Title:Home Clean-up and Renovation:  Siding, Doors and Windows
Author:Virginia Peart
Date: 1992


Home Clean-up and Renovation:  Siding, Doors and Windows
Virginia Peart

                    REPAIRING EXTERIOR SIDING

 1.  Strip drywall and insulation from inside wall.  Allow studs
     to dry thoroughly before proceeding.  (Insulation can cause
     skin irritation.  Wear protective skin covering when working
     with it.)  Clean electrical outlets and check wiring.

 2.  Check for silt deposits in crevasses behind siding.  If
     crevasses are filled with silt, remove siding and clean out
     all silt.  Silt left in crevasses will trap moisture,
     causing mold and peeling paint.

 3.  Check for cracked or warped siding.  If only a few boards
     are warped or cracked, replace them individually.  If all
     siding is warped, cover entire wall with new material.  You
     can install new siding over old, if there are no silt
     deposits behind old siding.  This will also help improve
     insulation.

 4.  Cover or replace warped siding.  It is easiest to cover
     warped horizontal beveled siding with new vertical siding,
     and to cover warped vertical siding with horizontal siding.
     Installing new siding over old will require trim work around
     doors and windows.  Consult a carpenter for installation
     details.  Siding is available in vinyl, aluminum and wood.
     Wood siding may be either natural or pre-finished.  Vinyl
     and aluminum siding are permanently colored.


                          CARE OF DOORS

     Take the knobs from the doors and lay the doors on a level
surface with wooden strips separating them to facilitate drying
and to prevent warping and twisting out of shape.  Veneered doors
are very likely to be ruined by submersion, but some of them may
be usable if they are piled properly and dried carefully to
prevent separation.


                             WINDOWS


                      Open Flooded Windows

     Get windows open as soon as possible to speed up drying of
floor and walls.

     Raising wooden windows in a building that has been flooded
may be difficult, since window frames and sashes will probably be
water-soaked and swollen.  Don't try to pry windows open.  Panes
or sashes will probably break if you try to force them.  Windows
with metal frames should be opened.  Adding wax to the tracks
along which the windows move will protect them against corrosion.
To open windows:

 1.  Remove side molding strips in front of inside sash.  Molding
     strips or stops are usually nailed or screwed on, and can be
     easily removed.

 2.  Go outside the building and remove the sash by pushing one
     side gently toward the inside.  Lift the sash inside.

 3.  Allow the sash to dry thoroughly before trying to fit it
     back into the window frame.


                  REPLACING BROKEN WINDOW PANES


                          Prepare Sash

 1.  If you need to remove the sash from the frame to make
     repairs, use a broad chisel or other prying tool to remove
     vertical strips holding sash in frame.  Remove sash and
     place on a horizontal work surface.

 2.  If you plan to leave sash in place during repairs, chisel
     out old putty to free loose or broken panes.  Wear gloves,
     and be careful to avoid being cut.

 3.  With a pair of needle-nose pliers or a screwdriver, remove
     glazier's points (used in wooden sashes) or metal clips
     (used in metal sashes).

 4.  Scrape away putty sealing glass to groove on outside of
     pane.


                            Cut Glass

     You can buy glass to fit, or cut your own from larger pieces
you have available.  Wear gloves and work on a solid surface
covered with newspapers.

 1.  Measure glass, using a ruler or straight edge.  Allow 1/16
     inch space on each side.

 2.  Holding glass cutter between your first and second fingers
     with your thumb under the handle, make a smooth continuous
     stroke along the straight edge toward yourself.

 3.  To complete the break, hold small pieces firmly and bend
     quickly away from the cut.  Tap larger pieces with cutter
     handle on opposite side over the scored line.  For safety,
     wear gloves during this step.


                          Install Glass

 1.  Check pane size again.  Make sure there is at least 1/16
     inch clearance on all sides to assure a tight putty joint.

 2.  Remove panel.  Apply glazing compound or putty along the
     groove holding the pane.  (Use the kind of glazing compound
     recommended for your type of frame material.)  Roll compound
     into 1/4 inch rope-like lengths.  Place it in position.

 3.  Set pane in place.  Press down gently on all sides of the
     pane to depress glazing compound into a flat film and to
     seal the exterior joint.

 4.  Insert glazier's points (one centered on each end and two
     along each side in a wooden frame) or metal clips (in a
     metal frame) to secure the pane.

 5.  Apply glazing compound on interior side.  First apply a
     generous amount of compound by drawing a loaded putty knife
     across the mullions (pane separators) on edges of sash at a
     right angle.  Then draw the knife parallel to the frame to
     smooth the compound into a triangular bead.  Size the bead
     so that glazing compound is not visible from the other side
     of the frame.

 6.  With the putty knife remove excess putty from the outside of
     the frame.  Smooth remaining putty edge.


                           Clean Pane

 1.  Remove specks of glazing compound with turpentine or
     benzene.

 2.  Paint wooden trim when compound is dry.