" Sometimes, through the years of wear and weather, a window has to be replaced. This casement window called an awning window because it's hinged on top needs to be replaced because of seals on the double pane glass have corroded and failed. Replacements for casement window, which are the kind of window with a crank are determined by the size of the glass inside the window. Carefully measure the height and width of the glass. Some brands of windows have a model number and a year etched into the corner of the glass, which is very helpful in ordering a replacement. After the replacement arrives, it's time to get to work. Using a putty knife and a hammer, start in the corner to pry the molding away. Working slowly across the molding, use a pry bar to separate the molding from the extension jambs. This window is in a bathroom and overlaps the top of a fiberglass tub enclosure so extra care is needed to avoid damaging the enclosure. Work your way around the frame gently prying the molding away. If the molding is in good shape, you can reuse it. Because this window is in a bathroom, we're going to replace the old wood molding with new composite trim boards that are not affected by water or dampness. Next, remove the extension jambs that fill the space between the frame of the window and the molding. The extension jamb is generally held in place by just a few finished nails and should come out easily. Next, we move outside to remove the shingles surrounding the window. To remove the shingles, we'll use the same pry bar we used inside and a special tool called the shingle thief. The shingle thief slides up underneath the shingles to cut the nails used to hold the shingles in place. Starting along the soffit, pry off the last course of shingle first. These are top"

" Combine this with removing the remaining hidden nails with the shingle thief and you'll end up having to replace less shingles when the new window is installed. When the surrounding shingles are removed and the flange for the window is exposed, use a hammer and a cat's paw to pry up the galvanized roofing nail, holding the flange to the framing. Continue around the window flange, removing all of the nails except for the one in the top center of the flange. Leave that nail in for last so that the window doesn't fall out on top of you. Remove the final nail from the flange and the window should come right out. Confirm that the window will fit the rough opening, and then check to see that the opening is square. If not, add wedges as necessary on the sill until the rough opening is exactly level. Next, we'll cut and glue in place a water seal gasket around the edges of the opening. This material is available in rolls. You peel off the backing and stick the gasket material around the sides of the rough opening. The bottom sill gets a layer over the top of the sill as well, which overlaps the gasket along the bottom of the rough opening. Run a length of gasket material along each side as well. This keeps the water and moisture from getting behind the shingle and down between the rough opening and the window. Next, install the new window and check that the new window is both level and centered in the opening. Nail the top of the flange to the house with 1-1/2 inch galvanized roofing nail, putting 1 nail into the center of every other slot. Vinyl replacement windows expand and contract and the holes in the flange are slotted so that the window can move without binding. Before you nail the rest of the flange in place, check to make sure that the window is square by measuring from corner to corner. Some windows may have to be squared by hand as you nail them in place. Having squared the window, continue nailing the flange to the framing. With the window in place, lay a strip of gasket material over the top of the flange. The top gasket goes over flange to keep the water from running under the flange and into the rough opening. To replace the shingle, carry a line to the first course of shingles to go on to the new window. Measure the corner shingle to fit around the bottom edge of the window, and using a utility knife, cut the shingle to fit and nail it into place with 3 penny galvanized nails, 2 nails for each shingle. Line up a set of shingle for the entire course under the window. Each shingle should overlap the joints in the course below by at least 1 inch so that the rainwater cannot get under the shingle. Shingles can be cut to fit on a portable table saw, but work cautiously when handling the shingle. White Cedar shingles can touch each other when nailed up side by side. Red Cedar shingles should have the edge of a nickels distance between the shingles. If the edges of the shingles are not square, use a small hand plane to bring the edges parallel to each other. The better the fit the better the weather seal. Here's a tip. Work towards the center of the course of shingles, and then slide the last shingle under the edge of the abutting shingle, which is temporarily tacked in place with 1 nail. Score the shingle with the utility knife and snap off the excess. Insert the trim shingle and carefully aligning the shingle, nail it into place. It's much easier to fit a shingle in the center of a course than in a corner. You can see that the joints of the new shingles are at least 1 inch away from the joints of the shingles below. The top course of shingles under the window is top nailed with galvanized finished nails, 2 nails to a shingle. Continue to use these techniques to shingle the rest of the area surrounding the window until all of the shingles"

" set back with a 3/16-inch reveal creating the window casing. Here are the details. Start by measuring the height of the distance from the sill to the top of the rough opening and subtract the 1/4-inch for a loose fit. Then, measure the distance between the inside raised edges on the top and the bottom of the window. The finished inside extension jamb will be cut to line up with this raised edge on the window. Finally, measure the highest point on the bathtub enclosure"

" Do this for both inside vertical extension pieces. Now, apply cock to the ends of the top and bottom inside the extension parts and then screw the parts together using rust-resistant screws. Composite trim benefits from the cock bond, which helps create a tighter waterproof joint. Next, apply a bead of cock between the edge of the window casing and the rough opening. This helps to seal out the draft along the edge of the window. Insert the assembled inside"

" Do exactly the same thing on the other side, fastening the vertical sides of the inside extension jamb through the filler wedges and then to the 2 x 4's of the rough opening. Mark a 3/16-inch setback or reveal around the entire perimeter of the inside extension. The molding will align with this mark. Next, measure for the outside extension jamb, which in our case is 1/16 inch deep, to bring it level with the inside extension jamb. The length will be 54 inches long to allow for a 3-1/2 inch molding and a 3/16 of an inch reveal. Cut and install the first outside extension section, carefully aligning it to the marked line and fastening it in place with a finishing nail. This piece is being nailed to a flat-level surface so the installation is straightforward. The lower outside extension is a little trickier. Lay a 1-1/16 inch section over the fluted fiberglass tub enclosure, and using a common compass set to the distance between the wall and the outside of the extension jamb, scribe the pattern onto the outside extension jamb. The pattern is transferred to the extension jamb, which will cut the fit. Using a jig saw, carefully follow the lines scribed into the lower outside extension jamb. You'll notice that the composite trim material is easy to cut and leaves a reasonably clean edge. Along sections where just a shallow adjustment in the line is needed,"

" The lower section sits over the fiberglass tub enclosure and will have to be scribed to fit the contours of the fiberglass. Using a compass with the all-set set to the distance between the wall and the inside extension, scribe the line to the contour on to each of the lower outside extensions. Following the scribed line, trim the lower outside extension and then fasten the lower outside extensions to the fiberglass enclosure, carefully checking your measurements as you go. We're almost done. Now, set up a 45-degree angle to cut mitered corners into the 3-1/2-inch molding. Cut the top and the bottom molding sections first. Align the top molding with the line set to the reveal and fasten the molding in place. Because the bottom molding is in the shower enclosure, apply a bead of cocking to seal the joint and aligning the lower molding to the 3/16 inch reveal, fasten the molding in place. Now, carefully measure the last 2 outside molding sections and cut the sections to fit. Apply a bead of cock to all 4 sides of the molding and press it tightly into place. Do the same with the molding on the other side, first cocking and then fastening the molding in place. With the inside molding firmly nailed in place, the nail holes can be puttied with filler, and the molding could be left as is or sanded, primed, and painted just like wood. The new window unit combined with the new inside casing of plastic composite trim will assure you of years of trouble-free service."