Double glazing

Things start with the worksurface getting a sand with some 80 grit paper on the random orbit sander. This removes all the lumps and bumps, hairs and air bubbles

A top coat going on with a cheap disposable roller. I don't like using things only once, but the amount of white spirits I'd need to clean these up makes that option just as wasteful and harmful as throwing the sponge away

Right on que, the double glazing arrives

The decorator at the house behind ours. He sung the entire track list of Jesus Christ Superstar

The ends for the sills, shims and keys that came with the glazing. I don't like their shims and used the Silverline versions

The sill was the first part I tried for fit, and it came up 100mm too short for the cavity. I had an instant panic attack having just spent 180 pounds on this frame, but discovered the window it's self was right and they'd cut the sill too short. A trip to the glaze shop and I had a new one, free of charge obviously

I used the grinder with a twist knot brush in it again to remove the remaining silicon stuck to the brickwork from the last frame

Old frame out

New frame shimmed in

There's around 15mm of play in some areas, so I divide by two and shim each side out by 7-8mm. There isn't that much play around the entire frame, areas of the brickwork get a lot closer

Cavities foamed up, 24h and it'll have cured

The side door and window, still in place

I stuck this big note to the first window to inform Alex that he shouldn't open it until the foam had cured. Apparently, it wasn't clear enough for him being hand written in red pen. The first thing he did on seeing the window in was grip the handle and push it open

That's not a door you see coming out, it's the frame

I need to rebrick this area, so I've cut slots in the mortar work with a diamond disc on the 9" grinder

And I'll use brick ties to pin the new work in with the old