|
Window Bump Out
By Corwin
You will need:
A window of your choice. (It is best to be painted beforehand)
A Cutting instrument. I mainly used my easy cutter, but a sharp utility or hobby knife would work too.
Glue of your choice. I use Alenes Quick Grab Tacky
Straight metal ruler
Various pieces of strip wood
A sheet of thin wood 1/8th is what I used.
Something to cut on.
Please note: I didn’t want to give measurements, because I wanted every one to really make this there own. You can use any size of window and finish it inside or out any way you want. I used stone but one could use stucco siding, brick, whatever. Now on to how to do this!
Step 1
You will need your window removed from the house. Place on a flat surface and figure out what your bump out will be used for. Mine will be used for a window seat, however you can make the bottom longer if you want the bump out to reach your floor. I wanted it wide enough for curtains and big enough for cushions, so I used wider widths. You want the wood to be the same thickness as your window, (if not it can be built out.) However if you want it smaller or taller you can alter accordingly. Once you have the wood measured and cut, place it so you have a frame around the window and glue it in place. You don’t have to worry about mitering it, as gaps will be hidden from the front and there is nothing that a piece of trim can’t hide.
Step 2
Cut 6 pieces of rectangular strip wood the same height as your window, you will also need two square stock slightly thicker than your rectangular stock and 2 pieces as wide as your sides and as long as your window. I cut mine from the 1/8 inch pieces of wood with an exacto and a ruler.
Step 3
Glue two next to each other so that you have a large rectangle. Once that is dry, glue the square in the corner, and glue the other rectangle next to it, and attach the thin rectangle at the bottom like above and let dry.
Cut two pieces of equal thickness and the length of your bottom window and glue in place. Let dry.
Step 4
Once all is dry, you can shave off any unevenness so that the top is level. Once you have done that you can glue the top piece, like your bottom, on top. It should look like a big box. Now we can work on the outside.
The outside of the bump out
You will need:
Supplies for your exterior treatment, I used stone.
Appropriate roofing material, I used shingles and copper flashing
Builders foam
A hobby/exacto knife
Thick scissors
Easy cutter (optional)
Ruler
Glue: I used Alenes quick grab tacky.
If you’re using siding, I recommend quick grab, or no more nails by Lepage.
If you’re doing stone or brick you will also need grout.
Step 1
Decide what kind roof you want, I wanted a hipped roof. Now my whole structure just happened to measure 1.5 inches, which is the thickness of three sheets of builders foam so I glued those together. DO NOT use contact cement or any thing chemical based as this will melt the foam. Set aside to dry.
Step 2
The beauty of builders foam is that when your three sheets are dry you can carve it into any shape (carefully) with a utility knife. Now draw out your angle and cut it out. Use that as template for the other side. By placing it on top of the other one mark your pencil line and set a height for the flat top part if you want a hipped roof. If not cut out the other triangle and on to step 3!
Step 3
Your roof should almost look like this; the angle is made by slicing and carving into it until you get the desired shape. I found that if you carefully use a sharp, utility knife, the longer the blade the better. Voila!
Now for the flashing.
Step 4
Flashing is used on real houses to prevent rain and critters from coming in. I used scrap copper, but alternatively, for a modern house with tin or flashing, you can use tin foil, or for lead you can use the dull side of tin foil. Now mine is thicker and it’s a bit of a pain to bend so, I use a straight edge and GENTLY used a pencil to score a straight line on the copper. Fold and you should have a nice L shape.
Step 5
Place a bead of glue along the side of the copper and put in place. Now allow to dry. When it no longer shifts, you can start with the shingles. The bottom row on most houses is always flat; this is to keep out rain. You will need to cut some at the sides at an angle and you can use scissors or an exacto knife. I am using Aleens tacky glue for this, because they are cedar shingles. If you are using Greenleaf shingles, use quick grab, and stain before hand.
Step 6
Work your way up. I wanted my shingle imperfect, but if you want it to look all nice and neat draw lines. You should have a bit of the flashing showing. Once the front is done you can work on the sides.
The Bottom of Your Bump Out
Step 1
There are many ways you can do this, I have done it before so that it is flat this time I wanted an angle so I used builders foam and cut a triangle and glue in place.
Step 2
I then placed some 1/8 inch wood on top of it and let dry. After I add the stones I will add the board and batten, made from stir sticks.
Rocky road
This is one of many ways to finish your bump out. These are plaster rocks, so they really absorb the grout, but there is a way around that. I use clear tile sealer and coat the sealer on the tops, not so much the side. Then comes the hard part let dry over night.
The next day:
Smoosh, (is that the technical term?) the grout on and scrub off the top part of the rocks. Let dry 15 minutes. To scrub off the extra bits I use an electric tooth brush, but just for this! Once you have the grout scrubbed off let dry for about 5 hours.
Now is a good time to paint your trim. Mine will be yellow and blue; I also painted the underside of the roof.
I wanted an altering pattern so after a bit of cutting, gluing and a bit of touch up, my window now looks like this!
To attach it to your wall I would recommend polyurethane glue like Rhino. If you use Gorilla Glue use only a small amount---less than a dab or it will bubble. A lot.
Well you’re done! I hope this has helped you.
Return to Newsletter Home...
|
