Replacing a window from the inside?

Replacing a window from the inside?

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gmaz

Original Poster:

4,396 posts

210 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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We have a Victorian terraced house with a knackered window on the landing up to the loft rooms. It would be impossible to replace without scaffolding, so would it be possible to replace the window just working from the inside of the house? It's pretty small - about 12" high by 18" wide so a person would not be able to lean out easily.

Panamax

3,991 posts

34 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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Yes, I've done it myself in a situation similar to yours.

It was not an opening window so I simply installed new sill and a wooden frame, then glazed it from the inside.

IJWS15

1,842 posts

85 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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Yes, but make sure you can glaze from the inside if you are fixing through the frame.

J6542

1,600 posts

44 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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It’s easy enough to fit from the inside, but with it being that small then you will need to get to the outside to seal it, since you will never lean out. Either get a big ladder or tower scaffold.

Panamax

3,991 posts

34 months

Friday 24th March 2023
quotequote all
No, no, and no!

Construct the whole frame inside out, apart from the sill. Removes any need for dangling outside or faffing about on ladders. i.e. glaze it from the inside (after painting, of course).

Simpo Two

85,349 posts

265 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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gmaz said:
We have a Victorian terraced house with a knackered window on the landing up to the loft rooms. It would be impossible to replace without scaffolding, so would it be possible to replace the window just working from the inside of the house? It's pretty small - about 12" high by 18" wide so a person would not be able to lean out easily.
I did some of my upstairs windows from the inside - didn't fancy carrying them up a ladder. However as someone said, you'll have to get to the outside to seal the joins. But whilst you may not be able to cart a whole window up a ladder, maybe you can do it with a tube of sealant.

J6542

1,600 posts

44 months

Friday 24th March 2023
quotequote all
Panamax said:
No, no, and no!

Construct the whole frame inside out, apart from the sill. Removes any need for dangling outside or faffing about on ladders. i.e. glaze it from the inside (after painting, of course).
You can’t seal it from the inside, you need to be outside to do that.

Evoluzione

10,345 posts

243 months

Friday 24th March 2023
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J6542 said:
Panamax said:
No, no, and no!

Construct the whole frame inside out, apart from the sill. Removes any need for dangling outside or faffing about on ladders. i.e. glaze it from the inside (after painting, of course).
You can’t seal it from the inside, you need to be outside to do that.
No that's wrong. It's a perfectly normal everyday practice to fit windows from the inside.

J6542

1,600 posts

44 months

Friday 24th March 2023
quotequote all
Evoluzione said:
No that's wrong. It's a perfectly normal everyday practice to fit windows from the inside.

You can fit them from the inside, but you need to be outside to seal it, with a larger window you can lean out, but the op’s window is 300mm x 450mm so he is going to either have to get up a ladder or scaffold to do it.

Evoluzione

10,345 posts

243 months

Friday 24th March 2023
quotequote all
J6542 said:
Evoluzione said:
No that's wrong. It's a perfectly normal everyday practice to fit windows from the inside.

You can fit them from the inside, but you need to be outside to seal it, with a larger window you can lean out, but the op’s window is 300mm x 450mm so he is going to either have to get up a ladder or scaffold to do it.
Are you suggesting the OP has a fat head? biggrin

RC1807

12,523 posts

168 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
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Interested to see how a window is sealed using a head, fat or otherwise.
I’d have thought using hands and arms would be simpler.

tux850

1,733 posts

89 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
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We had all the windows in our Victorian terrace replaced and all the upstairs windows were fitted from the inside. There didn't appear to be any issues or dramas in the process - old windows out, new frames in, made good inside and out before finally putting the glazing in. There was a very small one like the OPs (perhaps a little bigger) and that was done just fine. Don't know if they held the sealant gun outside through the opening or used angled nozzles but I'd just leave it to your fitters - they'll have dealt with all sorts I'm sure.


Edited by tux850 on Saturday 25th March 08:43

anonymous-user

54 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
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RC1807 said:
Interested to see how a window is sealed using a head, fat or otherwise.
I’d have thought using hands and arms would be simpler.
Would expect that it is the need to see the sealant entering the gaps reasonably neatly that needs a head, fat or thin, on the outside of the frame.

Simpo Two

85,349 posts

265 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
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J6542 said:
Panamax said:
No, no, and no!

Construct the whole frame inside out, apart from the sill. Removes any need for dangling outside or faffing about on ladders. i.e. glaze it from the inside (after painting, of course).
You can’t seal it from the inside, you need to be outside to do that.
Glazing and sealing are two different things. Depending on how they made the windows, the four bits of plastic you bash into the grooves to hold the d/g unit in place may be inside or outside. Sealing the frame to the wall happens afterwards smile