The advantages of plastic windows over wooden ones are considered quite obvious today. But ease of manufacture and installation does not mean quality and comfort.
Windows Features
Spared from the ability to breathe, plastic double-glazed windows often create conditions that are unfavorable to health. In addition, suffocating air does not become cleaner even after ventilation of rooms with double-glazed windows.
Wooden windows, in turn, also have a number of disadvantages, the most important of which is exposure to moisture. But with proper care, a wooden window can serve for a long time and, due to its environmental friendliness and the ability to breathe, will allow residents of a wooden or other house to stay in a more pleasant state.
Wooden windows have an important advantage - environmental friendliness and naturalness.
How can you make a quality wooden window with your own hands? To do this, you need to follow a simple plan, as well as have some skills in working with woodworking tools. Making windows of the simplest kind has a memorable step-by-step character.
Training
Before making a new wooden window, it is worth preparing a number of tools, including a screwdriver and a drill, a hammer with a set of chisels and chisels, as well as an electric planer. If there are no ready-made glasses for the window, then you will also have to get a glass cutter. Additionally, rulers and other small devices will be needed.
From the materials you should take the wood itself, self-tapping screws, window hinges, as well as a sheet of glass.
The main task of the wizard at the first preparatory stage is to create a drawing. Sketches or drawings should contain clear dimensions for each element of the window.
When they are created, it is usually done to scale, respecting all relative distances. An improperly designed scheme can lead to a waste of materials or premature destruction of the window.
When buying lumber, it’s worth everything to buy them with a margin so that it’s enough. If you plan to make more than one window, then it is better to make one sampler and then proceed from the amount of materials that actually went into making one window with your own hands.
Blanks
Wooden blanks for wooden window parts should be made from wood that is best suited for this. Pine wood is often used for windows, as they are easy to process and sufficiently resistant to moisture. Often oak materials are also used.
lumber requirements:
- drying at a high level (about 22-23 percent humidity);
- absence of chips, rotten knots and other defects.
Individual parts and blanks are manufactured according to the drawing. This must be done using conventional cutting tools - a jigsaw, a saw. It is better to grind already finished parts.
In some cases, glued beams can also be used instead of solid wood. Their main feature is that, due to the glued structure, the beams from many layers remain quite stable and do not deform for a long time.
box
The basic size of the raw material for creating a box of a conventional wooden window is a board with a section of 150 by 50 millimeters. The box consists of four boards, which are interconnected with the help of grooves and spikes made with a cutter or chisels. They are made dense in such a way that they fit into each other quite rigidly. In this case, all 4 parts of the box must be connected to each other strictly perpendicular.
The strength of the finished structure depends on the strength of the connection.
In order for the tongue-and-groove connection to gain greater strength, it is stitched through with a wooden rod, under which a separate hole is drilled.
The finished base of the wooden window is installed in the window opening, and the gaps between the box and the walls are foamed with mounting foam. It is worth noting that too large gaps between the walls and the box cannot be sealed with foam alone, since a foam layer of more than 5 centimeters can deform the box. Therefore, it is desirable to make a window opening of the optimal size with a margin of up to 5 centimeters.
In the case of a wooden building and walls made of beams or wooden log cabins, a pigtail is also used, the production of which has its own characteristics.
Window frame
Before you make a frame, you need to determine the base material for it. Window frames are made of beams with a section of 50 by 50 millimeters. The manufacture of window frames provides for one of two processing options - you can make both 1-glass and 2-glass profiles, which have 2 or 3 grooves, respectively (one for each glass insert and one for the box).
The grooves, as a rule, have a recess for glass sheets 10 millimeters high and 14 millimeters wide. The glazing bead, which will fix the glass, has a width of 10 millimeters (calculated on glass with a thickness of 4 millimeters). The groove for the box is a little larger and has a section of 15 by 20 millimeters.
Making wooden windows with your own hands is generally a simple process, just like assembling the most complex part of them (the frame). First, wooden window frames are assembled in the same way as a box was assembled. Their elements are connected using spikes and grooves, which are glued with glue.
Sometimes the frames are additionally fastened with metal corners (using self-tapping screws). Although the corners give additional strength to the structure, they negatively affect their static appearance.
