What is a glazing bead for a wooden window: types, purpose, installation and replacement

Despite the fact that PVC windows are installed everywhere, wooden structures are not losing ground, especially among those who welcome a healthy lifestyle and try to surround themselves with environmentally friendly materials.
An integral part of wooden windows are glazing beads, which are designed to hold the glass or double-glazed window in the window frame.

What glazing beads are, what they are needed for and what types there are is written in this article.

What does it represent?

A glazing bead for wooden window frames is a strip (bar) designed to secure the glass in the frame. The slats are made from spruce or pine, but also from deciduous trees . These elements for windows are usually made from the same type of wood as the window for which they are intended.

What is it needed for?

Wooden beads are designed to securely hold glass in wooden window frames.
Once upon a time, the role of a wooden slats was played by ordinary window putty, which cracked and fell out over time.

Wooden slats that secure glass are reliable, practical, durable and look more beautiful.

The rail is needed to secure a double-glazed window or glass in a wooden window frame - this is its main purpose. It is attached around the entire perimeter of the frame. This element must perform several more important functions :

• hold the glass tightly in the frame;
• prevent dust, moisture, and cold air from entering the premises;
• serve as additional protection from external noise;
• be a kind of decorative element that completes the appearance of the window.

The glazing bead is an important element of a wooden window. If it is selected or installed incorrectly, this may compromise the sealing of the structure and the integrity of the glass unit.

Rubber seals for wooden windows also help preserve heat in the room . In wooden windows, under the influence of moisture and temperature changes, cracks and gaps gradually appear. As a result, the tightness of the structure is compromised. Sealant or silicone can also serve as a sealant.

Go

A bead is a narrow wooden or plastic strip that has a semicircular-rectangular cross-section. The main function for which wooden glazing beads are used is to secure the glass in the body of the window frame. In fact, a glazing bead is a profile element of a window structure, but a wooden glazing bead is also used in sealing joints between logs, giving the structure a more aesthetic appearance and protecting the inter-crown insulation from external mechanical influence and the ingress of dirt and dust.

Glazing beads are of two types:

What varieties are there?

Wooden structures are more often installed in private homes or in public buildings than plastic ones.

Beads for wooden window frames have certain characteristics and may differ:

• by type of wood;
• section shape;
• section size.

Glazing beads are made from various types of trees. Ideally, they should match the type of wood from which the window is made, but this is not necessary. Wooden slats for windows are made from pine, spruce, beech, alder, oak, ash, willow, and walnut.

The most common semicircular shape of wooden glazing beads is found. But it can be rectangular, concave, convex or curly.

The cross-sectional size of the sealing strip depends on the type of window: a regular frame with glass or a frame with a double-glazed window (single-chamber or double-chamber). Glazing beads can be narrow or wide, depending on the number of chambers in the double-glazed window.

A single-chamber double-glazed window requires a wider rail than a double-chamber design. A regular batten will not fit a double-glazed window. The average cross-sectional size of conventional slats is 10x10 mm .

Glazing beads for windows with double-glazed windows are produced by manufacturers of wooden euro-windows. As a rule, new window frames are supplied with the required number of ready-made glazing beads of the required shape and size, taking into account the number of chambers in the double-glazed window.

Wooden slats for fixing glass in regular window frames are sold in hardware stores. They are made in carpentry workshops and woodworking factories.

Glass cutting

The easiest way is to order ready-made glass in a special workshop, then all that remains is to think about its transportation. On the other hand, if there are old stocks, then you can trim it yourself. If you don’t have such experience yet, you can practice on some scraps. Over time, you will be able to determine from one sound whether the glass has cut through or not.

Cutting glass requires some skill

If you plan to trim a fairly wide strip, you can break it off by hand, without additional tools. The only point is that you should not forget about protecting your hands; ordinary gloves can protect you from very serious cuts.

. After you have gone through the glass with a glass cutter, you will need to move it to the edge of the table so that the cut strip protrudes about 1 cm. For greater reliability, you should tap the cut area from below. Then, with a sharp movement, press down from top to bottom, trying to bend the glass.

A little advice: you can use a wooden block or a flat board as a ruler, but it is not recommended to use metal objects. Before starting work, you should thoroughly clean the cut area from dirt.

How to choose?

When choosing glazing beads, you should carefully examine the product. The main purpose of this element is to tightly hold glass or double-glazed windows in the frame and prevent blowing and moisture and dust from getting inside.

