what kind of window

[Dave Fritz]

Beside broken. This is in the basement of our mid-seventies built house. Since we're soon moving into a retirement community I'd like to just replace the unit and leave the metal frame in place after cleaning it and painting it. The frame is in the concrete. I just don't know where to start looking. There is a window well on the outside that feral cats sometimes sleep in during the winter. We have a wood burning stove in this room and I need to open the window to get the proper draft to start the stove. Thanks for your help. Sorry about no photos:
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[Lee Schierer]

Photos of the window and a detailed description of what is wrong would be helpful.

[Thomas McCurnin]

Older steel window frames were usually riveted and tenoned, or welded together. So unless there are machine screws to take apart the frame to replace the window, this might not be an easy hardware store fix. Yeah a couple pictures would help.

[Jerome Stanek]

I would look into a glass block window with vent

[Mark Leifer]

I had a basement window once (also a 1970 house) that was similar. If you rotate the little metal wings on top, the whole metal window frame should tilt down and towards you for removal. Take it to a window shop and they'll install new glass.

[Lee Schierer]

I had a basement window once (also a 1970 house) that was similar. If you rotate the little metal wings on top, the whole metal window frame should tilt down and towards you for removal. Take it to a window shop and they'll install new glass.

I was going to suggest the same thing. Let the new owner replace it if they want to.

[Dave Fritz]

Thanks so much. I'm going to wait for my son in law to come down and take it out, clean it up and get a new glass put in. Hopefully the house hasn't settled and the window can be made to slide easily. I just love sitting in front of my Jotul 400 stove on a cold, snowy day.

[Ken Platt]

This looks like one of those basement windows that is cast in place, that is, as you said, the frame is just put in the concrete. It's actually not that hard to replace - I did a half dozen of my similar windows - but you have to break out the metal frame, then use a grinder to make an even surface in the concrete. I replaced mine with a double paned unit from Home Depot, very nice window and only $50 each. There is a nice article and video on doing this on the Fine Homebuilding site. https://www.finehomebuilding.com/project-guides/windows-doors/replacing-a-basement-window-2

Even if you don't want to do the job yourself, it's nice to know how it's done.

I can't tell from your pix, but my windows were single pane and would have been easy to replace in the cruddy old metal frame, so it might be very simple to do if you want the quick n dirty repair.

Ken

[Lee Schierer]

My daughter purchased a house in Pittsburgh many years ago. They were concerned that the basement windows were leaking air and offered no resistance to a break in. I went to visit and we removed the old steel framed windows, replacing them with glass blocks with small vent windows. The mortar was removed by carefully tapping on it with a hammer. The old mortar came of pretty easily. Putting in glass block isn't very difficult, it is just like laying bricks.

[Bruce Wrenn]

My daughter purchased a house in Pittsburgh many years ago. They were concerned that the basement windows were leaking air and offered no resistance to a break in. I went to visit and we removed the old steel framed windows, replacing them with glass blocks with small vent windows. The mortar was removed by carefully tapping on it with a hammer. The old mortar came of pretty easily. Putting in glass block isn't very difficult, it is just like laying bricks.With spacers, which are later removed and holes mortared shut.