Things You'll Need:
- Stiff putty knife (offset ones work best) these are angled.
- sharp razor knife
- one tube of caulking
- caulking gun
- one inch brad nails with or without heads.
- the replacement plastic that is 1/4 inch smaller than hole in both width and height.
- hammer.
- used rag
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Step 1
If your unsure of the exact size of replacement plastic you will need, go ahead and take one out and have a piece of thin plywood to install temporarily until you can get the material the size you need.
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Step 2
The first thing you'll need to determine is which side (inside or outside) of the pane has the removable stop (usually a small piece of shoe molding or quarter round like you see attached to your baseboards in your house. To do this carefully slice the joint between the stop and window frame using careful not so deep cuts. most of the time this technique alone will reveal the removable piece.
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Step 3
Once you have determined which side of the door has the removable stop (both side can be removed on some doors) use the putty knife and wedge it between the stop and frame starting in the middle of the first piece. This will place the least amount of stress on the wood. work the knife towards both end in turn. the closer you get to each end the less the stop will loosen because the ends are being held down by the side stop pieces. to get this piece out without breaking you want to use your putty knife between the pane and the stop and gently work the stop back towards you as opposed to up or down.
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Step 4
Once you get one end loose you can leverage it around in a sweeping motion until you feel the second end give way. It may still be necessary to apply the same pressure on that end as you applied in step three. Once the first piece is out you can start on the side pieces, beginning with the end that is next to the piece you just removed. Pressure will be applied to these pieces like you did when you began removing the first piece. Once these are mostly free, then the same leverage action will most likely allow the piece to pop right out.
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Step 5
Once all four pieces are removed you will need to determine if the pane was caulked in place. If so, go to the other side of the pane and gently slice between the pane and the outside stop (or inside depending on which side you removed. You want to avoid trying to jam the blade down in this joint, but use multiple lighter strokes until you see the pane start to pull away from the caulk. Slight pressure on the pane, near the cutting edge will aid in loosening the caulk.
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Step 6
Once out you can measure the rough opening, or the pane itself if its still intact. If you have to measure the opening, allow no less than 1/4 inch of play when you have your new pane cut. This will allow for better fit in case the opening is not truly square, and also account for the woods expansion and contraction traits.
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Step 7
Before installing the new pane, stick it in the opening (process call a dry run) before you put any caulking around the opening, and see that it fits. If it does, remove it and run a thin bead of caulk around the very outer edges of the opening, right up against the remaining stop (process referred to as Back Beading). Avoid putting too much caulk or you'll find you have a mess once you press the pane back into place. If some does squirt out make sure you clean it off immediately after you finish the install, as it is very difficult to remove dry caulk from plastic without scarring the material.
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Step 8
Before sticking the pane in place for the final time, be sure to back out any nails in the stop so its ready to reinstall without a long delay. If the nails are reusable then do it, but always add two or three more in other locations along to piece, as the holes tend to spread some when removing the nails.
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Step 9
One everything is in place you can repaint or stain it if necessary. If not then just clean up and your done.
