Removing metal windows

[RKB]

I'm about to replace a number of 1950's Crittall windows (warped, draughty, rusty, horribly out of place in a cottage) with some new timber frames.
Looking at the metal windows, I can see that they are screwed onto a wooden frame. Getting at the crews is OK where there are opening lights, but where the glas is putties in, the screws are buries underneath the putty. Is it best to smash the glass out, then cut the frames out with a grinder, or is there more scientific way?
Thanks as always.

 

[masona]

Sometime you can get away with it if you use a crowbar, prise the frame away from the wall gently then a hacksaw blade behind it to cut the screws.

 

[RKB]

Thanks for fast reply, Masona.
I'll give this a go. The frames are coming out anyway (rotten), so I'll get my crowbar sharpened for the weekend!!

 

[masona]

You might know this, you can buy a hand grip handle that take hacksaw blade only.

 

[big-all]

can you not seperate the frame into two hales

at say the window opening then you could lever the the cut halves
of the opening towards the centre so then you can work on
two haves which will be easier

big all

 

[murraysnudge]

Just to say be careful if you are disc cutting the frame. I was renovating a house with metal frames which were fixed direct to brick. The first 6 came out ok by cutting through the frame but the last one must have been under tension. It was a window in the stairwell so I was holding the cutter a bit high and as it cut through, the frame sprung together and grabbed the wheel stalling it. The reaction of the tool, a 9" 1800w cutter, was to kick up and hit me in the face. I always wear goggles but hadn't anticipated that one.

 

[oilman]

Hmmm, this all sounds pretty horrific. I took out several of these windows and the glass was still intact when the whole lot was lifted out. All you have to do is take a little time cutting the putty away from around the screws. Then take them out. What's the problem?

 

[Studders]

Hmmm, this all sounds pretty horrific. I took out several of these windows and the glass was still intact when the whole lot was lifted out. All you have to do is take a little time cutting the putty away from around the screws. Then take them out. What's the problem?

The problem is not all types being fixed the same way. One I had to take out to repair had screws so I thought it would be straight forward. That was the second mistake, the first being stupid enough to do the repair.
The screws removed the thing still wouldn't come out even though it was moving about? To cut a very long story short the frame had been set in a channel in the brickwork so the only way to get it out was to remove enough of the brick to enable the frame to twist out.

Never ever ever ever again.

 

[murraysnudge]

It all depends whether the brickwork was done first, perhaps to a profile, and the windows fitted afterwards. They will be screwed in and most likely come out ok, but the ones I removed had been built in with metal clips attached to the frames bedded in the mortar course like you would build in a wooden one with frame ties. There was no way you could see where the ties were, let alone get to them, so the frame had to be cut out.
You pick the easy ones oilman!

 

[oilman]

You pick the easy ones oilman!

Be silly to pick the hard ones.

I don't see the relevance of all these horror stories to this case, as the windows are in a rotting wooden surround, AND it's in a cottage which would indicate age, and consequently was probably built when builders didn't do daft things like bricking the frames in.

 

[Studders]

You pick the easy ones oilman!

Be silly to pick the hard ones.

I don't see the relevance of all these horror stories to this case, as the windows are in a rotting wooden surround.

Ah.. err... yeah..



I knew that, no really I did, I was just generalising.

 

[murraysnudge]

Yeah ok, but just think that next week someone may do a search on removing metal frames and they may have some that are fixed to the brickwork. My comment about the frame jamming the disc cutter may be worth knowing.