How to Replace 1967 Aluminum Windows in a Brick House

Updating those old aluminum windows from 1967 can save you plenty of money on heating and cooling costs.

Aluminum windows, popular in the late 1960s, are far less efficient than today's modern dual-paned models. You can save a tremendous amount of money on your heating and cooling costs by removing those old windows and replacing them. Windows installed into brick walls are fastened to a wooden buck. To remove old windows you need to first remove window trim, free the old window from the buck and then check the buck for signs of damage. If the window buck is in good condition, a new window can be installed into the window opening.

Things You'll Need

• Putty knife
• Ladder
• Utility knife
• Pry bar
• Flathead screwdriver
• Claw hammer
• Caulking
• Caulking gun
• Wooden shims
• Corrosion-resistant nails
• Finish nails
• Miter box saw
• 2 inch by 4 inch by 8 foot boards
• Aerosol urethane foam insulation

Instructions

Removing the Old Window

1. Remove the interior window trim. On the inside of the house, use a putty knife to lift and remove the wooden trim around the exterior of the window frame. Slide the putty knife between the wooden trim and the wall and carefully pry the trim up and away from the window frame.

2. Remove the exterior trim from around the window frame. Use a ladder if necessary to access the exterior window trim. Cut away any sealant from around the wooden window frame with your utility knife. Position the end of the pry bar between the wooden window frame and the brick wall. Pry the trim up and away from the wall. Take considerable care not to damage the window trim if you are planning on reusing it to trim the replacement window.

3. Locate and remove the fasteners holding the aluminum window frame to the wooden window buck. The window buck is a wooden framework fastened to the brick opening. The window is attached to the wooden buck. Pull the aluminum window from the opening and set it aside.

4. Inspect the window buck and the window opening for any signs of damage or rot. Use your utility or putty knife to scrape away leftover sealant or caulking. Remove badly damaged or rotted wood and replace it with new material.

Installing the Replacement Window

1. Make sure the flange on your replacement window is bent at right angles to the sides of the window frame. When the window is mounted inside the window buck, the flange will press against the sides of the wooden framing that make up the buck.

2. Working from the outside of the house, run a bead of caulking material over the inside of the window flange; then set the window inside the window opening. Press the window against the buck so that the caulked flange forms a tight seal.

3. From inside the house, check the window's level and position within the window opening. Adjust where necessary by inserting narrow pieces of wood, called shims, in between the window opening and the window frame.

4. Nail the window in place. Return to the outside of the house and drive corrosion-resistant nails through the window flange and into the wooden window buck. Be careful not to overdrive the nails, as this can cause damage to the window's seal and decrease the energy-efficiency.

5. Apply a generous bead of caulk to the window flange. Cut 2 inch by 4 inch by 8 foot boards to fill the space in between the edge of the window and the edge of the window opening. Press these boards into place. Squirt some aerosol urethane foam insulation into any gap left between the newly inserted 2 inch by 4 inch by 8 foot board and the window frame.

6. Install exterior trim around the window opening. Replace the old trim if it is still usable, or use a miter box saw to cut new window trim to size. Apply caulking underneath the window trim and fasten it in place with finish nails. Apply caulking to the trim seams and around the edges of the trim where it rests against the face of the house.

7. Install the interior trim around the window. On the inside of the house, reattach the old window molding, or cut new window molding to fit around the window frame. Attach the window trim with finish nails.

References

• Ron Hazleton: How to Install a Double-Hung Window in a Brick Wall
• This Old House: How to Install Replacement Windows

Resources

• This Old House