Doors and Windows - wrapping doors and windows

We are going to vinyl side an older house that already has replacement windows in it. Unfortunately, the people who replaced the windows, installed them like old windows, so, we need to wrap the wood around them to make the exterior maintenance free. We'd like to do this ourselves. My husband is extremely handy!!! Any advice would be appreciated. thanks.

Being "quite handy" really IS handy, ain't it ? :)

Anyhoo, has he used a metal bending brake before or do I need to start from the getgo ?

He has never used a brake before. But, he was a tool and die machinist for 20 years, so I'm sure he is very capable of the task.

If hubby has access to a brake, the rest is about as easy as falling off of a log!

Attach the trim boards (1X4's) around each window, door and any other object that needs to be trimmed. Leave a bit of a gap (1/16" to 1/8") between the window and the trim board. Bend the PVC coated aluminum coil in a "U" shape. Each leg of the "U" needs to be 5/8" (3/4" is the absolute max!") The width of the "U" should be about 1/8" wider that the trim board, so it will slip over it easily.

Start with the bottom, and work to the top. The first piece is the bottom sill -- cut both ends square, the length will be the width of the window PLUS the 2 side trim pieces. I use ring-shanked finish nails that are the same color as the coil (or as close as possible), and use as few nails as possible, placing as many of the nails as I can where they won't be seen once the rest of the coil and the J-channel is in place.

The sides, again the length will be the height of the window PLUS the width of the top and bottom trim pieces. I MITER the 2 bottom corner, and square cut the tops. The top is just like the bottom, only I MITER both ends.

Move on the the next window (or door, or whatever.)

Next, you will attach the corner posts, the starter, and the J-channel, and then the siding. Then go back and use silicon caulking to seal the edges where the window frame meets the coil, and where the coil meets the J-channel.

Andy, did I miss anything?? Anything you might do differently??

Well, I assume you're not gonna run out and buy one, since you're looking at nearly $1000 to get into a decent 8' model, and upwards from there. The rental places around here have them. IF you have a choice in models, get the Tapco Pro II or Pro III center operated one......there are a lot of the old "J" brakes out there that you have to walk to one end each time you clamp something.....the center operating type are much more convient to use.

Coil stock comes in 24" wide by 50' long rolls. You can get painted coil or PVC coated coil. I like the PVC better, as it doesn't "chaulk" with age ( the paint oxidizes and you get it on you if you rub against it.....see old aluminum siding for example of this ) The coil runs about $50-55/roll at aluminum/vinyl supply places and about $70/roll at Lowes/HomeDepot kinda places ( they only THINK they have low prices )

You'll need one roll per 8-12 windows, depending on how big the outside trim is.......I've found about 10 windows average over the time I've installed. Get matching color stainless steel trim nails to go with it.....1 1/4" is what I use.

The actual bending.....boy, THIS is where some pics or a video would REALLY help....but I'll try with the typed word.... :)

I assume since you're siding the house, there is some kinda siding there now.....and normally, the window trim sets OUT from the siding ( versus back in from brick ).

Start by looking at the sills. Since you're siding, and will run "J" channel around the window trim, you only have to turn 1/2-3/4" of coil on the underside of the sill or the outsides of the side or top trim. So your first measurement would be like 3/4". Then you want to turn a 90 up the outer face of the sill....generally in the 1 1/4" to 2" range, depending on WHAT you actually have there. Then, if it's an older house, the sill likely turns another 90, then 90 back up and another 90 back to the bottom of the vinyl replacement window. On newer wood windows, the sills slope about 15 degrees back up from that second measurement ( the verticle outside face.)......the last turn up onto the vinyl window I generally "tuck" under the edge of the screen rail "IF" your replacement has one.....that gives a nice, weathertite seal at that point. IF your vinyl has a 45 degree profile and weep holes, ( like a lot of welded vinyls do ) you have to stop at the base of the vinyl and caulk.......yet ANOTHER reason WHY I don't like welded frame windows.

SO, with the sill, you'll have something like 3/4x1 1/4x1x1x1 1/2 or something.....YOU just have to call the play on how many bends you want and just HOW you want to wrap......that's a judgement call made on the job and I can't tell you from here....

