Replacing Windows in EIFS

Installing replacement windows is a great way to improve your home's efficiency and boost curb appeal. You'll want to look for windows that meet or exceed energy star's performance criteria for your climate. Not typically a DIY project. We recommend finding a trusted and experienced window company to replace your windows. Today's project features Anderson 100 series Fibrex windows installed in EIFS Stucco. Let's get started.

To begin, we bring the new window over to the opening. This allows our tech to measure the existing opening, to ensure it matches the window on hand. After we confirm the measurements, we head inside to remove the existing window. Once inside, we start by scoring the caulk around the windows. Removing the frames would take much more force without cutting the caulk, possibly damaging your home's exterior.

On the outside, our techs will remove the glazing bead. The glazing bead is trim, that keeps the glass in place. After it's removed, it's time to remove the glass from each window section. We heat the edge of the glass with a handheld torch while pushing it out. This breaks the adhesive loose that has been in place since the windows were manufactured.

This typically keeps the glass in one piece, so we avoid broken glass on your jobsite. We don't score outside the window until after the glass has been removed, to keep the frame stable while removing the glass. We collapse the window sash frame by removing existing hardware and bending the frame. The sash, the part of the window that moves up and down is more accessible than the surrounding frame because it is not secure to the wall framing. To loosen the frame from the original anchor, our tech will place a piece of wood under a pry bar and break the frame loose.

Once loose, we use a pry bar to lift the window frame out to make room for the new window. Working from the bottom, we'll repeat the process on both sides, and the top as needed. Once the old frame is out, it's now time to prepare for the new one. With a shop vac and a razor blade in hand, Our techs remove mortar or insulation from the old window channel. Trim excess caulk and vacuum the debris. We clean up the opening to ensure our new window can be installed and properly weatherized.

Now it's time for the new window. Setting a window is typically a two-person job with at least one outside and one inside. For this project, we have two techs on the outside and one on the inside. If you recall, our guys have already measured the window, so we know it fits. Why do we install windows from the outside? The interior wall framing has sheetrock all the way around and a window sill. Those added inches mean the outside measurement is slightly larger than the inside.

By installing from the outside, we buttress the frame against the interior trim, which covers up some of the window frame and delivers a tight and efficient window. Now it's time to secure the window to the house framing. To do, that we drill pilot holes along each side of the window. Before driving in the screws, we will have a tech on the outside pressing in, or using a suction cup to draw the window as close to the interior trim as possible. We do this to ensure no gaps between the frame and trim, and to ensure our exterior window frame doesn't extend out from the EIFS bands surrounding the window.

To avoid the chance of incurring water damage, we typically don't drill into the bottom of the window, referred to as the sill. We've removed the old frame and secured the new window. What's left? A little tender loving care. We'll clean the frame and window sill, remove the protective barrier inside and out and lay down color matching caulk. Once the caulk is applied, our techs will clean up their job site and move on to the next set of windows in the house. Thanks for watching. You're now a little window wiser. We'll see you in a future video.