Learning how to install a bow window is a popular quest for do-it-yourselfers, and for good reason. Replacing a standard flat window with a high-quality bow window will make any room seem more spacious and appealing, bringing the enchantment of nature and sunlight indoors. Bow windows can be made out of wood, vinyl or aluminum and come in a few different styles and prices, so doing a little research on these differences should be your first step in choosing the particular kind of bow window you want. It’s easily enough said that bow windows require proper installation to be able to operate correctly and look their best. Despite the fact that it is typically bigger than many standard pane windows, a bow window doesn’t absolutely require a professional team of carpenters for installation, and a skilled do-it-yourselfer can learn by hands-on experience how to install a bow window with the help of a few extra hands when mounting it. Let’s take a look at the basic process of installing a bow window.
Check Your Inventory
After purchasing your window and inspecting its condition, you’ll want to check to ensure it has all the essential hardware components and instruction guides. According to Family Handyman, you’ll also need flashing tape, housewrap, silicone caulking, fiberglass insulation and corbels or wood trimming strips, and there are a few extra materials needed if you’re also creating a roof cap for your bow window, which will be discussed further down.
Take Out the Old Window
After taking out your old window, make sure your new bow window will fit easily within the current window opening. It’s preferable to have at a minimum a quarter-inch of room along the top and each side of the window.
Prep the Opening
Get the opening ready for its new bow window by covering the base sill and each side of the opening with housewrap. As you tuck the wrap into the corners check to ensure that moisture can stream down the wall without going through the protective wrap. Fashion a sill pan for the opening by covering the window sill with a self-adhering flashing tape.
Check the Weatherproofing
Put a little silicone caulking on the wall around the window opening, and ensure that the window nail flange is going to cover the caulking once the window is in place, making a waterproof seal.
Mount the Window
Hoist the bow window into the opening with the help of a few friends or family members (usually three or more are needed). Ensure the window is even both horizontally and vertically when it’s centered, and insert spacers if needed.
Secure the Window
Secure the window into position by nailing or drilling according to the window manufacturer’s directions, and tape over the nail flange with self-adhering flashing tape. Put in any hangers, cords or other installation components per the manufacturer’s instructions.
Add the Roof Cap if Necessary
Since bow windows distend from the house wall, you’ll probably need to create and install a roof cap for the bow window. Insulate the inner surface with fiberglass and make it watertight with drip caps, felt underlayment, asphalt shingles, step flashing and aluminum-faced flashing tape before replacing the house shingles along the upper border.
Finish Sealing
Complete the sealing of the bow window base with insulation and corbels, and apply wood trimming strips to create a shallow rack for stiff foam padding at the base of the bow window. From inside, apply a one-part latex or polyurethane foam to insulate the area around the window once it is properly installed and sealed.
Add Trimming
Replace any interior or exterior trimming, being sure to caulk and fill any nail holes. Frame the window interior with a pre-finished top and bottom board. Apply trimming to the sides and uncovered joints and complete the borders with cosmetic casing. Finish with high-transparency window mesh screens that provide little shade and are almost undetectable.
Whether installed by yourself or a professional company, your new bow window ought to offer better insulation, in addition to blending synergistically with your interior decor and complimenting your other windows as viewed from the outside of the house. Once finished, it should appear as if it were always there and enhance the beauty of your home both inside and out. In order to achieve, it is critical to comply with the installation directions that are included with the specific bow window you buy. Should you not completely grasp all the concepts with respect to how to install a bow window, it’s probably wise to get help from a professional carpenter or window installer.
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