# basement replacement window 32"x24" slider



## LMHmedchem (Aug 14, 2010)

I need an ~32"x24" replacement window for my basement. This in not in a window well, but it is a masonry foundation, so I have limited flexibility with the size. I have looked at home depot and lowes and they have nothing in that size they call a basement window. They have hopper windows in that size, but I want a sliding window.

The only thing I could find in that size it this one,
http://www.homedepot.com/Doors-Windows-Windows-Slider-Windows/h_d1/N-5yc1vZar7zZ1z0xvswZ1z0xuugZ1z0xuwjZ1z0xv96Z1z0xv00Z1z0xvmx/R-202207817/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051

but this is not labeled as a "basement window". I have no idea what the difference is and if this will work or not. Can someone please advise if this window will work, and if not, where I might get a proper window.

*LMHmedchem*


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Did you just look on the shelves at the store or did you talk to someone in the windows and door area.
If this is a vinyl window your looking for most now a days are all made to order. Not a big mark up for being special.
I pesonaly would not order the cheap from a box store.
I get all mine from the local siding supply houses. Far less expencive for a better window.


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## LMHmedchem (Aug 14, 2010)

joecaption said:


> Did you just look on the shelves at the store or did you talk to someone in the windows and door area.
> If this is a vinyl window your looking for most now a days are all made to order. Not a big mark up for being special.
> I pesonaly would not order the cheap from a box store.
> I get all mine from the local siding supply houses. Far less expencive for a better window.


I looked around the store and then talked to a sales person at home depot. There was no one to talk to at lowes. The HD guy said it would be a special order for that size and take ~2 weeks. He didn't seem to be that into the whole thing, so I decided to come home and look around on the web some. There are no "basement windows" in that size on either web page, just the one I linked to.

What would you expect to pay for a decent made to order window? Since this is old masonry, I have a bit of flexibility in the size, but I guess if they are making it up, that isn't going to be an issue.

I have attached a picture, which you may recognize from my other thread.

I'm not sure where to get a single window made up locally.

LMHmedchem


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Any ordered window is going to take about two weeks.
I never could find your old that you added pictures to.
You do have a mess on your hands there.
That whole area needs some work before even ordering anything.
I'm no mason so it's hard for me to suggest how to do it exactly, I just know that area needs to be formed out with concrete, a steel or rebar reinforce header installed then frame it in with pressure treated wood so there's a way to nail and seal the window.
You can not just set it in a crumbing stone hole in the wall.
Were not allowed to state pricing on here.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...res&qpvt=stone+wall+window+pictures&FORM=IGRE

This may give you an idea of what it's suppost to look like.


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## LMHmedchem (Aug 14, 2010)

joecaption said:


> Any ordered window is going to take about two weeks.
> I never could find your old that you added pictures to.
> You do have a mess on your hands there.
> That whole area needs some work before even ordering anything.
> ...


My other thread was moved to the Concrete, Stone & Masonry forum. This is the link,
http://www.diychatroom.com/f105/expanding-foam-gaps-masonry-foundation-154016/

The sill ledger is a massive 8x8 beam that is in good shape, so I wouldn't expect to have to add in any steel. The window that is there was just nailed to the sill ledger from underneath, and then granite tailings from the work site were wedged in between the sides of the window frame and the large blocks that more or less make up the opening. You can see some of them on the left of the picture. Those granite shims were just mortared in place. A similar approach was taken on the bottom where rubble from the work site (and I mean anything, brick, random stones, even some wood) was just piled up under the window and covered with mortar. You can see that better in the other thread (first picture). On the outside, they use better looking stones to frame in under the window, so it looks nicely finished on the outside, but these rocks only go part way through the foundation. It was a pretty crude technique, but it's lasted allot longer than some pretty expensive buildings that were built much later, and much "better". From the outside, I don't think you would ever guess it looks like such a mess on the inside.

I was considering just building a frame out of pressure treated, similar to the frame that is in the original window. I would probably go with 2x stock. I would run the 2x stock down into the rubble to the large foundation stones and set them in concrete. The top of the frame would be nailed into the sill ledger. Then I would install the window in the frame like any replacement window. Using that approach, I'm not sure how I would trim/flash the exterior, other than possibly wrapping the pressure treated with aluminum and then running mortar up to the aluminum. I could also not set the window all the way into the frame and run mortar over the pressure treated and right up to the flange. I could also trim with azak and run the mortar under that, which probably makes the most sense.

I will post some pictures of the outside of the current window tomorrow if that would help.

I guess I could form up the area and get a concrete frame in place, but that would be a real SOB if I got it wrong. You can "fix" almost anything with a sawzall, but reinforced concrete is another matter.

*LMHmedchem*


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## LMHmedchem (Aug 14, 2010)

Here are pictures of the outside of the window.

With the old window that is in there, they just ran the mortar right up to the wood on the frame. There is no trim, or flashing, or anything like that.

My current plan is to remove the old frame, build a new frame with pressure treated, install it in a similar manner to the original one, and trim out the front with azak. If I seal off around the pressure treated with mortar, and then put azak over to of that, it seems like it would make a reasonable seal. I would fill the gap behind the mortar with window and door expanding foam, or I could just run mortar all the way through.

