Measuring and Ordering Custom Size Windows

Two window openings that look identical from the sidewalk can differ by half an inch, and the notes at san bernardino window installers ncw india describe why custom sizes start with a tape and a notepad. In San Bernardino, CA houses from different decades sit side by side on one street, and each one hides its own quirks in the framing.

Why older houses are not standard

Before modern sizing, windows were built to fit each opening by the carpenter on site. A bungalow near Del Rosa may have openings that vary by an inch from room to room. Settling over many years pulls them further from square, so catalog sizes seldom fit without adjustments.

Taking the numbers

Width is measured at the top, middle and bottom, and height at three points across the opening. The smallest figure in each set is used. The diagonals are compared to see how far from square the opening has gone. If the two differ by more than a quarter inch, extra shim space is planned.

Frame size versus opening size

A new frame is ordered slightly smaller than the opening, usually by about a quarter inch in each direction, to leave room for shims, foam and sealant. A vinyl window with a nailing flange is measured differently than a block frame without one. Writing down the exact style on the order sheet prevents a mix up.

Custom sizes and lead time

A custom unit is built to order, so lead time is longer than for a stock size. The installers check the measurements twice, ideally by two people, before placing the order. A double hung that arrives a quarter inch too wide has to be sent back, and the old window may already be out of the wall by then.

Handling the odd ones

Arched tops, half rounds and wide picture window openings are templated with cardboard or thin plywood cut to fit. The template goes to the shop with the order, and the shop matches the curve. A bay window or bow window needs the wall angles recorded as well, since the projecting sections have to line up with the house. Photographs of each opening, with a tape visible in the frame, go in the file next to the written numbers, which makes a later question about a size easy to settle without another visit.