PROJECT STORY · WOODBRIDGE
Six Small Windows Become Three Larger Windows in Woodbridge
The upper floor of this Woodbridge home had six small windows with rounded tops. We removed them, changed the brick openings and installed three larger rectangular windows. New sills, custom aluminum work and Iron Ore finishing completed the change around the frames.
- Location
- Woodbridge, Ontario
- Original windows
- Six small second-floor windows with rounded tops
- Replacement
- Three larger rectangular windows
- Opening work
- Brick cutouts and new sills
- Protection
- Plywood over the flat roof beneath the work
- Finishing
- Foam insulation, custom brake-formed aluminum, Iron Ore sills and soffit, and colour-matched sealant
- PLANNING A NEW EXTERIOR OPENING?
Changing the windows meant changing the brickwork
This was not a like-for-like window replacement.
The old windows had rounded tops, while the new design called for three larger rectangles. Simply removing the old frames would not create the openings the new windows needed.
We cut the brickwork around the existing windows and removed the additional masonry required for the larger openings. The change involved both the windows and the wall around them.
Protecting the roof below
The work took place above a flat roof, which needed to stay protected while the old windows and brickwork came out.
We laid plywood over the roof before the removal work. Falling brick and debris could then land on the protection rather than directly on the roof surface.
It was an important part of the preparation. Changing the upstairs windows should not create another repair job underneath them.
Making room for the larger windows
With the old windows removed and the brick cutouts complete, the new rectangular openings were ready for the replacement units.
We installed the larger windows and fitted new sills. The six smaller arches gave way to three broader windows, changing the appearance of the upper floor without replacing the entire wall.
Two of the removed windows were set beside the new installation. Next to their replacement, their smaller size and curved tops made the difference easy to see.
Insulating around the frames
The work continued around the window frames after the units were installed.
We applied foam insulation in the surrounding gaps before completing the remaining finish work. The frames, insulation and exterior detailing were handled as parts of the same installation, rather than treating the job as finished once the windows were in place.
Finishing in Iron Ore
We brake-formed the aluminum to fit the new openings and installed it around the windows. Forming the pieces for this job allowed the exterior details to follow the changed openings.
The sills and soffit were painted Iron Ore, and the window perimeters were finished with colour-matched sealant.
Those details brought the new windows into the surrounding exterior. The cutouts were no longer raw openings in the brickwork; they were finished parts of the house.
Three windows, a different upper floor
The clearest change is the count: six small arched windows replaced by three larger rectangular ones.
But the finished appearance depended on the work around them too—the protected roof, the altered brickwork, the new sills and the fitted aluminum.
The result was a different window arrangement, completed through to the insulation, paint and sealant rather than stopping at the frames.
Planning answers
What homeowners can learn from this project
Can several small windows be replaced with fewer, larger windows?
That was the scope of this Woodbridge project. Six small second-floor windows were removed and replaced with three larger units. The brick openings were altered to accommodate the new arrangement; this was not a direct replacement within the original frames.
How were the arched openings changed to rectangular ones?
We removed the old windows, cut the surrounding brickwork and took out the additional masonry needed for the rectangular openings. New sills and custom aluminum finishing completed the changed areas.
How was the flat roof protected during the brick removal?
Plywood was laid over the roof beneath the work so falling brick and debris would not strike the roof surface directly.
Was insulation included around the new windows?
Yes. Foam insulation was applied in the gaps around the new window frames as part of the installation.
How were the exterior finishes coordinated?
The aluminum was brake-formed to fit the openings. The sills and soffit were painted Iron Ore, and colour-matched sealant was used around the windows.
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Thinking about larger windows?
Send us an exterior photograph and an inside view of the windows you want to change. We’ll review the existing openings and explain what would be involved in replacing or enlarging them.