Important Window Question -PLEASE

mxim

I was offered a job to sub out about 12 replacement windows in an old house. normally no problem. however,this house has steel case windows and was wondering if using replacements,not new construction ,make it any more challenging to remove?
also,2 of their windows a rectangular with half circle tops from the outside.on the indie its the same glass,hald corlce on top of rectangle(one pice of glass),i guess its called a variation window? rectangular with circular top. however,the frame on the inside is rectangular but from the outside,the frame carries the contour of the window. the inside you can still see the hald circle on top but the frame is rectangular.
thanks

Patrick

Can someone translate for me? at least he didn't ask about price

ApgarNJ

i was going to say the same thing.

mxim

ok,lets just start with steelcase windows. we are just using replacements. any different then regular windows?

house bldr

It depends on how the outside and interior are finished, If you can cut siding back and expose the nail flange it would probably be easier to take the old frame out and go back with a nail flange window.I have left them in when the outside was brick or stucco making them hard to remove.If you measure the windows right you can use the remaining angle iron frame as an outside stop and add inside stops,or you could build out around the frame with 1x or 2x material and set the window inside the old frame.A lot of variables affect how it can be done, such as the style of the old frame,what parts can be removed,how the outside and inside are finished,is the ouside being wrapped,ect.ect.

mxim

outside is stucco. what part of the window or frame is actually steel? a bit confused.
thanks

house bldr

You said the house had steel case windows,I assumed you ment the old steel frame crank out type? Maybe I'm confused

Patrick

Buddy, If your that confused, you have NO business bidding this job. From your very poorly written description of this job I can tell you that its gonna be a huge PIA. No wonder the dude is subbing them out.

Tom M

Steel casement removal is the worst and most challenging. Vinyl replacments are meant to insert into an existing wood frame, so you would need to fill all sides of the steel frame with layers of wood just to attach and trim the window. New construction flanges are the only way to go in my opinion.

ApgarNJ

I agree with tom. replacement windows would be a pain to do and you wouldnt be saving any labor, like they are meant to be used for.
if you can't get the steel frames out with major damage to the wall, then just frame it in, install new windows with flanges, and trim out.
i have a big job coming up where it's on the third floor of an all brick building, but with the exposed basement showing on the side we are working on, it''ll be 4 floors up, commercial. the whole wall i just about steel framed windows, some fixed, some manual tilt in. the real kicker it's above a CANAL 100% along the side of the building where we are doing this. i'm still not sure how to get the windows in. not a good spot for a lift or knuckle boom, the water is pretty deep. can't get the new large window units inside the building because the only access is either a fire escape, or a spiral staircase from the second floor hallway.
i just hope we don't end up in the canal.

skylands

Mxim.
I'm inclined to agree with Patrick on this one.

Steel cased windows set in stucco is not something a newbie should tackle without any knowledge of how they are installed in the first place.

Unless your talking about something else, the steel frames have a flange that are set in a channel of the concrete block. So removing these involve removing the stucco and cutting out the steel, then framing everything in and designing a trim detail to replace the stucco that you removed.

......but kudos to you for not asking about the price.

mxim

no,i won't insult anyone and start asking pricing questions. they are olsd crank outs . so you guys are saying-NO MATTER WHAT, when we rip out the old window, replacements can still be used but we have to frame it out with wood? in other words re frame around the old steel frame?
i would rather do that than rip out the old frame completely,that will/can cause damage to the exterior/

ApgarNJ

if you are going to frame it out. just use standard windows with flanges, not replacment windows. those are meant ideally for going inside a wood frame of an existing window. see if you can cut the steel(good blade, lenox work great for tough metal cutting) and leave the tabs in the wall. then frame it out with 2x4(treated if it's up against block), then you can just install the new windows with flanges. don't mess around with replacement windows unless you already have them, you can use them, but i dont' see the benefit.

dougchips

Find a window sub or two and get prices from them. I would assume that you are being asked to GC the job, so GC it and hire the correct sub.

If I was working on a project and a home owner asked for me to handle the hassle of having his kitchen floor re done with tile....I would find a tile guy.

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mxim

guys,thats exactly what i am doing. i just like to educate myself before hand. the only way to lkearn is watch and ask questions. reading articles about steel case windows id worthless.nothing wrong with asking.

neolitic

Case - ment
Casement, the words mean something.
No one can help, if no one can understand.

Still wondering if these are palladian style or what.

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(Sorry....it seems there really are dumb questions)

Tru_Blue

I have two very different things to mention. First, in light of the hard-to-understand messages in this latest message thread, I can't resist offering some help with spelling and grammar. Here's a tip for those of you who are a bit challenged at spelling or typing and want to post a message that looks presentable. You can get a free tool for your computer that works with web-based text entries such as online forums (including contractortalk.com), blogs, websites, etc. to check/correct your spelling before you submit a post. I sometimes find it painful to read some posts in which an otherwise intelligent message looks like a 2nd grader typed it. It's called "IEspell" and is intended for those who use Microsoft Internet Explorer. It's free, and I use it almost all the time before I click "submit." Available at download.com or just google it. I thought it was pretty handy when someone told me about it a few years ago.

Second, I'm intrigued with mxim's message about windows that are curved on the outside but rectangular on the inside. Mxim, are those windows also steel? I've replaced those types of windows lots of times, but have only seen that design in wood windows.

mxim

with regards to that particular window,
from the out side its rectangular on the bottom but the top is circular and the frame is the same,rectangular but circular on top. however,from the INSIDE the shape of the glass is the same,rectangular on bottom but circular on top,but the whole frame is rectangular.

ApgarNJ

all that is an arched glass top window, with a square frame and sash. the outside might have a blind stop that is arched too. making the frame looked arched from the outside but from the inside the trim is square. just the glass is arched.