How to install a Velux Integra Electric Roof Window - Part 1

Unboxing the window and preparing it for installation

In this five-part guide, we take you through the full installation of a Velux GGU Centre Pivot Integra Roof Window onto an interlocking tile roof using a Velux EDW Flashing Kit and a BDX Insulation Collar.

In Part 1, Mark takes you through the labelling on the window box, how to unbox the window, what’s included in the window carton and how to remove the window sash from the frame to make the installation easier.

You can view the other parts here:

Part 2: Installing the Brackets and preparing the Roof Opening
Part 3: Installing the BDX Underfelt Collar and Transverse Drainage Gutter
Part 4: Installing the Flashing Kit and finishing the installation
Part 5: Setting up the Bluetooth Controls

Video Transcription

Understanding the labelling

Hi, I'm Mark Diamond from VELUX and I’m here at JJ Roofing Supplies today to show you how to install our white centre pivot polyurethane electrically operated window, commonly known as the Integra. So you can see to begin with, the carton label itself actually contains quite a lot of useful information to ensure that you get the installation correct and that you have the right sized product and the right product to suit your needs. You can see on the label, we have three different lines of information. The first line is basically telling you the style of window that you have. So this is telling us it's a centre pivot window in the white polyurethane finish. But to give you a clearer understanding, we also show you an illustration here, showing the opening mechanism and the white internal finish. The second line basically refers to the size of the external frame but rather than you having to learn all of our codes, we do actually specify the width and the height on the code beside that. And the final line refers to the glazing option but here, this identifies that we have the electrically operated Integra version.

We have the weight of the carton, so you can determine if it's safely able to be lifted by a single individual or more. And here is another useful introduction which is our QR codes which allows you to scan them using a free QR reader and can link you to installation videos as well as our paper based installation instructions. And finally, the last part of the information here is telling you the suitable roof pitches for any VELUX window, in particular for this style. But with all centre pivot windows, it's always a minimum of 15 degrees and a maximum of 90 degrees. So one of the other features we've introduced as well is something as simple as making it easier to get into the window itself. So this symbol here is one of the clues as to how we've managed to do that, where it's basically showing there is no need for any form of knife to open the carton. This symbol here is giving you the clue as to where we begin. So we pop these two little tabs in and then we just simply pull the box back. Then come around to this side of the box and again, pull it towards you. So we now need to flat pack the top and bottom and the easiest way to do this is to avoid where the card has been returned.

So put your hands in the middle, pull that down and it breaks the glue. Come around to the other side and do the same again, and you can see now the box will just nice and neatly pack flat on the floor to protect the window while we carry out the remainder of the preparation.

Unboxing the Window

Installation instructions are always nice and clearly visible when you first open the box. We'll put those to one side just now and we'll also then start to remove the additional packing elements and the additional component parts of the window. Here, you can see the cable which we're going to use to connect the window to the mains power a little later on. So we'll just break the tape away from the card, and put that to one side. Then we just need to remove this cardboard packaging at the side of the window. There will be a couple of staples that are left in there, so a little set of pliers just allows you to remove the staples to ensure that they don't catch on the flashing when we come to install those later. Back around to this side and the same again. And the final staple.

So this final box that we're going to remove at the top, you can see from this label, is one of the key component parts that will fit across the top of the window as part of the latter installation when we install our flashings. So at the base of the window, along with this polystyrene packaging, you'll also find the box that contains your installation brackets, a packing piece if required when it comes to levelling off the window, a large number of small installation screws along with the longer installation screws that we're going to use to secure the window into the roof structure itself. Keep that here at this stage because the next section we're going to do is to lift the window up on this end to allow us to remove the sash. So it's good to keep that in there for some additional stability.

Engaging the Ventilation Bar

So starting here at the top of the window, slide your fingers just underneath each corner and as you start to lift, just push the window forwards slightly and it will push the polystyrene flat and the window comes to a nice rest on top.

The polystyrene is just protecting this bottom aluminium section from any unnecessary damage not only in transportation but also during this part of the removal of the sash. So to reduce any waste packaging and also to make the boxes as streamlined as possible for transportation and storage, the ventilation bar comes unattached to the actual mechanism initially, so at this stage you just need to clip this bar into the locking mechanism. To do so, just simply remove this little piece of polystyrene here. Now, if any of this breaks off, you want to fish this out as well to make sure that nothing is left inside that will actually jam the mechanism itself. So we'll then bring the ventilation bar over, and because this is the electrically operated window, we have the remote control attached to the ventilation bar so at this point, just safely put that to one side so we don't lose it and then just bring the bar around and you'll hear it click.
Good practice is always to do this with two hands. You'll get that double lock in one movement. If you do it from one side, there is a danger one lock engages and the second doesn't, and you have to re-engage that, which is just making life more complicated than necessary.

Removing the sash from the frame

So now we've engaged the ventilation bar, we're able to start opening the window. That's important because we want to take out the heaviest part of the installation to make everything else as lightweight as possible. And naturally, the heaviest part is the opening sash because that’s containing the glazing. So you simply pull the bar towards you, keep pulling and the lock disengages and you'll be able to start bringing the window in. At this stage, you want to then remove the polystyrene packaging blocks from the ventilation bar, rotate them around and plug them onto the ventilation bridge. By doing so, we're going to protect the top of the window here from getting dirty or potentially obviously being chipped if there were any debris on the card. So with that in place, we can now start to bring the sash around. Take the other end and just rotate that yourself and start to lean the frame back until the sash is able to rest completely upright. So it's now resting on the polystyrene and you can support the frame yourself.

On larger windows, obviously if there are two of you, one can have the sash while the other has the frame. The next important part we need to get access to is the release mechanism here on the hinge. If you look closely, you'll also see the word 'Press' stamped into the hinge itself so we can sort of make life as straightforward as possible. You may find that you can get into this button and actually push it in just with your thumb, but not everyone can so if needs be, use the pliers from earlier or a screwdriver just to sort of lean into the button and pop that in. Once the buttons have been pressed, you can simply loosen the frame away from the sash, and lay that flat. Then we're going to lift the sash away and store it somewhere safe until we need to reinsert it later on.