Glass
Even if all the dimensions of a do-it-yourself wooden window, frames and openings for glass are known in advance, the glass still needs to be measured before cutting. This is important to know in fact, since a deviation of even 1 millimeter can cause the window to blow through.
If you accurately measure and cut the glass, then this will ensure a sufficiently high density of its connection with the base of the frame.
Working as a glass cutter requires skill and experience.
To cut glass, a glass cutter is used, the technique of working with which also needs to be mastered. If you don’t have the skills to work with glass cutting, then it’s better to ask a specialist about it or purchase glass of the right size in a store where it can immediately be cut to the specified measurements.
The edges of the glass are quite sharp, and therefore they need to be processed with sandpaper.
If glass is processed independently, then it is very important to adhere to safety precautions, the instructions for which have several important points. First, you need to use special gloves with rubber pads, since even the smallest pieces of glass can injure your hands. Secondly, it is desirable to protect the face with a mask, as well as glasses.
Before cutting the main sheet, make a few preliminary cuts to determine the optimum pressure on the glass cutter.
When cutting glass, you need to press it with optimal force. If you do not press it, then a poor-quality cut will lead to the appearance of chips on it. Otherwise, applying excessive force will cause the glass itself to crack, which will not only damage the glass, but also lead to injury and cuts.
When cutting, the glass cutter is carried out along a ruler, which can be made from almost any material. As a ruler, you can also use a regular bar.
After cutting, the glass is placed in the window frame, fixed with glazing beads. Sealant is applied to the wood first.
A window made of wood is mounted on a box. For this, self-tapping screws or window hinges are used. After that, the window sill is installed.
The simplest do-it-yourself window will provide the house with warmth and comfort, and will also be inexpensive.
If necessary, several such windows can be made and installed in a box from the outside and inside. Thus, it is easy to provide additional insulation for the winter.
With your own hands, you can create almost any device or element of the house that will be a reason for joy. After all, even a wooden window can not only replace a plastic double-glazed window, but also become a good test for the aptitude of a novice carpenter.
Video: do-it-yourself window block
A little background. The windows in our house in Peterhof were, one might say, rare: the year of manufacture was nineteen hundred and a half, the fittings were Soviet-style latches, the exterior was like that of the “thirty-four” after the Kursk Bulge, thermal conductivity was excellent. In short, it was cold in winter, and the appearance, to put it mildly, did not satisfy even such an unnatural comrade as me. The easiest thing was to order plastic, but I really wanted to try my hand at carpentry, which resulted in a month of leisurely work in my spare time.
In the summer of 2013, I made frames that can be seen in the pictures below.
Glued sash.
And here is the sash in the frame and also such a baffle so that water does not accumulate in the crack.
Almost finished product, covered with Pinotex. There is no double-glazed window in the deaf part yet.
I ordered two-chamber double-glazed windows with different glass thicknesses and different distances. If I'm not mistaken, the formula was 4-10-6-12-4. It took about 9 thousand rubles for two windows (2 double-glazed windows in the blind parts, 2 in the sashes). Larger double-glazed windows (those that were installed in the blind parts) were very heavy. The two of them almost burst while the frame with glass was shoved into the opening.
New window in the opening. Well, since such a booze went on, then I filed, polished, and installed new window sills.
Here already made slopes. Shtapik put in about a month later.
I must say right away that counting all these quarters, grooves, spikes was tiring, and the final fine-tuning and grinding is a rather dreary task. Nevertheless, in the year 15, the party’s wife said “it’s necessary” and puzzled with windows for a house in a village in the Novgorod province. The situation at that historical moment was such that ... Well, in general, there was no situation. I've just bought a car, I'm feverishly hammering in banknotes to patch up a hole in the budget, and here you are - we would like four windows, and two of them can be opened. There is no reason to buy plastic, so I had to start the jointer, thickness gauge and other machinery again. This time it took less than a week, since the windows were much smaller, and he did not make double quarters in the sashes, he managed one. Initial material: timber 50*100. Process illustration:
Pair bonding. For lack of availability, the vime managed with clamps.
Spikes and grooves are cut, blanks are assembled.
We make a rounded edge on the inside.
This is how the joint turns out.
We drill holes for fittings, with a milling cutter we select recesses for metal fittings.
