Replacing a broken window in a vintage aluminum window frame. 

Thanks for the kind words. It really isn't a hard job if you take your time, have the right tools and the correct butyl tape.

Almost showing what not to do, should've broke another window for replacement.

I only figured on freezing it as it was so hot that day but thanks for the tip! I'll try that next time I work with this stuff.

Hey I hope it helps out. Seriously I too was a bit intimated by replacing the glass in mine but I just took the job slow and easy, taking care to not mangle the alum trim pieces and it went really smooth...well other than fouling up the butyl tape the 1st time. ;-)

Stupid realtor. Repair the windows and sell the stinking house. @@Theoriginalmalcontentcorner

I know by now this house has been long sold. I just want to send a message ... realtors are for the paperwork. Most have never built a single house, driven a nail or cut any lumber. People place too much stock in what they try to recommend. They like to make the sell easier for them by spending your money. If you have one that does this just stand your ground and fire them.

Sorry, Mojo, there just wasn't enough room to show the process in fine detail. It isn't hard though. Just use a putty knife and work it upon the leading edge of the trim. In my case the trim is held in by tension at the back of the trim which pushes against the glass and pushes the leading edge into the frame. You can just work it out by pushing in and prying up..SLIGHTLY..in both cases a little bit at a time.

@@Theoriginalmalcontentcorner Thank you for your response.

​@@mojopare8954. Go to the 2:10 mark and you can see the trim from a side view. The back is concaved and the front has a lip on it. You just need to push it back (slightly...no ham fisting it) and pry upwards...from the front...a little bit at a time to work it out. Hope that helps.

Exactly

You are welcome! Glad it helped out.

Hi Bryan, thanks for your comments. I do live in a more temperate area and the area that the window is in isn't heated anyway. I did look at replacing it a year or so before I made the video but it is an odd sized window opening (47" by 47") and while replacing it would make sense in a general view, it would have taken more in time and labor than it would have been worth, imo.

You should be able to get it from your local hardware store (Ace, True value, etc) as it is typically just a single sheet glass which they can cut to size.

@@Theoriginalmalcontentcorner Thank You so much :)

Nothing like a cliff hanger, eh? ;-) Seriously it's not hard to put back in. Just put some light pressure on it towards the back until it clears the front lip and then drop it in a little section at a time.

But don't get it stuck in the tape , yes that tape.

I did it. I don't hire subs and if I did, then I wouldn't make a video of it.

What was the part you needed? And I do have a tripod but it would be hard for you to see anything as all you'd see would be my back due to lack of space betwix the window and the rose bush. ;-)

@@Theoriginalmalcontentcorner I agreed to help a neighbor and don't want to screw up. I wish I knew the stuff that happened behind the scenes from 4:56 to 6:34 - prying out the old glass - cleaning the edge properly - taping the glass and the installation

@@bigsmiler5101 : Eh, that the easy stuff. If held in with the butyl tape you can push the window out (carefully and while wearing gloves and eye protection) with your hand once you have the trim items that hold the window in place removed. If not, just take your putty knife and carefully work the tape between the frame and the glass. In my situation, I could just pull the glass away from the frame once I had the those slanted metal trim pieces out of the way. That the nice thing about butyl tape- it doesn't setup like glaze and it remains pliable so the glass came out with little effort. As for cleaning the edge: I tried everything - alcohol, acetone, lighter fluid with little success. I found that I had best success with the putty knife to remove high spots of some old tape from the frame. Mind you you will not get it spotless!! Odds are there will still be a sticky residue on the frame but nothing that would prevent the glass from laying flush. Lastly, taping the glass: My only 'warning' would be is to lay the edge of the butyl tape flush with the edge of the glass. My 1st round I used the tape backer (the paper part that pulls away) as the guide w/o thinking it through and realizing there was about a 1/8th of an inch between the edge of the backer and the edge of the tape. 2nd time around I got it right. To cut I used some scissors. You may find that sometimes the paper sticks and pulls the tape a bit making it a little 'thinner' (think like an hour glass shape but not so drastic) than other sections. That's okay. Unless you pull it to where the tape paper thin the tape will be fine. You really can't screw it up with the removal of the glass or the installation and the tape is forgiving. Viewer Arslp offered this: "I read an article that said to refrigerate - not freeze - the butyl tape for 2 hours prior to using it b/it is so sticky. There was also a recommendation to use "wet" hands, but only "wet" them with water." I did neither and worked with dry hands on a hot day in the sun and mine turned out fine. 2 years in and no leaks. Installation was easy: I just used my putty knives to get somewhat equal glass to frame coverage top to bottom, left to right. Once where I wanted it, as I said in the video, I just pressed around the edges of the glass to push the glass/tape/frame together. From there the tape held everything until I could get the trim pieces back in. Main thing is that if the window you work on has the metal trim pieces like mine- be careful removing them! They are unobtainium and if you mess those up, well now you have some headaches. You can probably mangle one and still be okay in holding the window in but obviously it won't look quite right. Hope that helps and I suspect you'll do just fine.

Make a video on removing a rose bush.

@@Theoriginalmalcontentcorner what? I need a video.

Sure thing. It is spelled- Butyl