The Installation of a Window in a New Construction

1. Planning

Whether in a new or an old house – it is important to have all necessary materials at the cleared working space before you start with the installation of aluminium, wooden or uPVC windows in a new building. Please do not underestimate these simple preparation steps. The working time is unnecessarily prolonged, when important materials are not in the right place.

Please re-measure the dimensions of the reveal in the new building construction and compare them to the measurements of the new window (Fig. 1). This simple procedure can prevent problems from the beginning. For an installation in accordance with RAL regulations you should also make sure that all surfaces in the reveal are plain and free of dust. This will ensure that the seals can be perfectly attached to the masonry.

At this point you should also start to think about an appropriate sealing type for a later step of the installation. The space between reveal and frame is separated into three levels with different requirements. It must be vapour resistant inside, filled with insulating materials in the centre and open to vapour diffusion outside. Poorly insulated reveals can have a negative impact on the U-value of glazing as well as on the construction parts of the frame. There are various insulation materials for these three sealing levels (inner, middle and outer):

• Vapour resistant foil for the inner sealing of a window
• Construction foam for the middle sealing
• Pre-compressed tape or foil for the outer sealing
• Multifunction sealing tapes are an alternative product for a new building construction, combining the necessary properties of all three levels. Find more information about sealing types here.

2. Installing a Window in a new Building

a) Preparing the Construction Parts for Installation

Before you can start with the installation you have to prepare the new window:

• Remove the window casement for a smooth installation. Remove the locking pin with a screwdriver in a downward direction. Open the casement and lift it upwards (Fig. 2a).
• Remove the protection foil from the area around the handle position. All other foils should remain at the window to protect glass and lacquer from damage during the installation(Fig. 2b).
• Mount the handle at the casement and place it in a safe area until the system is installed in the new building construction(Fig. 2c).
• Now remove the protective foil from the exterior part. The foil should remain on the other parts of the construction as well. To prevent the uncovered parts from soiling, you have to remove the foil from the exterior part of the frame only when you are ready for the next step of the installation procedure.
• After you have chosen the appropriate sealing material, it can now be applied (Fig. 3a). Please be aware of the three different sealing levels and the respective insulation conditions (mentioned above).

b) The Installation of the Window Frame

After the frame is prepared for installation, it can be inserted and adjusted:

• Carefully place the window frame in the wall opening (Fig. 3b).
• Check the frame’s vertical and horizontal orientation adjust it with the accompanying washers. It is very important to work precisely, to ensure that the window can be opened and closed smoothly afterwards (Fig. 3c).

c) Mounting and foaming the Window in a new Building

The following steps can only be performed, after the sealing has been successfully installed and the element is perfectly adjusted in the wall opening.

• Drill in the mounting holes with the impact drill. Use a wood or stone bit, depending on the material of the wall.
• Screw in the mounting screws (Fig. 4).
• Once you are certain that the construction element is vertically adjusted perfectly in the new building construction, you can start to foam the gaps between the insulation of the frame and the wall (Fig. 5a). If the outer sealing is sealing tape and the inner foil, you have to wait for the tape to fully expand in the reveal. Start to fill the construction foam into the space between window and wall.
• Attach the inner insulation foil to the wall after the foaming procedure(Fig. 5b).

d) Inserting the Window Casement

After the construction foam between the new house and frame has hardened, you can start with the installation of the casement:

• Carefully insert the casement and re-attach the locking pin (Fig. 6). Close the casement and make sure that it can be properly opened and closed.
• The new casement has to be perfectly adjusted to ensure a reliable thermal insulation after the installation. Here you can find a detailed manual for the adjustment of a window (or door).

3. Installing a secure Window in new or old House

These installation instructions will help you to install your windows in a new house ­easily – as long as the measuring, mounting and foaming has been performed correctly. Always consider that poorly adjusted windows and front doors (of all opening types) will not work properly and will not insulate sufficiently. This will also lead to a loss of energy. With sufficient working time and patience, you will not only save money on professional help. It will also have a very valuable effect on the efficiency of your new windows.