How to Take a Window Out? (Step-By-Step Tutorial)

How to take a window out? This question typically comes from homeowners who are facing one of two unfortunate scenarios. Either their existing window has succumbed to years of wear and tear – and is therefore unable to stop draughts from coming inside the room, or something has crashed the window’s pane to such an extent that it can’t be repaired inside the frame.

Depending on the type of window you may want to take out – metal or wooden – the removal process is going to be different. Here’s how:

How to Take a Window out of a Wooden Frame

Follow these steps to remove your window out of a wooden frame:

Step 1: Gather the supplies

You’re going to need the following items to quickly and efficiently remove the window:

• Plastic sheeting
• Safety gloves and glasses
• Wood chisel or thin pry bar
• Hammer

Step 2: Make the necessary preparations

Spread the plastic sheeting underneath the window to capture any broken panes of glass. Cover your eyes with safety goggles and wear work gloves. Wear a full-sleeve dress to prevent any dropping glass from accidentally coming into contact with bare skin.

Step 3: Remove the putty

Use wood chisel/pry bar and hammer in tandem to remove the putty. It might have grown hard over the years so don’t hesitate in applying extra force. Concentrate on removing small pieces at a time and be careful lest you end up breaking the pieces of the wooden frame.

Step 4: Remove the inside vertical strips

Also known as ‘stoppers’ or ‘stops’ in common parlance, the vertical strips are located on either side of the window frame. You’ll have to pull them off the frame using a pry bar. If caked paint is coming in the way, use the wood chisel to clear it.

Be extra careful while removing the strips because you’re going to need them when installing the new/replacement window.

Step 5: Take out the sash

In most cases, a thin wood strip sits against the upper sash to prevent it from falling inside. Remove it and take out the upper sash. Conversely, if you are dealing with a double-hung window, you might have to cut the cords that attach it to the weight to take out both the upper and lower sashes.

Step 6: Take out the window

Once the putty is off and you have the sash in your hand, the only thing that will be holding the window together will be glazier points. Remove these small metal triangles with the help of pliers.

Step 7: Prepare the frame for the next window (optional)

If you want to prepare the frame for the window that you’re going to install next, give it a thorough coat of linseed oil. This will smoothen its surface.

How to Take a Window out of a Metal Frame

Follow this step-by-step approach:

Step 1: Gather the supplies and take safety precautions

Simply pick up all the tools whose list we have given above. Then take the necessary precautions which we have recommended in step 2. Finally, spread the plastic sheeting under the window.

Step 2: Take out the frame from the track

Metal frames are a cinch to remove from their openings. Simply lift the frame and slide its bottom out of the track. Place the window on a nearby table which should be big enough to house the entire window with room to spare.

Provided you don’t have such a table, place the frame on the ground. Be careful or else you might end up leaving scratches on the frame.

Step 3: Unscrew the window from the frame

Metal frames have screws on all four corners to secure the window in place. Remove the screws one by one and pull the window out of the frame. If you feel that the window is stuck in the frame, use the screwdriver to pry the frame apart. You can now remove stray glass pieces before discarding them.

FAQs

Q: How to prepare for window replacement/removal?

A: Window removal and replacement is a messy job. Follow these tips to make it a little less messy:

• Remove any window treatments like blinds, shades, sheers and curtains.
• Set aside enough time so that you can perform the entire job at once.
• Remove any obstructions, i.e. carpets, rugs, furniture that might be impeding access to the window

Q: How much time it would take to remove the window?

A: If you’re going to follow the abovementioned steps, you’d be able to take out a small-to-medium-sized window in less than 2 hours. Large windows, however, may take twice as much time.

Q: What should I do if I accidentally end up cracking the stops?

A: As stated earlier, stops are vertical strips on both sides of the window frame. You should do your best to avoid damaging them because you’re going to reattach them to the new window.

However, if you happen to damage them, get a wood filler from your local hardware store and mold it inside the damaged part. Given the filler at least 15 minutes to dry. Then sand down the excess as well as the wood that may surround it.

Q: What is the difference between single hung and double-hung windows?

A: Single-hung windows have their top sash fixed in place and the bottom free to move. Double-hung windows, on the contrary, have both their sashes free to move. Hence the reason why it is relatively difficult to take out single hash windows.

Conclusion

As long as your windows aren’t in a hard-to-reach area – in which case you might want to hire a professional, you should be able to remove them on your own. All you have to do is to follow the instructions given above, and there’s no reason why the entire job won’t be over in a matter of hours.

If you have any questions about the process, please let us know.