Installing doors - part II

As a continuation to diary entry no 86, here comes the rest of the door installation job, i.e. putting in the double glazed window units.

First of all, a bit about the window panes. As the timber used for the doors is 35mm wide, the window panes could not be the widest available. We did want to have double glazed units with argon gas and the minimum spacing possible from our local manufacturer was then 8mm. The two units of glass are both 4mm wide and is toughened safety glass. This is required when using glass in doors. As such, the thickness of the glazed units ended up being 16mm, giving us about 19mm for the two strips of wood to hold the window in place.

The first job after finishing the doors and installing them was to make the wood to hold the window panes in place. In order to save money we have basically used off cuts from other jobs and with a table saw cut these to more or less the same thickness. Buying these strips of wood would probably have been easier as they would then all have been of the same size and already sanded, but since we had quite a lot around, we decided to reuse, rather than buying new stuff. Needless to say, this it did take some time to have it all cut and sanded.

In order to install it, we just cut it to the length of the opening in the window, then used the saw to cut a 45 degree angle and put then in place.

This is a close up of how the corners were finished.

The second part of the job was then to put glazing silicone on the inside of the wood.

It might be hard to see the silicone here, but it is there!!!

Then, in order for the windows to be installed properly and have the warranty given by the manufacturer, we placed two pads at the bottom of the window. These provide a space between the window pane and the wood, so that any moisture can go to the bottom. As part of the "proper" installation guide, we also have to drill a couple of small holes on the outside so any moisture can drain to the outside.

The window is then placed in the opening and pushed in towards the strips of wood. Silicon is then applied around the edge of the pane.

After applying the silicone, we then put in place the other strips of wood (already prepared - of course).

The next job was then to pre-drill holes for where the nails to fasten the strips of wood. The main reasons for pre-drilling was to avoid the timber cracking as the strips of wood were fairly narrow. Also, since it is all hardwood, this makes the nailing job much easier.

The nail was then partially knocked in place.

But in order not to scratch the glass, we placed a bit of cardboard behind the hammer when doing the rest of the job.

Window finished and installed, and the house is already getting warmer!

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