How to dismantle the old glazing of the balcony and loggia?

Old damaged windows need to be replaced from time to time. This procedure is especially relevant during the repair or glazing of balconies. Windows can deform due to weather or during operation. Removing old windows is not as difficult as it might seem. Even people who do not have special skills and experience can cope with this. In order for the dismantling to proceed quickly and everything worked out the first time, several important nuances must be taken into account.

If the destruction of the balcony structure has reached an emergency state, then you should not delay the repair. Dismantling is sometimes necessary. If you do not worry about the state of the base in time, then the structure may simply collapse.

Dismantling the old glazing is quite simple, and even a beginner can cope with all the stages of work. You just need to adhere to a few tips when performing this procedure. Before performing work, you should prepare a balcony or loggia.

1. It is necessary to free up space by clearing it of furniture and things that are usually stored on the balcony. Otherwise, the furniture will get in the way and may even be damaged. Work should not be hindered by anything.
2. When removing old glazing, there will be a lot of dust and dirt that can enter the room. It is better to free the room from things, which is adjacent to the balcony space. If we are talking about heavy furniture that is difficult to move or there is simply nowhere to move it, you can cover things with polyethylene.
3. If the floor is covered with expensive parquet board or high quality laminate, then they also need to be protected from dirt and possible damage. To do this, you can use cardboard or plywood sheets, which are stacked on the floor from above.

When the preparation is complete and everything is ready, you can start dismantling. First, the frame is disassembled, but there are certain nuances here. These details depend on the material from which the window is made.

If an old wooden frame is dismantled, then you need to start from the windowsill. Sills are usually made of sturdy wide planks. Therefore, first the fasteners are disassembled, after which it will be possible to safely pull out the base of the window sill slab. To do this, use a nail puller or a pry bar - with the tool, you first need to pry the window sill, and then remove it from the window niche.

When the sill is removed, the frame is dismantled. The flaps need to be opened, the awnings raised and removed. If the sash mounts are covered with overlays, they are first removed. If the frame is stuck in the opening, then you need to saw off its lower part.

First, we remove the inner part of the window, on which the sashes are located. Then the inner part is removed, inserted into the opening. Window structures are often attached to the balcony base with dowels and bolts. If it is impossible to unscrew such fasteners, you will have to cut them off with a grinder. You can also try to break them with a crowbar if the grinder is not at hand.

When using force to remove the old glass unit, it is important not to deform the metal elements of the balcony structure. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that nothing falls out of the window.

It is best to enlist the help of another person to remove the plastic frames. These frames are very heavy, and it is especially difficult to work with double systems. One person may not be able to handle holding the frame. In addition, if you remove the frame carefully, it can be installed on another window.

Plastic windows are considered the most popular model; they are installed in almost every apartment. Plastic windows are durable, but even they can deform slightly and need timely repair.

Replacing old windows starts with lifting the shutters. Then the pins are removed and the wings are pulled out. It is necessary to remove the window carefully, because after removing the retaining elements, individual parts of the frame may simply fall off. The assistant must secure and hold the removable parts at all times.

When self-dismantling the frame, the following sequence of actions must be observed.

1. First you need to remove the retaining pins. If they are held tight, you can knock on them with a hammer. But it is better not to perform this procedure alone, someone has to hold the wing while the second person removes the handle.
2. The wing is released from the brackets.
3. You need to carefully disassemble the frame into parts. It is better to use a pry bar or crowbar for this. It is quite easy to break the plastic, so you should be very careful when lifting the window. Sometimes the windows are anchored, and this is a very special situation. In this case, you will have to cut the fasteners, then the frame is removed.

If the window is above the third floor, then any work on the balcony can be considered dangerous. However, the danger is not so much in the height as in the severity of the window. A window frame, especially if it is old and not securely fastened, can fall out and fall on a person. In addition, the frame can hook a person, and because of this, he will fall down. Safety measures are of particular importance during dismantling. You can use safety lines and also ask someone for help.

Aluminum frames are quite lightweight, but even dismantling them has its own nuances. The fasteners on these windows are very special. Metal structures are difficult to remove from the mount, so most often aluminum windows are sawn piece by piece.

First, you need to remove the glass from the windows and cut the aluminum openings with a grinder. The frame is cut into small pieces.

Sliding structures can be removed only if all doors and sashes have been previously removed from them. It is very simple to do this alone: ​​you just need to raise the wings and remove the flaps.

The work should take place according to the following rules.

1. At the very beginning, you need to pull out the glass. If the glass cannot be removed without damaging the frame, then it is easier to immediately start disassembling it. To do this, you can use a hacksaw. But it is very important to be careful not to accidentally injure your hand.
2. After dismantling, the windows should be removed from the balcony space. If the frames will be installed in a different room, then you can store them in the garage. If the window frames are not going to be used, it is easier to throw them away.
3. If the frame is to be reinstalled, carefully cut the fasteners. A grinder is well suited for this, which needs to be walked over the entire frame.

Dismantling sliding windows is practically the same as the method described above. However, this procedure has its own nuances.

The entire window must be glued with film or tape, so that the structure will not collapse during dismantling. Windows must not break when removing the frame. It is also important to know that PVC frames are much more difficult to disassemble than wooden ones. This is due to the high weight of PVC window structures.The heaviest are windows with double packets.

Then you need to take care of removing the fasteners. The slats are removed from the inside of the entire frame. When the slats are removed, the window can be carefully lifted out of the frame. You will have to remove all the glasses that are located in the frame.

Special precautions must be taken when dismantling iron windows. Such windows are very heavy, and if they accidentally fall inside, they may well be knocked off the feet of the master.

When all the old frames have been removed, the old sealant must be removed. To do this, you can use a regular spatula or walk over the surfaces with a puncher. The window opening should be cleaned, all sagging and irregularities should be removed.

Since PVC frames are fastened with slopes, anchors or special plates, it is impossible to say in advance where the future fastening will be. That is why the slopes are eliminated first, and only then you can pull out the frame.

For more details on how to dismantle the old balcony frame, see the video below.