Now measure the sill length and add about 2" to that length....this gives you enought material to wrap around the ends of the sill so they are covered and protected.

Roll your coil stock out with the inside of the roll facing up. I use a pc of 2' wide "grass" carpet 12' long to roll mine on so the "face" side doesn't get scratched......you can do this on flat ground, or make up a table out of plywood about 10' long. Measure off what you need for the sill. You're gonna get 2-4 sills out of that 24" width, so make sure you have several the same size or go longer so you minimize waste.

Lay a framing square on the coil at your mark, and use a utility knife to "score" the metal kinda hard......score a nice, straight line along the square, and try to get it in ONE pass. Then fold the metal upward and it will break along your score line IF you've done it right.

Now, I mark on the cut edge the measurement above for each bend point....3/4 x 1 1/4 x etc....Use a soft lead pencil and make your marks on the backside of the stock, which should be facing upward to you.......Then ( trade secret here ) I fold the metal end to end.....cut edge to the factory edge on the far end.... DON'T BEND IT SO TIGHT YOU CRIMP IT IN THE CENTER.....and take a pair of snip and cut both edges about 1/4" at your mark points. "I" put an X with my pencil to separate where one sill pc stops and the next one I'm marking off that pc of stock starts.....this will help you in the brake in a minute. By marking the ends of the coil stock with a little "snip", you accurately transfer your measurements to the other end AND you have a mark point on BOTH sides of the coil stock ( face and backside ) which you will NEED in bending in a minute.

Now go with your marked pc to the brake. Operate the handle to "open" the jaws. Insert your pc of coil, face side down, up to the "x" I told ya to mark that separates one sill pc from the next one. Look at both ends to make SURE you have the same number of snip marks still outside so you KNOW the pc is in there square and you don't have one end in more than the other, thus cutting a tapered pc.

Clamp the brake shut. Using your utility knife, score the coil along the edge of the upper jaw...The Tapco brakes have a nice stainless steel edge here to run along. Go from one end to the other in one score. Using the handle on the brake, raise the lower section, bending the metal. You may have to use your hands to push the metal back down and raise the handle again, but it will break along the score after a time or three.

Set the "leftovers" aside for now. Now, I unclamp the brake, and put the metal in it, backside facing up just like you cut it, up to the first set of marks....the 3/4" that will be your first bend. IF you want this to be a 90, simply raise the handles up to make a 90....you often have to "over" bend just slightly so when the metal springs back, you have your 90. There is NO GAGE.....it's just an eyeball kinda thing....take's getting the hang of it and no way around that. If you want more or less than 90, the amount you lift the hinge handle is what controls that bend.....experience is the only teacher here.

OK, bend #2. This would be the one at the vertical face and the slope or 90 running back into the window. Keeping the metal backside up, turn it 180 degrees and re-insert into the brake. Make the degree bend you want. BOTH of these bends you just made are OUTSIDE corners.....that is, when you look at the FACE side, the corner is TO you. The NEXT bend is most likely going to be an INSIDE corner. For this, you have to remove the metal from the brake, and insert it face side UP......make your bend.....keep going inside/outside as needed until you have the bends made.

TIP....take a small pc of scrap and practice making a "mini" piece until you get the profile you want viewed from the side.......best way to avoid LOTS of wasted metal until you get the hang of the bends. I still do it if I run up on a complicated set of bends on a profile I'm not used to making.
That

Whew.....that last post got sorta wordy, huh ? :)

Ok, we've got that sill made. Now we gotta actually get it on the window.

Hold it up to the window sill and center it so the "extra" hangs off about that inch you left on each side. You'll notice you can't just slide it in place because the side trim won't let you put it back to the vinyl window.......now you have to "clip and fit" and "clip and fit" until you've removed enough from where the side trim is holding you out that the sill will fit into place. TRY not to remove too much......easy to do and hard to fix and make look right and waterproof. Once you get it, remember that inch on the end wraps around the end of the sill. I nail the pc there on the ends and up under the bottom......nail EASY....don't dent and don't nail too tight.....that metal will expand and contract with temp change and you don't want to look at a bunch of wrinkles. Use the least number of nails possible and try to hide them as much as you can......face nailing is a "no-no" IF you can avoid it.....it crimps the metal and makes the job look crappy.