We hang for subsequent chemical treatment. Jars of Pinotex under the table.
First layer: Pinotex Base. In the background are windows installed two years ago.
Second and third layers: white Pinotex Ultra.
The double-glazed window is single-chamber, since no one lives in the village in winter.
Apply a thin layer of transparent sealant.
Suction cups came in handy for once, otherwise everyone was lying around doing nothing.
Window complete with glazing bead and false cover.
My view from the back.
Facade with new windows.
Such pies with kittens turned out.
List of tools: planer, thickness gauge, miter saw, sawing machine, milling cutter, belt and vibration grinders, chisels, mallet, screwdriver (drill), clamps, caliper, square.
List of moral and psychological qualities: patience, accuracy, the ability not to break the tool, when it turns out that on the already processed and glued workpiece, the cut was made on the wrong side.
Guys, there is nothing super complicated about this. The most difficult thing for me was to imagine the place where the spikes and grooves meet in three dimensions. With square bars, this does not cause any difficulties at all, but when the quarters go, then you need to strain a little. I didn’t master AutoCAD, so I had to keep all the isometrics in my head during the work. The rest just requires patience. The second batch of windows turned out much faster for me. Between these two batches there was a couple of simpler and smaller windows: just a blind window with one quarter, where the double-glazed window is inserted. I did these in general in three days: the first day - planing and gluing (two hours), the second day - quarters, spikes, grooves, assembly, grinding (five hours), the third day - impregnation (two hours).
Most people call a window changer and install plastic or aluminum frames. Their main disadvantage is the relatively high price and the need to use special equipment during assembly. Is it possible to make a window frame with your own hands? What tools and materials are needed for this?
Figure 1. Wooden frames are environmentally friendly and have low thermal conductivity.
Indeed, for glazing a country house or greenhouse windows, it is not at all necessary to install a plastic frame - a home-made wooden structure is also quite suitable.
Read also:
What to prepare
To make a homemade wooden frame, you need to purchase completely dry wood in the form of bars or their glued version. For the manufacture of the frame, many use plywood.
When choosing a material, you need to take boards with a section of 5X15 cm or a beam of 5X5 cm. You will need the following auxiliary parts and materials:
- joiner's glue;
- metal window squares;
- glass.
You need a drawing and carpentry tools: a saw, chisels, a hammer. After everything is purchased and prepared, you can get to work.
How to make a window wooden frame with your own hands from bars
A very good material for work, often used in construction, is glued wooden beams. You can use its usual solid wood version, but this increases the likelihood of the frame losing its shape due to precipitation. This can be avoided by covering the tree with a special protective compound.
The technological process of manufacturing the structure consists of the following steps:
- The first step is to make a window box. To do this, a groove is cut in a 5X15 cm board so that the board looks like the letter “G” in profile. Such a comb is needed for the tightness of the future window.
- They accurately calculate the dimensions of the structure and begin to saw the boards, each of which must be divided into four parts of the desired size, and they are connected to each other. The most reliable option for such an assembly is to use a spike and groove. To quickly make them, you need the following tools: a chisel, a hammer and a hand saw or an electric cutter. Grooves are made on the vertical parts of the frame. Spikes are cut out on horizontal segments. After the manufacture of all these parts, they are smeared with wood glue and the parts of the box are connected, while not forgetting to observe the accuracy of all joints using a 90 ° metal square.
- The next stage of work is the strengthening of special window squares in the corners of the ends of the frame. They are purchased at the construction market or in a store, and they are necessary to give the box the necessary rigidity.
- Give the glue some time to dry and start making a frame for the movable part of the window. The beam for it should have a smaller section than for the window box. Therefore, its cross section is reduced so that the gap between the frame and the main box is in the range from 0.1 to 0.2 cm.
- The frame parts are connected in the same sequence and using spikes and grooves, as described above in the manufacture of the window box.
- After fully assembling the inside of the window, it is attached to the box with hinges. You must first insert a glass sheet, although this can be done after the frame is fully assembled with your own hands.
The design is ready for operation (Fig. 1).
Making a plywood window
If you try to make a factory-made frame profile at home, you can ruin the purchased material.
Therefore, to eliminate this problem, a do-it-yourself frame can be made from strips cut from a sheet of plywood.
