How to Put in a Window Pane
There are several reasons that a homeowner may need to put in a new windowpane. Whether the windowpane has been worn by age, cracked by an errant baseball during a game, or shattered by flying debris during a storm; replacing a single windowpane is a relatively simple process that can be accomplished in a short amount of time. Promptly replacing a damaged windowpane is necessary to assure the security of the home, help conserve energy, protect the home from outside elements, and prevent further damage to window. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Windowpane glass
- Safety glasses
- Heavy gloves
- Thick cloth
- Hammer
- Chisel
- Aluminum foil
- Heat gun
- Needle-nose pliers
- Glazing points
- Sandpaper
- Exterior primer
- Small paintbrush
- Glazing putty
- Putty knife
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Instructions
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Preparing the Window
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1
Put on safety glasses and heavy gloves to protect your hands and eyes from shattered glass, then cover the damaged windowpane with a thick cloth. Tap the center of the pane gently with a hammer to loosen any shards of glass, then pull free any glass embedded in the putty.
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2
Scrape all loose putty from the section of the window where you removed the glass using a chisel.
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3
Place two sheets of aluminum foil on each adjacent windowpane to prevent them from being cracked, then hold a heat gun about an inch away from the window, moving it back and forth to soften any hard putty. Scrape the rest of the putty from the window with the chisel.
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4
Pry the old metal glazing points (small triangle metal fasteners that hold the glass in place) out of the rabbets (groove in the window frame) using needle-nose pliers.
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5
Scrape the rabbets with the chisel to remove any debris, then sand it down to bare wood using sandpaper. Once the surface is smooth, brush a coat of exterior primer onto the bare wood with a small paintbrush.
Putting in the Windowpane
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6
Wait for the primer to soak into the wood, then use your hands to knead a handful of putty until it's pliable. Press the putty into the rabbets until they're completely filled.
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7
Place the new windowpane glass into the putty (in the rabbets) while using the tips of your fingers to apply even pressure. Continue pressing on the glass until it's centered into the frame. According to This Old House, about 1/8-inch of putty should remain between the rabbets and the face of the glass.
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8
Place a glazing point flat on the glass at the center of each of the four sides of the pane.
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9
Place the tip of a putty knife against the raised section of one of the glazing points. Apply slight downward pressure to the putty knife, gently rocking the glazing point from side to side until it relaxes into the rabbets. Repeat this step until the other three glazing points are embedded into the rabbets.
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10
Scrape any excess putty off the other side of the window using a chisel, then use your hands to knead another handful of putty until it's pliable.
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11
Roll the putty into a long rope about ¾ of an inch in diameter, then place the rope of putty around the edges of the glass, pressing it firmly against the rabbets.
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12
Place the blade of the putty knife into the putty at a 45-degree angle to the glass, making sure it's on one corner on the glass and the top edge of the rabbet.
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13
Press a finger against the putty knife so that the blade flattens the putty while you're pulling the putty knife along one side of the windowpane---creating a neat crease in the corner. Remove the excess putty with the chisel, then repeat this step on the remaining sides of the windowpane, starting at the crease in the corner.
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14
Check that no putty can be seen from the other side of the window, then scrape any excess putty off using the chisel. Allow the putty to stiffen up for about seven to ten days before cleaning or painting the window.
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