fixed a window!

[DAB]

we have casement windows, they open outwards by pivoting at one edge, rather like a door opens, via a turning crank. they are covered by metal trim on the outside, but the core of the frame is wood, mostly pine.

we have found over the years that sometimes the bottom of the windows will rot out, causing us to order a new one at about $350 a pop. ugh.

and we had just ordered 3 new ones a few months ago, and I have them all prepped and painted, ready to be swapped out sometime this week. and the window guy suggested treating the bottoms of the windows with a wood hardener, basically thinned out superglue. paint on 2-3 coats and it should slow down the wood sucking up water and rotting.

so i go around the house yesterday, opening windows, planning on applying this hardener to existing windows, and i opened one of the windows in my office. uh oh. pine should not be black and falling to pieces. wonderful.

so i remove that window from the frame and take it down to the shop, to see what i could to to save it and not have to order another window.

turns out, we had previously swapped out 5 windows of varying sizes over the years, and I had saved the old ones in the barn. i'm glad i did.

as i was taking the window down to the shop, i noticed that the side of the frame moved relative to the glass. not good. after some close examination, i found that the seal between the exterior stops (metal and plastic) and the glass had failed, letting water in when it rained. ah ha!

so i took that window apart, and then found another window of the same width, and chopped off the rotted bottom of the existing window and also chopped off the good top of the other old window, married them together with some glue and a dowel, and after some sealing up and painting, I have a working window back in my office, and didn't have to spend $350. yay.

end of story.

for the TLDR types: rebuilt a rotted window frame.

[snide]

Next time you have to order windows, get rid of the casement windows and get something better. Anything is better.

[DAB]

That requires a lot of drywall work inside and stucco work outside.

[snide]

Originally Posted by DAB

That requires a lot of drywall work inside and stucco work outside.

We have casement windows here at the Chateau. I hate them.

[mrvette]

I had aluminum builders single glass sash windoze in this house....got tired of the summer sun/heat especially on the large front one....some 350 bux later have a 5' high, ~6' wide with two 16"w , one each side.....stucco over cinderblock typical sheetrock inside, tile sill replaced with stone......thermal 2 layer lo E vinyl....

a while later I did the rest of the house total for some 7 windoze was about a grand.....this all near 20 years ago, hate to think what be today.....

[Mike Mercury]