To do this, it is quite enough to have four such strips, which must be connected into a rectangle. At the same time, do not forget to set a right angle along the ends of the structure using a measuring square. To obtain the desired profile, the do-it-yourself frame is assembled from several such rectangles that have different widths.
At the same time, do not forget to take accurate measurements, otherwise the design will turn out to be lopsided. In this "hybrid" way, windows with a figured profile can be obtained from plywood.
This method is suitable for both fixed and multi-leaf window designs containing one, two or three rows of glass. For a frame with one row of glazing, it is enough to have 8 plywood strips connected into 2 rectangles. To secure the glass sheets, the second layer of strips must have a width less than that of the first rectangle.
The resulting parts are fastened with self-tapping screws.
If two or three rows of glasses are inserted, then all the parts are coated with carpentry glue.
Necessary tools and materials
- Wooden blocks and boards.
- Plywood.
- Glass.
- Metal window frames, handles.
- Joiner's glue.
- Self-tapping screws.
- Window hinges.
- Saw.
- Chisels.
- Hammer.
- Electric drill with cutter.
- Roulette.
- Metal ruler.
- Square.
- Pencil. Paper (for window drawing).
Anyone who has basic skills in working with a tool and a desire to do something with their own hands can make window frames on their own. The main thing is not to be lazy.
Make a window with your own hands not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. You just need to stock up on the necessary materials, patience and learn some subtleties. Most often, windows are made independently during the construction of a summer house, a closed veranda or a greenhouse.
If you have confidence in your abilities, then having acquired high-quality materials, you can make a window with your own hands for an apartment or house. The main condition for the resulting product will be perfectly correct geometry and compliance with the requirements of good tightness. In addition to the fact that the result is a durable, warm and healthy window, you can save a significant amount of money.
Of course, it is very difficult to achieve such assembly accuracy as happens in factory production. But, observing all the technologies relating to the joints of the details of the window structure, you can get a high-quality result.
Craft DIY plastic window It is possible only with the use of professional equipment and with certain skills. Therefore, it is easiest to make a window with your own hands using more affordable materials, such as wood.
The preparatory stage for installing a window with your own hands.
To do the job, you need to prepare the tools in advance. You will need the following materials and tools:
Hammer;
Screwdriver;
glass cutter;
Chisel;
Electric planer;
Wooden beam;
Mounting foam;
self-tapping screws;
Sandpaper;
After preparing all the necessary materials and tools, it is necessary to take measurements to draw up a scale drawing of the future window. If the drawing is drawn up correctly, then it will be easy to calculate the amount of material needed for work. After all the calculations and preparation of tools, you can start making the box.
Do-it-yourself box for a wooden window.
As a rule, in the manufacture of a wooden window, pine is used as the material. It is affordable and practical material at an affordable price. Plus, it's great for first-timers. make your own window. Can be used as material oak. The window will be stronger and more durable. But in case of failure, the material will become unusable, and its cost is quite high.
Regardless of the type of wood, it must meet certain requirements. The material must be well dried and free from damage or other defects (such as knots or cracks). When choosing a material, it must be taken into account that the box is located in the window opening and all the main load falls on it.
Some experts advise choosing glued laminated timber as a material. It is believed that the frame has high strength and copes well with various influences that can cause deformation.
To begin with, a board is taken with the following dimensions: 150x50 mm. Then, grooves are made on the details of the box, shaped like the letter G. The depth of the grooves should be approximately 15 mm. After that, the blanks of the future box with the help of special wood glue are interconnected in the area of the grooves.
After that, it is necessary to drill holes and place in them a wooden rod, at least 3 cm long. This will increase the reliability of the connection and achieve the necessary requirements of immobility and rigidity.
The resulting box is mounted in the window opening so that it is motionless. To do this, holes are drilled in the wall into which dowels are driven. Self-tapping screws are used as fasteners.
After inserting the box, small gaps and gaps may form, which must be processed with mounting foam. It serves as a sealant and performs an additional strengthening function.
Important! With this installation, the mobility of the boards, which can occur during temperature changes, is not taken into account.
Making a frame for a window with your own hands.
To make your own frame, you need to take a beam with a section of 6x4 cm. Depending on the design of the future window, you can use a larger beam.
