How To Remove Old Wood Sash Windows

Single-pane double-hung windows from the 19th century don't have the best of reputations. They can exist notoriously drafty, total of rattles, loose in the joints, or tin simply reject to budge. But as a number of studies have shown, when these windows are properly weatherstripped and paired with good tempest windows, they can match the performance of new double-pane units for much less than the new ones toll.

Painting contractor John Dee, whose refinishing skills are regularly seen in the pages of This One-time Firm, recently turned the windows in an 1882 house dorsum into shine operators—and increased their energy efficiency, to boot. As he shows on the following pages, it was only a matter of methodically removing each sash from its opening, stripping off the old paint and putty, and regluing the joints with epoxy. With new putty, paint, and weatherstripping, the sash are ready to face the cold and last through the 21st century equally proficient as new.

Painting contractor John Dee reattaches the stops, the final step in his window restoration. "Earlier this, opening a window was a wrestling match," he says. "At present, they just glide up and down."

Step ane

Go the Sash Out

Pry off or unscrew the stops (the moldings in front of the lower sash).

Pull out the lower sash, and have off the cords or chains on both sides.

Knot the cords to keep them from being pulled into the weight pockets.

Remove the departing chaplet (the vertical strips holding the upper sash).

Pull out the upper sash, and take off its cords or chains.

Remove the sash hardware and store in a labeled purse.

Step 2

Free the Glass

Soften old, hardened putty (glazing compound) with a heat gun set to medium and fitted with a nozzle shield. Scrape the putty away with a putty knife. This exposes the metal glazier'southward points; pry them out of the wood. Remove the glass, and characterization it and then y'all know which opening to put it back into.

Footstep iii

Clean Out the Joints

Using a rotary tool such as a Dremel, grind away whatever soft or rotten forest wherever sash joints are loose or open.

Step iv

Apply the Epoxy

To rebuild the cleaned-out joints, starting time castor on the epoxy primer and permit information technology ready for about 20 minutes. Then, using a plastic scraper, mix the 2 parts of the epoxy filler into a goop the consistency of Vaseline. Force information technology into the joint, and spread the mix over the sides to restore the joint's original shape. Look overnight, then trim the excess with a utility knife.

Tip: Clench pieces of Plexiglas over the wet epoxy. When it hardens, take the plastic off. You'll have a polish surface that doesn't demand much sanding.

Step five

Prime the Sash

Wait another day, until the epoxy is fully cured, then mitt-sand the sash with 100-grit paper, and wipe upwards all the dust with a tack cloth. Seal the wood with a coat of oil-based primer.

Tip: "Without a coat of primer, the woods volition suck the oils out of the putty and turn it breakable prematurely." —John Dee, painting contractor

Stride 6

Bed the Glass

Lay the sash exterior side up. Scroll glazing compound into a long rope, between your hands and press information technology into the groove, or rabbet, around the pane opening. Gently press the pane evenly into the chemical compound until it's bedded about i/16 inch from the bottom of the rabbet.

Footstep 7

Insert the Points

Using a putty pocketknife, slide each new glazier's signal on the glass and push information technology point outset into the forest sash. Constitute at least two points, evenly spaced, on each side of the pane. For large panes, the spacing between the points should not exceed 12 inches.

Tip: "On warm days, lubricate the tip of the putty knife with linseed oil so that it doesn't pull out the glazing compound." —John Dee

Step 8

Tool the Putty

Press another rope of chemical compound around the edge of the pane. Make a shine bevel between the drinking glass and sash by pulling a putty knife over the compound. Echo on the other panes. Wait at least a week, and so coat the putty with oil-based primer. Employ a acme coat of acrylic latex paint to the putty and sash.

Step 9

Rehang the Sash

If the windows have former weatherstripping, replace it; if there isn't any, add it. (See instructions for weatherstripping a window.) Clean and reattach the hardware; lubricate the pulley axles with a silicone or Teflon spray. Reattach the cords or chains to the upper sash, and reinstall the parting beads or replace them with new ones. Claw the cords or chains to the lower sash, then put both stops back on the jamb to hold the restored sash in place.

Tip: Strip paint-encrusted hardware past giving it an overnight dip in a warm Crock-Pot filled with sudsy water.

Source: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/windows/21016697/how-to-repair-sash-windows

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