Wooden Window Sills Repair Question, Please
 

Hello,

Not too sharp with this "stuff" anymore due to age, so would
like to ask the following, please. Thought it would be a good idea
to try and learn something about this prior to call in a Contractor.

Live in a 35 yr old typical colonial.
Horiz. wood clapboards; the usual Colonial type of construction one sees
in New England. Original wooden windows.

Many of the wooden horizonal window sills (the horiz. piece at the very
bottom) have rotted badly, and needs replacement, or...

How is this usually handled:

e.g., is the old sill just cut back the few inches of its width, and a
new piece screwed or nailed in ? If so, is this a good approach ?

Or, should the whole window be replaced ?

If replaced with a "storm window," like the ones Andersen sells, do
these have a built in sill, or would the sill still have
to be replaced ?

Any thoughts on this would be most appreciated.

Thanks,
Bob


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Wooden Window Sills Repair Question, Please
 

On Sun, 15 Mar 2015 15:04:51 -0400, Bob wrote:

Hello,

Not too sharp with this "stuff" anymore due to age, so would
like to ask the following, please. Thought it would be a good idea
to try and learn something about this prior to call in a Contractor.

Live in a 35 yr old typical colonial.
Horiz. wood clapboards; the usual Colonial type of construction one sees
in New England. Original wooden windows.

Many of the wooden horizonal window sills (the horiz. piece at the very
bottom) have rotted badly, and needs replacement, or...

How is this usually handled:

e.g., is the old sill just cut back the few inches of its width, and a
new piece screwed or nailed in ? If so, is this a good approach ?

Or, should the whole window be replaced ?

If replaced with a "storm window," like the ones Andersen sells, do
these have a built in sill, or would the sill still have
to be replaced ?

Any thoughts on this would be most appreciated.


Is the damage inside or out? How thick is the sill. Are you meaning
Stoop and Apron inside?

http://www.garymkatz.com/TrimTechniques/StoolApron/Stool-Apron-wide.jpg

Wooden Window Sills Repair Question, Please
 

On Sunday, March 15, 2015 at 3:27:01 PM UTC-4, Oren wrote:
On Sun, 15 Mar 2015 15:04:51 -0400, Bob wrote:

Hello,

Not too sharp with this "stuff" anymore due to age, so would
like to ask the following, please. Thought it would be a good idea
to try and learn something about this prior to call in a Contractor.

Live in a 35 yr old typical colonial.
Horiz. wood clapboards; the usual Colonial type of construction one sees
in New England. Original wooden windows.

Many of the wooden horizonal window sills (the horiz. piece at the very
bottom) have rotted badly, and needs replacement, or...

How is this usually handled:

e.g., is the old sill just cut back the few inches of its width, and a
new piece screwed or nailed in ? If so, is this a good approach ?

Or, should the whole window be replaced ?

If replaced with a "storm window," like the ones Andersen sells, do
these have a built in sill, or would the sill still have
to be replaced ?

Any thoughts on this would be most appreciated.


Is the damage inside or out? How thick is the sill. Are you meaning
Stoop and Apron inside?

http://www.garymkatz.com/TrimTechniques/StoolApron/Stool-Apron-wide.jpg

Posting some pics at one of the hosting sites would get better answers.
If they are all rotted at 35 years, that to me would suggest something
was done fundamentally wrong, like allowing water to pool. If these are
the old style double hung windows, with wooden storm windows, I've seen
cases where folks replaced the storm windows with aluminum, caulked
totally with no drip openings at the bottom. Water pools and it rots
in between the storm window and the inside window.

Wooden Window Sills Repair Question, Please
 

On Sun, 15 Mar 2015 13:02:48 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:

Any thoughts on this would be most appreciated.


Is the damage inside or out? How thick is the sill. Are you meaning
Stoop and Apron inside?

http://www.garymkatz.com/TrimTechniques/StoolApron/Stool-Apron-wide.jpg

Posting some pics at one of the hosting sites would get better answers.
If they are all rotted at 35 years, that to me would suggest something
was done fundamentally wrong, like allowing water to pool. If these are
the old style double hung windows, with wooden storm windows, I've seen
cases where folks replaced the storm windows with aluminum, caulked
totally with no drip openings at the bottom. Water pools and it rots
in between the storm window and the inside window.

Something may have been done wrong. I'd suggest people examine trim
of outside windows and doors. Cheap / crooked installers save caulk I
guess? They never caulk the trim a-top the windows and doors.

You get drafts, water and/or damage.

Wooden Window Sills Repair Question, Please
 

| Many of the wooden horizonal window sills (the horiz. piece at the very
| bottom) have rotted badly, and needs replacement, or...
|
| How is this usually handled:
|
| e.g., is the old sill just cut back the few inches of its width, and a
| new piece screwed or nailed in ? If so, is this a good approach ?
|
| Or, should the whole window be replaced ?
|

Most of the older sills are made of very hardy wood. I'd
guess fir. Those rarely rot and when they do can usually
be patched.
Unfortunately, most newer windows (35 years is new in
this case) are made of plain pine, often with glued-up
sills that begin to break up after years of water exposure.
Making matters worse, most paint used in the past few
years has been water-base, which simply doesn't hold
up on horizontal surfaces.