The profile of the frame depends on the number of panes to be used, their thickness and the size of the glazing beads.
If one glass is inserted in the profile, then two rectangular grooves are made, which are necessary in order to place the glass and subsequent installation in the box;
If there are two glasses in the profile, then another groove is made.
To make a profile with your own hands, you will need a milling cutter or an electric planer. The standard glass thickness is 4 mm, the bead thickness is 10 mm.
After preparing the boards, you can start assembling the frame. Boards are sawn in accordance with the required dimensions at an angle of 45 degrees. They are connected to each other by the thorn-groove method. Self-tapping screws are additionally used to immobilize the entire structure.
Advice! It is necessary to screw the screws as deep into the tree as possible. So that the hats are recessed into the material and do not protrude above the surface of the tree.
Do-it-yourself work with glass for a window.
For this stage, it is important to accurately determine the dimensions of the glass. This is necessary for a tighter fit, which will avoid the formation of possible bridges in the structure for the entry of cold air. When taking measurements, values should be taken taking into account each millimeter.
Glass cutting is carried out using a diamond glass cutter. The end parts of the prepared glass are processed with sandpaper.
When working with glass, it is imperative to follow the basic safety requirements:
Wear gloves to protect your palms from possible cuts;
Wear safety goggles. To avoid possible ingress of glass dust or crumbs.
When working with a glass cutter, the cut is made using a ruler along which the tool is guided. The ruler must be longer than the length of the glass being cut.
After that, the glass moves to the very edge of the table. The cut is carried out by hand with light pressure. Ideally, it should break exactly along the line drawn by the glass cutter.
The resulting glass is tried on to the window frame. If the size corresponds to the required one, it is pulled out for the next stage of work.
Before placing the glass in the window frame, all grooves are treated with a hermetic compound. To additionally fix the glass in the frame, a glazing bead is used. It is attached to the frame with thin nails. If, for some reason, wide glazing beads are used, then they can be fixed using self-tapping screws.
If it is planned to insert two glasses into the window, then a vertical bar is mounted in the center of the frame, which is also equipped with grooves. In such a window, each half is performed separately. The second frame should be narrower than the first. It is hinged to the main frame. In this case, you get an opening sash.
The last stage of installation work on the window with your own hands.
After the window is fully assembled, it must be inserted into the box and fixed well. The window is fastened using self-tapping screws, which must pass through the box through and through. To do this, you may need a special mounting gun and metal dowels to it.
The gaps and crevices formed during the assembly process must be treated with mounting foam. You can start plastering work only after the mounting foam has dried well.
To complete the installation of a wooden window, like any other, it is required to install a window sill and ebbs.
Choose the type of wood from which you are going to make a window. For this type of work, you will need well-dried planed boards. The cross section of such boards should be 50x150 mm. Using an electric planer, it is necessary to make a groove on the board so that the profile board has the shape of the letter G. This installation measure will contribute to the tightness of the structure.
Based on the size of the window opening, the board must be divided into four parts. The resulting parts must be connected to each other. The connection can best be made with a straight tenon or straight groove. In the course of work on one of the boards (which will perform a horizontal connection), it is necessary to cut a spike. On the other board (which will make the vertical connection) you need to cut a groove. The joints must be smeared with wood glue and the boards must be joined. The connection of the boards of the box should be made at an angle of 90 degrees. To strengthen the structure, a hole is drilled at the end of the box and a wooden pin lubricated with glue is inserted. Also, to strengthen the design of the box, it is necessary to install metal corners in the corners and attach them to the box with screws. The box will be ready for further use after the glue has dried.
The frame is made and connected in the same way as the window frame. In the process of manufacturing the frame, a beam is used, the cross section of which should be 50x50 mm. In order for the frame to open and close easily, it is necessary to leave a gap between the frame and the box of 1-2 mm.
Step 4: window frame tenon joints
The profile must be divided into blanks and a spiked joint must be made on them using a saw, hammer or chisel.
It is necessary to install glass and hinges in the required places. After completing these steps, work on creating a window can be considered completed. The window must be treated with anti-corrosion materials and painted to protect against moisture.
Thus, the article described and characterized the process of making a window frame with your own hands.