Does this seem reasonable, or am I barking up the wrong tree?

The only suggestion I have got for the rest of the foundation is to fill all the gaps with type A mortar.

*LMHmedchem*


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Sounds pretty well thought out.

Make sure you have a continuous drip cap at the head of the window/trim.


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## LMHmedchem (Aug 14, 2010)

Windows on Wash said:


> Sounds pretty well thought out.
> 
> Make sure you have a continuous drip cap at the head of the window/trim.


I'm not sure what that would look like in this case. Doesn't that usually go on top of the top trim piece and under the siding? Do you have a picture?

Do you mean this stuff,
http://www.homedepot.com/buy/buildi...t-brown-aluminum-f5s-drip-edge-022-60746.html

over top of the top piece of azak with mortar on top?

*LMHmedchem*


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## notmrjohn (Aug 20, 2012)

LMH, your link is drip edging it goes on the roof edge, pretty far from the basement. I think windows meant something like this
http://www.ronshomeandhardware.com/283016986-11-16x1-1-8-White-Drip-Cap-p/513392.htm
http://inspiredremodeling.com/2009/07/17/beadboard-porch-ceiling-and-drip-cap/
It goes over the and against and projects a bit out from the top trim, extending a little past side trim . It keeps water from running down wall and going behind the top trim. The top of it does go behind siding, if its wide enuff you could embed in mortar. Mebbee some specifically for stone and mortar work.There are pvc ones of same shape. Various metal flashings that do the job with siding and brick but may not work so easily in your case. But is that an overhang extendinding way out over the window? If so, I don't think you need drip cap.
We don't have basements here so, like you I wondered what made a window a basement window. All I could find out was a basement window has to allow emergency exit directly from the basement without having to go upstairs. It can't open inwards, has to open out or slide with an opening at least 20" wide by 24 tall, an opening at least 5.7 sq ft, with the sill no more than 44" from floor. I reckon any window that meets those requirements is a basement window. I dunno, mebbee sumbudy from basement land knows for sure?
If I read you right, you are going to reframe the opening , I don't know if you said you are going to reframe to fit the closest sized readablly avaiable window, but if it meets the specs, it sounds like a plan to me. Looks like you have a job of work set out for you. I don't envy you at all.


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## LMHmedchem (Aug 14, 2010)

notmrjohn said:


> LMH, your link is drip edging it goes on the roof edge, pretty far from the basement. I think windows meant something like this
> http://www.ronshomeandhardware.com/283016986-11-16x1-1-8-White-Drip-Cap-p/513392.htm
> http://inspiredremodeling.com/2009/07/17/beadboard-porch-ceiling-and-drip-cap/
> It goes over the and against and projects a bit out from the top trim, extending a little past side trim . It keeps water from running down wall and going behind the top trim. The top of it does go behind siding, if its wide enuff you could embed in mortar. Mebbee some specifically for stone and mortar work.There are pvc ones of same shape. Various metal flashings that do the job with siding and brick but may not work so easily in your case. But is that an overhang extendinding way out over the window? If so, I don't think you need drip cap.
> ...


Thanks for the links. There is a window seat the cantilevers out over this window, so I think you are correct in this not needing a drip cap. The siding for the house stick out quite a bit past the foundation, so most of the windows have something like a 3" overhang.

I am probably not going to be able to frame to a standard size. I will get the window from pella and their standards are two narrow or two wide. A custom window runs from $135-$235, which is not bad. I will just frame in the way it makes the most sense and then measure.

I think that, around here, the code requirements you are reference only apply to basement apartments. The basement already has two exits, and 44" of the ground would be several feet below grade. I have never seen a window around here that was that close to the ground. The window I will get will meet all the other requirements for an exit.

This is definitely a significant quantity of work, but most of it is pretty straight forward. I have finished tuck pointing and back filling the bottom row of blocks and am moving up to the next. The process is slow, but I know what to do and just have to keep at it. Hefting all the 80lb bags of mortar mix and doing all the mixing is the hard part. I guess you need to be in pretty good shape to be a mason, or at least have a tender who is in good shape. I will probably get up to framing the window next week, depending on how the rest goes. It's not a bad DIY project because it's fine to do a few hours at a time. I'm sure this would cost quite a bit to have someone else do, which it also an important thing to consider.

*LMHmedchem*


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

I was actually thinking of just a kirf cut in the masonry to tuck a piece of coil stock into to get the water that is flowing down the front face of the stone wall away from the window and prevent the reverse curl.


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## notmrjohn (Aug 20, 2012)

Ah, coil stock .... hmmm Oh a roll of flashing, Yeah, that'd work. Speakin of kerfs, one cut along the bottom side of wooden cap just in from outer edge breaks surface tension stopping water from seeping under cap, or on underside of any projection. Lintils headers coil stock flashing,its a wonder the trades can communicate with each other.
LMH,' Hefting all the 80lb bags' that's why they invented teen aged sons. I was thinkin that the only thing that made a window a official "Basement" window was that it met those requirements. I dunno, and I dunno about apartments down there or not. I know as much about basements as I know about computers. I, been in only one residential basement my whole life, and that was years ago on a trip way up to Nebraska where Yankees lived.


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