The ideal option is if the material from which the product is made is similar to the material of the window frame. The shade of the slats should also match the color of the wooden window.

You should pay attention to the quality of the wood : the product should have no knots and cracks, it should be perfectly smooth. A defective strip will not fit tightly to the glass unit and may crack during installation.

Frame check

An important stage, but for some reason missed by many. In some cases, the quarters chosen for glass turn out to be uneven - there is a difference in depth

. If the difference is minimal, then it’s okay, but in more serious cases the glass may simply break. To avoid such troubles, the frame needs to be trimmed. A tool called a zenzubel or folding hebel is used for this. You can try to get by with a regular plane, but then you will have to finish the corners with a chisel.

Tools and accessories for work

Before installing glazing beads into the window frame, you need to prepare the following tools:

• the required number of wooden slats of the required section;
• silicone, sealant;
• construction gun;
• special carnations (with invisible caps);
• special lightweight hammer.

Types of plastic window beads for PVC windows

As standard, all Plastok plastic windows and doors are supplied with rectangular glazing beads. If you want curly or rounded glazing beads on your windows or doors, please inform the manager about this when placing your order.

A special seal is inserted into the groove of the bead, which ensures the tightness and strength of the entire structure. Also, recently additional sealing extruded elements are often used, which, together with the glazing bead, represent a monolithic structure. Due to the simple fastening system, the bead makes it easy to replace glass if necessary.

Step-by-step installation instructions

Let's take a closer look at how to properly install a glazing bead in a wooden window.

With double glazing

When installing wooden windows with double-glazed windows, the installation of wooden beads differs from the installation of plastic elements.

Small nails with invisible heads are used to secure wood products. The nails are driven through the bead into the frame as tightly as possible to the glass in the place where it is provided by the manufacturer.

This procedure is performed using an electric or pneumatic hammer , which works similarly to a stapler or a special light hammer. After the strip is fixed around the perimeter of the glass unit, the remaining cracks are filled with transparent silicone, and its excess is removed using a special remover or a rubber spatula.

In conventional wooden structures

1. 
   The entire perimeter of the frame is coated with a thin bead of silicone - 3-4 mm thick.

2. The prepared glass is applied to the frame and pressed tightly so that there is no gap between the glass and the silicone.
3. A pre-prepared and measured glazing bead is applied to the frame and glass and carefully nailed with small nails parallel to the glass so as not to split it.

Removing old glass

At the initial stage of dismantling, it is necessary to remove the old fastening

.
To do this, use a chisel, the sharp end of which is carefully inserted between the glass and the bead. This should be done close to one of the nails. You can start from the corner or from the middle of the bead. The glazing bead is dismantled using a chisel.
After this, you should carefully turn the chisel to insert it as deep as possible under the glazing bead. All that remains is to use it as a lever to remove the old fastener. Sometimes the glazing bead breaks at the attachment point (especially if it is old and rotten). In this case, it will need to be broken out piece by piece. The nails that ultimately remain in the frame are removed with pliers.

Window glass is not always rectangular, so simply measuring the height and width may not be enough

.
Experts proceed in a different way: they measure parameters on both sides and, if strong curvature is noticeable, then in the middle. To measure, use a special meter or tape measure; do not try to take measurements with a short school ruler - the result will be inaccurate. It is most convenient to take measurements using a tape measure.
After this, you should measure the diagonals of the glass. Most often, the difference in size will be small - within 1% or 1 cm. In this case, you can ignore it and simply cut out a rectangular piece with the given parameters. If the difference turns out to be greater, then you won’t be able to discount it - be sure to take into account all the parameters when cutting. An important point: most often the glass is cut out to slightly smaller (literally a few millimeters) sizes.

. This will avoid a number of installation problems without creating drafts.

Difficulties and errors during the installation process

• The glazing bead must be installed on a wooden window using silicone or sealant. If this is not done, then dust, moisture, and noise from the street will get between the glasses.
• For a wooden window frame, only wooden slats should be used, preferably of the same type, to ensure a tight fit to the frame and glass and not to disturb the decorative effect.
• If the window has two sashes, then the glazing bead for the outside of the frame must be of such quality as to ensure better density and tightness. For the inside, the lath performs more of a decorative function.
• Elements for fastening the slats should not be noticeable, otherwise the window will look sloppy.