OK....we got one pc on finally.....whew....

Now your side pcs go on next......generally, they are the same left and right. I wrap around the edge about 1/2 -3/4....siding "J" is gonna butt to it, so don't get too carried away......then the face.....older houses will have about a 5-6" face, new houses with brick mould about 2-2 1/2".......then turn into the window. IF you have the storm stop on the wood windows and they butted the vinyl window up to it, you can put that step in your coild IF you want....I generally don't bother, but it's your house....do what you want. Some brakes will NOT let you bend less than 3/4" on a step, so watch the limitations of your brake....use that scrap practice tip again....

When you do make the last bend into the vinly window, there are two schools of thought on how to finish up.....One, you simply make a little 3/8 or 1/2" flange, bending it not quite a 90, so when you install the side, that "flange" sits right on the vinyl....no caulk required........ OR, you can stop your measurement with a bend that is 90 to the vinyl and caulk the meeting joint....IF you select this method, I would recommend you "hem" that last edge.....that's a sheet metal term for allow an extra 1/2" or so on your measurement, then fold that around in a 180 bend so that edge is actually two thicknesses of metal.......much more rigid and won't wrinkle on you like a long, single thickness will.

To Hem an edge.: Like I said, leave an extra 1/2" on your measurement. Stick it in the brake, backside up. Make as much of a bend as the brake will allow...like about a 150 degrees......take it back out. With NO metal in the brake, clamp it shut. Insert the 150 bent edge between the lower hinge and the stainless edge.....you'll notice the lower hinge will actually "lift" up about 1/2" or so.....lift it, then operate the hinge as normal.....that "lift" lets you catch that little edge and finish the bend, hemming it tight two thicknesses together.

To install the sides, you have to "clip and fit" again where it meets your sill, and up where the top meets the side trim......again, cut carefully.....try to "fit" it to the sill as closely as you can.... I nail on the sides where the "J" channel is going and a couple on the inside bend.....avoid the face IF you can.....then use a silcone caulk of matching color, using a LITTLE as possible ( it's bad to collect dirt later ) to fill in the gap between the side and sill meeting point. ( I actually wait until I get ALL the metal on and do this last so you don't knock any dirt, paint chips from the wood into your fresh caulk )

Top is pretty much a repeat of the sides. If you have center mulls, I normally install them and the sides first, the cap over both with the top pc for water protection.

I'd recomment you go LOOK at some capped windows first to see HOW they did their bends....it will give you some pointers also.

Good luck, and let us know back how you do.......ain't like we're getting anything else out of all this typing :)

"Andy, did I miss anything?? Anything you might do differently??"


Uh, I've been writing War&Peace here for an hour......SURELY I got something else in there


:) ahahahahaha


Nah, I took it from her post they already had wood trim in place.....just that whoever installed the replacements just didn't wrap 'em........so my 'novel' was based on that assumption.

Andy,

DON'T be writtin' "War & Peace" again -- that'll get your butt thrown in jail for plagerism (or however you spell it!!), and I NEED YOU!!!

Thanks for all the info. I printed it out for my hubby to read. We bought all our supplies today and will be starting the job on Monday after we finish a few more prep items. We will probably be renting the break on Tuesday or Wednesday. I'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks again.

We finally finished wrapping the doors, windows, trim board at the top of the walls and the fascia. We had to rent the break more than once. It looks great. Thanks for all the help. :D

Just curious how much did rental of the break cost? If you had to rent it a few times this may have gotten pricey. We cap windows for $50 a pop. This may have been one of the times that hiring a pro coulda been cheaper.

wow...I must be working under scale :) ......I replace the whole window including wrapping the outside and I supply the coil, caulk and insulation for $60/window...and haul the old ones to the dump.

Brake rental here runs $40/day at the local rentall....

Well, we might have saved some money, had we hired a pro, but then my sons wouldn't have gotten the experience and learned whether they might be interested in putting up siding as an occupation in the future. Since we had much more to do than just the doors and windows, we used almost five 50 foot pvc coils to wrap. My two boys learned a lot and solved a lot of challenges along with their dad's help. Cost of break rental. One week $150 or $30 - 45 /day.