Vintage Window {With Galvanized Sheet Metal}

Hi sweet friends!

How is your week going? I hope this second week of January is going well for you all! :)

I wanted first to say thank you for all of your kind comments on my previous post! I so much appreciate each of you, and the encouraging words you take the time to leave! :) I will be by to say hello to you all, and to catch up on what you have been up to this past week! I guess you could call the last week and a half another wash out~ between getting back into the swing of things last week, and my husband being away on a business trip this week, it has been a little crazy around here! Thankfully, David is back home now, and I am so glad! :)

So anyway...today I have a little something to show you...

Last April, I planned this project out, but just finished it this week! And although technically I didn't actually start those plans until this fall, how's that for a project taking forever to complete?

Now you are probably picturing a full kitchen remodel, or at least a living room renovation, and it's true we do have those going on right now. But that is not the project I am talking about...

No, this involves an old window...

and some galvanized sheet metal.

I first noticed this sheet metal while at Lowe's a year and a half ago. I mean, really noticed it. I love this stuff!

You can buy it in large pre-cut pieces, but it costs an arm and a leg. I believe you can also have it cut to your specifications, if you'd like, though I am not sure of the cost.

But...you can also buy large rolls of it in different widths and lengths, and it is affordable. SO much kinder to the pocket book.




In this case, my window had vertical panes, and so I only needed narrow strips of galvanized metal.


{Old window before}


And...


{Old window after}


{What you will need}

old window frame, minus the glass
galvanized sheet metal
5/8 inch nails, with large heads
work gloves
canvas drop cloth or old towel~ for protecting your work space
black Sharpie, or other permanent marker
ruler
large straight edge ruler
*Deco Art Slate Grey acrylic paint
*Deco Art Snow (Titanium) White acrylic paint
Paint brush
Old plastic container
measuring tape
tin snips
hammer
slotted screw driver
pliers
*Gorilla Glue Precision Glue Pen~ if needed



{How to}

My window was already missing its glass panes...If the glass in yours is still intact, you will need to break it out. Make sure to use eye protection and work gloves while doing this!

{If your window is just one square frame, then you will have to purchase a larger sheet of galvanized metal.}



On the back side of the window, there will most likely be an old layer of glazing putty around the edges of each window "pane". This is what is used to secure and seal each glass pane in these old windows, and will look just like the wood at first glance. This needs to be removed so that your piece of metal will fit into the space properly. It comes off easily with a chisel, and will break off into pieces like in the above picture. It may take a trace of wood off with it, but this won't be a problem.

On my window, the top part on one of the strips of wood~ I'll just call them "panes" for reference~ was loose. I used a little Gorilla Glue underneath the loose part to fix this, and clamped it for about a hour and a half. This kind dries white and is perfect for small or tight spaces.




After you sand and clean your window, you're ready to prime it! I used Valspar's gray primer spray paint...




Now the fun part...playing around with colors to find the perfect hue!





I wanted a light gray color, because all of the walls and our fireplace are white. I mixed and tested, and finally decided used approximately 4 oz. of Snow (Titanium) White by Deco Art and 8 teaspoons of Slate Grey, also by Deco Art, to make my shade of gray.



I love this color Slate Grey! I wish they sold it by the gallon!


{Large craft sticks that look like tongue depressors make the best stir sticks for small containers...who knew?}



{If you see it isn't completely painted down the sides, this was taken before it was completely finished!}


Once you have painted your window, place it so the back side is facing up. If you bought the roll of sheet metal, you will need to measure the width and length of each "pane" of your window. I subtracted about 1/16 inch or so from my measurements, to allow for a little give when placing the metal inside the pane.




{If your window has no panes, then simply measure the width and length of the frame, and skip down to where we will be actually attaching the sheet metal to the window frame! :) }

Now I was a very bad girl and did not use work gloves while cutting the metal, and have a nasty cut to show for it now! However, I felt more in control while cutting it without bulky gloves. In good conscience, however, I have to tell you that the edges of the sheet metal are very sharp, so you may want to use some leather work gloves. ;)




Look at all of that gorgeous shiny metal! Love it! When you roll it out, decide which side you think looks the best. I felt the inside of the roll looked the nicest, so that is what I used.





I measured on both sides of the top of the piece of metal, and made little marks with my Sharpie.





I used a simple ruler to draw my line where the marks were. This way you get an correct measurement and an even line to cut on.





Use your tin snips to cut in the middle of your line...







Then you just do the same thing to measure the width~ measuring and marking the top and bottom of your metal piece.




I used a long straight edge ruler to draw the vertical line...





Now it's time to nail the metal onto the window. Out of all the nails, I found the 3/4 inch by 18 nails worked the best. These have a larger head on them, that makes it easier to work with.







I didn't actually nail the metal into the window frame. Instead I hammered the nails into the wood so they were like clips holding the metal in place.

There are two ways to do this, depending. The best way is to hammer your nail laying flat, directly into the side of the window frame or pane, and tap it until it is securely in the wood, about a fourth of the way in. It will look about like this:





While hammering, you can use pliers to hold your nail in place if it is difficult. When nailing into one of the pane strips of wood, nail carefully so as not to split the wood. Also, I found by hammering only until the nail is securely in place, the nail wouldn't stick out through the other side, which would not be such a good thing! ;)





The other way is to hammer the nail in at an angle, into the slot between the metal and the wood, like this:





Test it to make sure it is secure, and then, using your pliers, carefully bend it over flat.





Either way you do it, you want the nails to be laying flat, close to the metal, but not touching it.





Continue nailing it along the window frame. You can look at it from the other side as you go, and test it to see if it is secure. Some places may need more nails than others to get it to look right.





Then just repeat the whole process of measuring and cutting your metal, and nailing it in place, until it is finished.





And then you have it~ a fun piece of wall art...





Or in this case, mantel art. ;)





I like how it fills in the large space of brick above the mantel...








Up close and personal...





And with tall candlesticks on either side...

SO...what do you think? I should mention that galvanized metal is a wonderful way to have a unique memo board, since it is magnetic; I just opted to put it above the fireplace instead! :)

{I am linking this to The DIY Club Project party, the monthly contest.}

I am also linking this to:

French Country Cottage
The Shabby Nest
The Shabby Chic Cottage
Tatertots and Jello
Along for the Ride
Funky Junk Interiors
Under The Table and Dreaming
Sew Chatty
Coastal Charm
Perfectly Imperfect
Crafting with the Stars at Sew Dang Cute.


I hope you are all doing well, and have a wonderful Thursday! :)

Blessings,

Jenni