London Home Security Systems

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Expert Techniques for Reglazing a Window
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Crack! An errant baseball, a hurled stone, or a
falling branch is all it takes to end the life of
a windowpane. And for most modern, double-glazed
windows, that means a trip to the local glass
shop for repairs. But for old-fashioned,
single-glazed wood sash, you can easily replace
the pane yourself. It's one of the rare homeowner
projects that doesn't require some practice to
tool the putty," says Tom Silva, This Old House
general contractor. "You want to end up with
neat, crisp creases in the corners and straight
runs in between. Whatever the glazing project,
he recommends taking out the window sash and
laying it flat on a workbench, if possible.
"Trying to reglaze a sash that's still in it's
opening takes longer, and it's far more difficult
to do a good job."
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Getting Started Tools1 ½-inch putty knife For
tooling putty should be flexible and
clean.5-in-1 painter's tool For scraping out
old putty.Heat gun For softening old
putty.1-inch paintbrush For priming sash.
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MaterialsGlass For pane dimensions, measure the
opening from top to bottom and side to side, then
subtract 1/8 inch from each measurement.Aluminum
foil Protects undamaged glass from
heat.Glazier's points Hold glass against sash.
Tom uses push-type points with shoulders.Glazing
putty Seals the edge of the glass against the
weather. Tom uses an oil-based product in a
can.Exterior primer Seals wood against
moisture extends putty life.
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Don gloves and safety glasses and cover the
broken pane with a rag. Tap the center of the
rag-covered pane with a hammer to loosen the
shards. With gloved hands, wiggle free any pieces
that remain embedded in the putty. If the sash is
still in the window opening, or the pane has a
crack or two but is otherwise intact, it's best
to remove the putty first, then the glass.
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Apex Security Engineering Ltd Flint Road,
Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6
1HJ 01462 673 431 www.apexengineeringgroup.com