One of the more important jobs in making the caravan water tight, is to replace the two broken windows. These are not as daunting as they may first seem but they are a little time consuming. First thing to do was remove the window cappings. Easier said than done. After 50 years the screws did not want to part company. As one of them was damaged already, the executive decision was taken to carefully prise the cappings off the screws. The enlarged holes can then be repaired before refitting.
With the capping out of the way I could now access the retaining screw that prevents the frame sliding out. As all the sealant had dried and cracked, I removed the complete hinge so it can be re-sealed.
Once the windows had been removed the openings were temporarily boarded up. I also took the opportunity to check the frame around the windows. The offside was quite rotten but amazingly the near side was completely rot free!
The next step is to split the frame to remove the remains of the old glass and so the new pane can be slid in. The two parts are held together by four screws, two aside, that are hidden behind the rubber seal. These can quite often become seized and risk shearing. The best option is to soak them, over night in, penetrating oil and they usually come straight out.
I will be using perspex instead of glass for the time being, for several reasons. Firstly because it's quicker to fit and I need to make a template for the glass anyway. Also there's less chance of it getting broken, whist I'm wielding timber around inside.
Overlaying the frame over the perspex and drawing round the outside edge, gave the basic shape. Then it's just a case of measuring the inside recess, to get the right size, remembering to allow for the sealing rubber.
Using a bit of washing up liquid as a lubricant, slide the pane with sealing rubber back into the frame. Once in, reassemble the top of the frame and push on the outer sealing rubber.
When I reinstall the windows, I will be resealing the hinges and the window cappings and that's the next job.
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