Hi All:
Basic trim question regarding window jamb and stool placement. I’m replacing aluminum windows and drywall returns with new vinyls and separate wood jambs (to be painted). Question is, do the new jambs go directly down to the rough sill with the stool installed last, or does the stool go on first with the new jambs resting on top? The houses around here seem to all use drywall returns so there is not much for comparison.
Listeners write in about removing masonry chimneys and ask about blocked ridge vents, deal-breakers with fixer-uppers, and flashing ledgers that are spaced from the wall.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
Stool last.
do window jambs like to be on top?
Is that a leading question..... or what???? I feel a joke in there somewhere, but I ve been up since 2 am and can't really think right now
you have to ignore the odd humor.
dothe stools last.
do window jambs like to be on top?
You thought you logged onto the wrong site?
attempt at humor, albeit pretty lame. I'm working on about four hours sleep myself so I hear ya.
doing the same thing here now, I put the sill/stool on first. The jamb legs bottoms hide the cut..the trim (casing) comes down and sits on the horn.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
sill first ...
then jamb legs ...
that way the sill/stool can be a tad loose on either side ... the jamb lags hide the gap ...
then ...
I do ... the casing ...
head and legs ... what ever way ya wanna go there ..
then last ...
the apron.
and retun the apron ... even if it's paint grade.
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
We always do the sill and apron first but that's with wood windows. maybe there is a rationale for doing it the other way around with legs of the jamb first with an AL window frame. I could be just a local derivation whern they normally do the sheetrock wrap first, then set a manmade marble sill
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
thanks guys, you saved me from having to stop off at the library and/or bookstore. Stool on first makes sense in that it will hide the stool cuts. Guess you put the head jamb in first before the leg jambs for the same reason.
Where are you in the 'Burg Jeff? My wife is from Brentwood. We used to live in Zelie and miss it badly.
I'll attemp to attach a related photo ...
But ...
I'm city center .. living on Mt Washington .. born and raised in the east end ... Swissvale ...
and .. more towards Zelie ...
Do all my ordering from Dambaugh Lumber ... half way between Harmony and Zelie.
plus .... our favorite restraunt is right around there too ... rt19n ... "the Log Cabin Inn" ...
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
If Dambaugh Lumber was the one on the back side of Harmony down the hill it was/is my favorite yard, kind of old fashioned, excellent levels of help and knowledge, good quality products. I hope they are still in business.
There was another lumber yard along the main road between Harmony and Evans City, can't remember the name. Did not care much for their attitude, and they did not seem to have really quality materials. Got yelled at there once for picking through a pile of 2 bys trying to find a couple with 4 roughly square edges.
I think I helped put the Log Cabin's owners kids thru school, we spent a lot of time in there. The grandson of the guy we bought our house from used to be a cook up there.
There was also a place on main street in Zelie that had some monster roast beast sandwiches, with the meat literally cut off a steaming roast right in front of you. I miss those things, even though you were useless for the rest of the day after eating one.
There was also a restaurant in Harmony that was in an old Victorian looking house, supposedly haunted. They had some good food too. We left that area in '97, it hopefully has not changed much. We're thinking of returning once our boy is out of school. I'd like to look you up and see about hiring on, but my fragile ego can't take getting fired :-)
That's the right Dambaugh ...
company I used to work for introduced me to them ....
when I went out on my own ...
just kept calling my same guy ...
and he kept giving me the former companies discount.
I do most of my work in the Wexford/Cranberry area ... right down the highway from them ....
but I even use them for jobs in the south hills ...
you're right ... big and modern enough to have most everything ... old fashion and small town enough to care. They're delivery guys even carry the stuff into the job and ask where to stock it ... upstrairs ... across scaffolding .. they don't care ..... must be a good place to work .. they seem to keep the seasonal guys forever.
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
My routine has always been
1. Stool
2. jambs or extension jambs
3. head casing
4. leg casings
5. apron
6.cigarette break
Good luck, Joe
Whether you have one or 14 of them to do, why not pre-assemble the stool and jambes and slide it into the opening. This is the best way to get nice tight joints.
The casings can also be premade and attached as one piece, then the apron.
You can use biscuits for alignment, and a few shims and nails later you're done.
If you pre-finish everything, you're done even faster.
rg
Install the stool first. I Iike to use a torpedo level to shim the stool level before I nail it. I cant the back of the stool up a hair so I can drive a shim under it to tighten the jamb when I install it. Often the jamb pieces need to be tapered to fit the opening. I taper the jamb pieces on the jointer. I don't think a prefab jamb with casing would be the "fine" way to go. The jamb often needs shims to check the reveal and to keep it straight. With the casing on then you could not shim the reveal. I assemble the head Jamb to the side jambs and then slide it in . The photo shows a stool with a shim and the width of the jamb at the stool written on the wall. I finish all the pieces before I install them.