to worry about shiming and nailing the jamb to the framing, thus cutting down on the potential for staring the finish? Or would the screws attaching the jamb and nails in the casing be sufficient for stablizing the jamb? Let me know your thoughts and opinions on this. Thanks.

A W Smith

I bet ten to one she just saw one of the more recent episodes of this old house. A very high end pre-fab timber frame home with pre-fab window trim. Trim stained, polyurethaned and fabricated in shop with a brilliant homemade sliding table jig to accommodate all window sizes. Trim was pocket screwed together, Spit jamb extension for variances in the wall.

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Al Smith
http://www.awsmith.com

easy sider

Its better to have all the finish applied in a shop before installation on all wood products used. Especially the trim. There is always some putty and touch up needed.

Things that can happen with this type of retro fit are uneven wall finishes can be a pain.

Patrick

not far from the truth, we use eagle windows all the time which can come completely pre finished with matching pre finished trim

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Originally Posted by Celtic
Like I said...I'm sure you are very good at what you do ~ whatever that is and where ever it happens.

IHI

Pre finished is the only way to fly

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nwksremodeler

Using prefinished trim doesn't bother me, prefinishing the windows is what seems to bother me. I just don't want to prefinish a whole house of windows and install them and have problems arise that would come back against the carpenter and bite me in the pocket book!! Heard to many stories about that lately.

IHI

You need to find new subs then if they cant be trusted to install a fricken window and not screw it up, i know we're in this game to try and make money, but if your using subs that are soo cheap you cant trust them for a task like this, is it worth it in the long run? I know stuff happens, but there is built in costs to the job to cover the what if's.

Seems to make alot more sense to order the window pre finished and take an extra 1030 seconds per window to install vs having to tape everything off to get a nice clean finish job later, or not taping off and spending time wiping down over run on the stain.

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user38755

We always prefinish when installing in an existing home. Never done it any other way, and never had a problem with the finish. We always stain several extra pieces of trim, just in case a cut goes bad.

nwksremodeler

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm off to the shop today to dismantel windows and finish them, give this new theory a new try.

IHI - I would have to make a sub travel bout 2-3 hours in order to get a sub to install windows, and I would be the talk of the town for subing out windows on a job. If you don't do a turn key job, minus the mechanicals, you just don't take the job. But I get what your reasoning was, and I do account for the what ifs.

TRC

I very seldom include painting of the trim and windows on my jobs. My competitors seem do the same in my area. I always give the option of pre-finished windows if it's a factory option.