How to Install a Jeld-Wen Box Frame Type Window

Remove Old Window

• 1

  Score the paint or varnish with a utility knife along the interior window sash stops on the left and right side and the top of the window frame. The stops are the long, narrow strips of wood that hold the window sashes in the window frame and prevent the sashes from falling into the room. Remove the stops using a putty knife and prybar.

• 2

  Remove the bottom window sash from the frame. If the window has a weights and pulley system, clip the ropes on each side of the sash with cable cutter. Allow the weights inside the window frame to drop to the bottom. For most window types, these weights will remain unseen inside the frame cavity and will not affect the new window installation.

• 3

  Remove the parting stops on the left and right side of the window frame. The parting stops, like the sash stops, are narrow strips of wood that hold the window sashes in place. The parting stops are usually slightly embedded in the window frames, so you may need a pair of vise grips or wide-lipped clamps to extract the parting stops from their notches in the frame.

• 4

  Lower the top window sash and remove it from the frame. You may need to clip more pulley ropes and allow weights to drop. As you remove the sash from the frame, be careful not to gouge or break the exterior sash stops, also called blind stops, in the window frame. Similar to the interior sash stop that you removed earlier, the exterior sash stops are long, narrow pieces of wood that hold the window sashes in the frame. Your new replacement window will rest against these exterior sash stops, so ensure that they are not damaged as you remove the window.

• 5

  Tap the pulleys on the left and right side of the window frame with a hammer, to press them back into the frame cavity. If they will not budge, use a screwdriver and remove them from the frame. The pulleys must not protrude past the window frame, or they will interfere with the new replacement window installation.

• 6

  Remove the vinyl or aluminum jamb liners if your window has them. Jamb liners are common for windows in newer homes. Use a screwdriver to unscrew any screws holding the jamb liners to the window frame. Use a prybar to carefully pry the jamb liners from the frame.

Install New Window

• 7

  Scrape loose paint or caulk from the window frame. Fill any cracked wood or large gaps with wood putty or caulk. Paint the surfaces and allow to dry. If you can access your window weights, remove the weights and fill the cavity with loose fiberglass fill.

• 8

  Attach the sill adapter to the exterior bottom of the new window frame, if not already attached. Jeld-Wen includes the sill adapter component in the package with the replacement window. The adapter snaps into place; install it according to the instructions that come with the new window installation kit. For some models, the adapter is pre-installed at the factory.

• 9

  Apply a thick bead of waterproof, elastomeric caulk to the exterior sash stops facing the interior of the window, all around the window frame.

• 10

  Set the new Jeld-Wen replacement window into the window frame cavity, placing the bottom of the window into the frame first. Push the top of the new window into the frame cavity and press the entire window firmly against the caulked surface of the exterior sash stops.

• 11

  Insert a wooden shim at the top right side of the window in the area between the new window and the window frame. Adjust the shim so that the shim is lined up with the predrilled screw hole at the top right side of the new window jamb. Drill a pilot hole through the wood and screw a wood screw half the length of the screw. Repeat this procedure on the other side of the window.

• 12

  Check that the new window is square by measuring diagonally across both sides of the window. Both measurements should be the same. If the measurements differ, add shims to the right or left side of the jambs as you did earlier. Adjust the square of the window with the shims and screw them in to keep them secure. Open and close the window sashes to ensure smooth operation. If the sashes stick, readjust the position and thickness of the shims until the new window is square and opens smoothly.

• 13

  Trim off any extra shim material that protrudes from the jams. Score the shim with a utility knife and snap off the extra wood by bending the shim with your hand. Drive in the remaining portions of the screws that you had driven in only halfway.

• 14

  Tuck loose fiberglass fill or low-expanding insulating foam spray into the gaps between the new window and the window frame. Do not over fill the cavities, as this will cause the new window jambs to bulge and will interfere with smooth window operation. Tuck the backer rod material that is included with the Jeld-Wen installation package, if applicable.

• 15

  Replace the old interior sash stops or install new ones, according to your preference.

• 16

  Apply waterproof sealant caulk around the exterior seams of the new window where it meets the window frame.