Check It Off The List: Reglazing the Broken Basement Window

For some reason, this project was the DIY equivalent of how I feel about doing the dishes. One of those things I knew had to be done, but that I didn't really want to think about because it seemed like it was going to be a way bigger deal than it really was.

It was also one of those things I was considering paying someone else to do before I decided I needed to put on my big-girl tool belt and at least give it a shot before I called in the troops.

Like patching the siding, this is one of those items on the bank list that I really can't argue with. It needed to be done, and sooner rather than later. Also, as with many things on that list, this isn't a long term solution. The wood sashes are rotting out on many of the basement windows, and they'll all need to be replaced eventually, but at least by replacing the glass in this one, I won't have little piles of snow drifted in the basement like last winter.

So, here's how I went about this. I started by pulling out the old glass.

Then for once in my life I put on proper work gear (aka gloves and shoes) and got down to the business of cleaning up the frame. Luckily I haven't removed the 17 bags of what I assume is dead body parts from the basement yet, and they made a handy little pile for me to stand on while doing this.

After using a utility knife to clear out the old glazing compound, I brushed everything down to get the dust off.

(You may recognize this brush from it's starring role in the removal of chicken crap from my coffee table, and the removal of gunk and general debris from the back deck. These things are handy.)

Then I measured for the new pane of glass and gave myself about 3/16 wiggle room just in case things weren't perfectly square. In 150 year old houses, they rarely are.

*needing professional caulk for a hard job? Give us a try!*

Not the prettiest thing I've ever done with a caulk-gun. I also used a couple of screws to hold the glass in place while the compound set instead of the recommended glazing clips. Because I'm classy like that.

The long and short of it is, caulk or glazing should be applied to the inside of the frame, the glass gets set in place, and then glazing is applied to the outside of the frame.

Whereas I'm pretty confident at caulking things, I struggled applying the glazing compound smoothly because it had a different-almost lighter-consistency than I am used to. Luckily after it sets for 24 hours, it's really easy to clean up with a utility knife.

A little paint, and...

I mean, the piece of insulation wadded up in the broken window added a touch of character to the house, I think. But this will have to do.

Even with a half hour trip to Lowe's, this project still took under two hours and was another $30 fix for something that could have cost a lot more, and gets me one step closer to getting my money out of escrow. So I'll repeat what I've been saying a lot lately about my projects on this house- It ain't pretty, but it works.

Definitely read the full story and check out more from their blog here!