Making Junkyard Windows Look Brand New [Day 11]

Shopping = $399 Spent

On the drive from our home to our build site (my in-laws’ house), we put in an Amazon order with the cart we’ve been filling since last week. We ordered a big variety of stuff, including a Samlex Battery Charger and Renogy 30A MC4 Waterproof in-line holder with fuse for our solar system, full-size Linenspa 5″ Memory Foam Mattress for our bed in the van (but also to replace the mattress in our in-law’s guest room while we stay there during the build), 35% Ceramic Window Tint for the windows, and a Sew-On Steering Wheel Cover. Check out the prices of each item in the summary at the bottom of the journal entry.

On the drive over, we stopped at the Habitat ReStore to see if they had any other good deals. I scored an AeroGarden for only $2! Then, we stopped in the Home Depot for the first of many times for the build. We picked up some metal jigsaw blades which are for cutting through the walls to install the windows and the roof to install the fan (eek!). Austin also went to Advance Auto Parts to get some Permatex Silicone RTV sealant for reconditioning the windows.

 

Reconditioning Windows

We got our van windows for a total steal ($25 each, whaaaaat) at a junkyard last week. They needed a little work, including replacing the pane of glass with a bullet hole in it 😬. Today, Austin reconditioned both windows, and they look spiffy and new! Here’s the step by step process.

Step 1: Clean

Wipe everything down with ArmorAll Glass Cleaner.

Step 2: Remove Weatherstripping

Pull off the weatherstripping to remove the broken pane. Keep it to put it back in once the new pane is in.

Step 3: Separate Adhesive

Jam a putty knife in between the pane of glass and the metal frame to separate the adhesive.

Step 4: Pry and Lift

Do this very carefully. Before doing any of this we made sure to put tape all over the broken pane to keep the little pieces of glass from falling out, but during the prying process, there were little bits of glass flying everywhere. So be sure to wear safety glasses. Be very gentle when picking up the glass.

Step 5: Scrape Adhesive

Time to prep the new pane to go in. Scrape the old adhesive off new pane using a razor blade. The noise is AWFUL (like nails on a chalkboard) but it must be done. And watching the dried adhesive ribbon off was pretty satisfying, honestly.

Step 6: Clean new pane

Every time we cleaned something from the junkyard, the paper towel came back completely black with dirt.

Step 7: Apply new adhesive

We used black Prematex silicone RTV sealant, which was $14 at Home Depot.

Step 8: Carefully place glass

Carefully place the new pane of glass in the frame. We needed to wiggle it into place, then press down to sandwich the RTV sealant between the glass and the metal frame.

Step 9: Resist the urge to screw with it

You’ll just mess it up if you screw with it. Austin relayed this advice to me, and a little later decided to screw with it. The window got a big line of RTV sealant across it that he’ll have to razorblade tomorrow. Take ti from us, just don’t screw with it once the glass is placed!

 

Austin started making the screens for one of the windows, but is finishing them tomorrow so I’ll share then.

 

Sound Dampening

I researched sound dampening, and from what I can tell a lot of people do it, but aren’t sure after insulation if it has much of an impact. FarOutRide recommends that you just use your insulation as sound dampening, and I trust them. Also, some of the van panels already have what appears to be sound dampening pads on them, so we think that our van already has it. The verdict was that spending money on sound dampening didn’t seem like it was going to have an appreciable return on investment, so we’re going to skip it.

 

9/9/2020

Build Day #11

Hours Worked: 11.5

• Becky – 2.5
• Austin – 9
• Total Project Hours: 117

Money Spent: $399

• Permatex Silicone RTV sealant (Advance Auto Parts) – $14
• Metal Jigsaw Blades (Home Depot) – $13
• AeroGarden (Habitat ReStore) – $2
• Samlex Battery Charger (Amazon) – $140
• Linenspa 5″ Memory Foam Mattress – Full Size (Amazon) – $130
• Renogy 30A MC4 Waterproof in-line holder with fuse (Amazon) – $17
• Ceramic Window Tint, 35% (Amazon) – $43
• Sew-On Steering Wheel Cover (Amazon) – $17
• Tax on Amazon Order – $23
• Total Project Spending: $18,338

Tasks Complete: 2

• Research sound dampening
• Recondition windows

Questions Googled: 1

• Is sound dampening worth it in Sprinter van conversion? (verdict: no, just insulate)

 

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