Our sash windows are common to
1880s-era houses, and to houses built
about 50 years in either direction. This
straightforward style contains two sashes,
an upper and lower, which are movable
and counter-balanced by large weights
that live in vertical cavities beyond the
jambs of the window frame. When a
sash is raised or lowered, the lead sash
weights, attached to the sash by cords (or
sometimes chains), travel up and down
in the hollow channels, allowing the
windows to stay open without any other
props or stays. It’s a simple, functional
system that works quite well and is easy
to repair.
That is, until the windows are coated
in layers of paint, the sash cords fail or
are cut, the glazing putty hardens and
pulls away, and wood begins to rot. These
eventualities call for different remedies.
Replacing sash cord is relatively easy (see
OHJ, June 2016), but stripping, repairing,
and readying the sash for new glazing is
the most labor-intensive aspect of win-
dow restoration. Since my windows had
not been restored for a very long time, I
decidedly to remove them and work on
them in my shop, one by one.
Sanding Away After I’d removed the ma-
jority of the old putty and paint, I moved
onto sanding. Using a 10-gallon HEPA
dust extractor in combination with a
multi-mode random orbital sander (I used
a Festool Rotex RO 90
“An exterior storm
window has two functions:
to increase efficiency and to
protect your main window sash
from the elements. If you are
going to remove wood windows
during restoration, put a storm
window in the opening.”
—chad lueken,
adams architectural millwork
ABOVE Because there’s no good way to score old paint on an exterior window, the author taped
an oscillating tool to a pole and reached outside the window to make the cuts. Wear safety
glasses! BELOW (left) Use a utility knife to free sashes from multiple coats of paint. Cut along
the edge of the sash where it meets the trim. (right) Fungal decay or dry rot indicates trouble.[text cont. on page 45]
WENDY^ AND
ALEX^SANTANTO
NIO