Storm window as main shed window?

We're looking for some super-inexpensive windows with screens to put in a shed we are building. Someone suggested to me to use storm windows alone as the main windows, and at $25 a piece, it costs half as much as a cheap regular window, plus they are super easy to install and they make one that is 24" wide, which will work perfectly with the shed's 24" on center studs -- all of which appeals to us.

So I bought some storm windows (Philips Sealtite brand), and when reading the directions, it says that if the storm window is not going in front of a wooden window, it still needs to be on a slanted sill that should be at least 3 inches wide, to channel the water into the bottom grooves of the window. so water will drain through the weep holes on the outside.

I was just planning to frame our shed with regular 2x4s, and if I don't have to, I don't really want to build an inner slanted sill for each window -- I just want to use a flat 2x4, like you'd rest a regular window on when framing it.

I haven't worked with storm windows before, so I have a lot of questions:

  • Will storm windows work for the main windows in an unheated, uninsulated shed? Has anyone else done this and had success?

  • Is the main reason for weep holes to let condensation on the inside of the glass drip out, and if this shed is unheated, do I even have to worry about condensation?

  • These storm windows that I bought say they are for "blind stop," not "overlap" installation. Would a window designed for overlap installation be a better choice for me, so I wouldn't have to build a slanted sill on the inside?

  • Why does the storm window manufacturer of this Philips Sealtite brand that I bought recommend a minimum THREE INCH WIDE sill on the inside? That seems to be a bit wide ... is water going to come pouring through the window in a rainstorm?

Any advice would be appreciated!! -- NOTE: Please delete the word "REMOVE" from my e-mail address when replying. This is a spam guard.

Reply to
Dave K.
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OK.

Yeah, it does.

Always mind the instructions. All storm windows leak eventually, no matter how well you caulk. It shouldn't be any problem to cant (tilt, for you non-Engrish-speaking folk) the sill/header with shims if you don't plan on beveling the daughter stud. If you've got a CMS just stack the 2x4 daughters and give 'em a 15-degree cut.

Yep, my in-laws used the triple-track storms as the "winders" of their unheated attached screen porch. I dunno where you are, and how severe the winters are but if you bought the storms local they should last in your climate.

One caveat, if you plan on firing up a heater inside the shed during winter caulk well. Single-panes tranfer a lot of heat even when caulked and a kerosene/propane heater will double the fuel consumption of a cheap double-pane simply by virtue of its construction.

You always have to worry about condensation. If the shed's uninsulated AND unheated, you'll have to worry more about condensation forming on the inside than the outside during summer.

Dunno the difference, can't comment.

I had an overflowing 2nd story gutter which leaked into my triple track that put about 2 gallons of water on my floor. Overwhelmed the weep-holes. One way or t'other water will find a way into any space.

If you're using a 2x4 as a sill you should be OK dimensionally speaking.

Eh, you say that now . . . ;-)

Marc

Reply to
MrAoD

FWIW, I recently opted to leave out the windows entirely on my new shed. Why make it easy for someone to break in? Not like we'd be opening them a lot for the fresh air. I put in skylights but they really weren't necessary either.

Reply to
ctrl-z

replying to Dave K., Nhpro wrote: Just screw the storm window directly onto a cased exterior, no sill required. I use 1x2 pine measured to the exact window frame size. Use silicone caulking along top and sides only.

Reply to
Nhpro

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