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Aluminum Replacement Window Installation

Bob Vila visits a loft conversion in downtown Boston. He meets with Ryley and Bob George from New England Window, and helps install a bronze aluminum replacement window in an arched-top masonry wall.

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Tour of the Big Dig in Boston

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Aluminum Replacement Window Installation

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Aluminum Replacement Window Installation

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Now this is. -- real different breed from the usual. Residential window what is it that makes this a different type of windows. Bob windows are rated ask her -- story buildings they are so as the -- systems. Cardenas of the window this strengthen the aluminum extra rouge and the thickness of velocity. The thickness of the glass normal pain some of the and others now. Aluminum windows I was worried about the cold infiltrating. How do you deal that you will what they have here is say yeah thermal break. In the frame itself it's gonna prevent any condensation from coming back into the unit so there's an actual. Vinyl separation between the outside aluminum in the inside part of the -- exactly and you don't get conductivity. It's a heavy windows and an expensive item approximately 400 dollars and one noticeable. And that of course is specific price through these openings correct a big is it correct that's about 49 and -- great OK. Now installing it is not an easy job especially up here on the sixth floor I don't about it."

" Well the way to the window gets a little heavy at this -- so what we are usually do with room this ashes before we install -- also the sash come out. Correct does that also mean that when it's installed and people living here you can tilted in to clean it that's correct Bob -- Oddity comes just. -- to our current violence comes out okay. -- the way OK so each one of the openings in this old building is actually. Arched at the top right -- they get into a little bit of customizing now what we have to do is we have to get a template here which is pre made that we don't. Early this morning and we do -- we Trace the top of the window. To conform to the -- on the outside and then you've got -- that -- the crowd goes really quick can we use these power shears to cut -- flush. Save a lot of time a lot of aggravation. So now we take -- plywood out right yes. And what -- who's got -- plywood. "

" I got it. The windowsill is granite and we're actually gonna use a strip of bituthane this product it's also used. As moisture barrier and roofing and once you put it down there. And we're gonna put that right on top of the granite so that when the aluminum. Base of the window arrests on it you won't have any cold coming through from the granite. Through the aluminum. And now we'll put in the frame he got it up. Got to get up a lot of and it's gotta go out sideways. And then back again. And."

" Look around what's -- Number."

" Don't like every window installation you still relying. Shim shingles. To get things tighten before you drive the screws into the sides. Now what kind of fasteners are we using these are masonry -- threats directly into the more exactly there have been tempered steel. Masonry. Now we have to put a lot of caulking and but this is actually a polyurethane polymer that you load into this thing it's like a sausage -- here. Yes that is and then you cut the tip off and this that the tip off of that and we screw worm. The cold that we have cut through that besides the corporate right so that that's the key element is the the the space between the aluminum in the masonry is about creativity inch that you want this nice fat bead. There is going to keep the elements out. All right then. A little contortions. At the bottom sash and it's tracks. -- vehicles that. Live it up and down and we've done -- thank you fellas. Feeling warmer here already."

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