Typically, to replace a sill, you need to take off the trim
in and out, then deal with the window itself. If you have
something like a 1980 Anderson window it might be tricky
to replace the sill, but it can be done. I'd use fir if it were
me, so you don't end up doing the same job again in 10
years.

The replacement is a lot of work, so I try to use a stopgap
measure when it's feasible. There are 3 basic options:

1) Gouge out the rot and fill it with bondo. Prime with
good oil primer and paint.

2) If it's bad and you don't care much about looks, you
can repair as much as possible and seal the wood, then
cover it with aluminum or vinyl.

3) If it's really shot but the damage doesn't go in too
far, you can trim it off and glue on a new piece. (Again,
I'd use fir and use Bondo if necessary to fill the joint
before priming with oil paint.)


| If replaced with a "storm window," like the ones Andersen sells, do
| these have a built in sill, or would the sill still have
| to be replaced ?
|

You can replace the whole window. I don't know
what you mean by storm window. To me that means
an aluminum frame with two panes and a screen that
gets screwed to the exterior casing. But if you mean
to use a new window it will have its own sill. The trouble
there is that you'll need to remove and redo both the
inside and outside trim.

Wooden Window Sills Repair Question, Please
 

On Sunday, March 15, 2015 at 5:25:43 PM UTC-4, Mayayana wrote:

|

You can replace the whole window. I don't know
what you mean by storm window.

From IDK when up until the ~60s, storm windows
were the outter windows. You had double hung wood windows,
and outside wood storm windows that were put up in
fall. Come spring, the windows were taken down,
wood framed screens put up that fit the same opening.

After the 60s the trend was to aluminum windows that had
window and screens combined, they stayed there permanently,
you could slide them up/down and choose either a window or a
screen for the lower half. You slid the window up, the screen
down, or vice-versa.






To me that means
an aluminum frame with two panes and a screen that
gets screwed to the exterior casing. But if you mean
to use a new window it will have its own sill. The trouble
there is that you'll need to remove and redo both the
inside and outside trim.

Wooden Window Sills Repair Question, Please
 

On Sun, 15 Mar 2015 17:27:06 -0400, "Mayayana"
wrote:


| Many of the wooden horizonal window sills (the horiz. piece at the very
| bottom) have rotted badly, and needs replacement, or...
|
| How is this usually handled:
|
| e.g., is the old sill just cut back the few inches of its width, and a
| new piece screwed or nailed in ? If so, is this a good approach ?
|
| Or, should the whole window be replaced ?
|

Most of the older sills are made of very hardy wood. I'd
guess fir. Those rarely rot and when they do can usually
be patched.
Unfortunately, most newer windows (35 years is new in
this case) are made of plain pine, often with glued-up
sills that begin to break up after years of water exposure.

If it WAS pine, it might be OK. But it's "mixed softwood"
Making matters worse, most paint used in the past few
years has been water-base, which simply doesn't hold
up on horizontal surfaces.

GOOD latex paint stands up just fine. The problem is most paint used
in the past few years is CHEAP or substandard paint.

Typically, to replace a sill, you need to take off the trim
in and out, then deal with the window itself. If you have
something like a 1980 Anderson window it might be tricky
to replace the sill, but it can be done. I'd use fir if it were
me, so you don't end up doing the same job again in 10
years.

Or good cedar if you can find it.

The replacement is a lot of work, so I try to use a stopgap
measure when it's feasible. There are 3 basic options:

1) Gouge out the rot and fill it with bondo. Prime with
good oil primer and paint.

2) If it's bad and you don't care much about looks, you
can repair as much as possible and seal the wood, then
cover it with aluminum or vinyl.

3) If it's really shot but the damage doesn't go in too
far, you can trim it off and glue on a new piece. (Again,
I'd use fir and use Bondo if necessary to fill the joint
before priming with oil paint.)


| If replaced with a "storm window," like the ones Andersen sells, do
| these have a built in sill, or would the sill still have
| to be replaced ?
|

You can replace the whole window. I don't know
what you mean by storm window. To me that means
an aluminum frame with two panes and a screen that
gets screwed to the exterior casing. But if you mean
to use a new window it will have its own sill. The trouble
there is that you'll need to remove and redo both the
inside and outside trim.

When I replaced the windows in my house I used new construction
windows, and was able to salvage and re-use ALL of the interior trim.
The new windows came with vinyl brick-mold that fit perfectly.

Wooden Window Sills Repair Question, Please
 

On 03/15/2015 4:27 PM, Mayayana wrote:
....

Most of the older sills are made of very hardy wood. I'd
guess fir. Those rarely rot and when they do can usually
be patched.
Unfortunately, most newer windows (35 years is new in
this case) are made of plain pine, often with glued-up
sills that begin to break up after years of water exposure.
Making matters worse, most paint used in the past few
years has been water-base, which simply doesn't hold
up on horizontal surfaces.
....

Clear white pine was (and still is) _the_ material of choice; fir and
some others is used some.

In general with regular maintenance should last almost indefinitely
unless there's an issue in installation or somesuch.

I'd prefer a link to some "pitchures" of OP's problem before venturing
much...

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