Replacing regular glazing beads is easy, but they will not fit double-glazed windows. To replace them, you need special strips and a special hammer, with which the nails can be discreetly driven into the frame.

Having no experience in replacing glazing beads in wooden frames with double glazed windows, it is better to turn to professionals for this service. If errors were made when replacing such a part, this could lead to a failure of the sealing of the structure or damage to the glass unit.

Adviсe

When carrying out work on installing wooden glazing beads, the following tips may be useful:

• If the glazing beads need painting, they are coated with paint after cutting to size and fitting - this will cover the ends and give the frame a more aesthetic appearance.
• To fasten the slats, you should use special galvanized small nails without heads - they are almost invisible to the naked eye.
• It is more convenient to nail nails with a special small hammer with a square head.

When does it need to be replaced?

There comes a time when glazing beads require replacement. Replace wooden slats in the following cases :

• the clamping bar is dry or cracked;
• the element is deformed;
• the rail is moldy or rotten;
• when replacing double glazing or glass.

Due to these reasons, the seal of the window is broken, the glass begins to rattle, and dust and moisture get inside the frame. In this case, the old slats are replaced with new ones.

Replacement Guide

In order to replace the old rail with a new one, you need the same tools as during the initial installation and add a chisel or narrow spatula and sandpaper.

1. Using a chisel or narrow spatula, the old lath is carefully removed from the frame. First, pry up the long glazing bead in the center, where it is attached with a nail. Do the same with the remaining attachment points, removing all the slats one by one.
2. The glass is removed.
3. Using sandpaper, the glass and frame are cleaned of old silicone.
4. If necessary, the frame is painted with new paint or varnished.
5. A new thin layer of silicone or sealant is applied around the perimeter of the frame.
6. The glass is installed in place and pressed tightly against the frame.
7. The prepared new glazing bead is placed in the window opening.
8. The slats are nailed with thin nails using a special hammer.

Simultaneously with replacing the glazing bead, the gaskets are also changed. The cracks are coated with construction silicone.

Fitting the glazing bead

It's time to prepare the mount. The glazing bead is cut with a hacksaw and is most often done so that an angle of 45 degrees is formed at the ends. Most often, a miter box is used for marking, but instead of it, a regular construction corner can be used with equal success. In addition, those who wish can quickly make a miter box on their own from a couple of bars.

Use a miter box to cut glazing beads at an angle of 45 degrees.

All that remains is to mark the required length on the glazing bead and saw off the pieces. Experts recommend cutting on one side, then trying the material into the frame, marking the new length there and filing it. Note that a properly sawn glazing bead will stay in the frame even without nails (albeit not very firmly).

In order not to confuse the pieces later, they can be marked

. Also, to simplify the process, nails are pre-set. Some people prefer to drill a hole for them, but most often installation does not require this.

Average prices in the Russian Federation

Prices for slats for wooden frames practically do not differ across regions of the Russian Federation.
The average price for a wooden window bead made of coniferous trees is almost no different from the region of the Russian Federation.

Wooden slats can be purchased from 10 rubles. up to 22 rub. for 1 m.p. The price of the slats depends on the type of wood, length, shape and section size . The average length of a wooden element for a window frame is 2 m.

Aluminum bead

Aluminum windows are very rare these days, and the chance of seeing them in a residential area is very small. They have a number of disadvantages, which is why they never gained their popularity. But if you have a question about how to remove the glazing bead from an aluminum window, then there are only two options for solving it:

1. If the seal is on the outside. It is necessary to pull the seal out of one bead and then hit its corner with the palm of your hand. In this case, it becomes disengaged, and all you have to do is repeat the operation.

1. If the seal is inside. This option is the worst, since most often the glazing bead is held in place by additional clips. To get rid of them, you will need to find a drawing of the window design along with the glazing bead and remove them. After removing the clips, you can knock out the bead by hand or with a non-metallic hammer.

The complexity of the design is one of the problems of aluminum windows, which is why they have the greatest difficulty when removing the bead.

Manufacturers

You can purchase glazing beads for windows from the same manufacturers where the window structures were purchased. For PVC products, you should give preference to products manufactured by the window manufacturer.

This option will help to avoid mistakes when purchasing slats, since product sizes may differ from each manufacturer.

According to consumer reviews, products from manufacturers such as Rehau and Kbe are very popular due to their high quality.