I am doing that exact project this week. We purchased a product at The Old Home Show which has a hardener and a filler. I'm pretty sure they suggested removing as much of the old paint as possible before applying either product. The sill we did last summer still looks great and the paint has held. I'll check on the product name as soon as I go back out to the barn. Don't give up on those sills just yet!

Thank you corgilvr. It is reasurring to hear from someone that has used the product. Good luck on your project.

Edwena

I did some basement window sills about 10 years ago, & they are still looking good with paint intact. I think I used a Min-Wax product, it was a clear liquid, about the consistency of kerosene. First I had to dig out the severe rot, and then brush in the liquid. The remaining depression was filled in with a two-part polyester paste, and after it hardened, I was able to sand and paint. These materials are compatible with wood, there is no sign of cracking or splitting around the repaired area.

I believe that epoxy materials work well in this application. Be sure to paint the epoxy, to protect it from sunlight.

Edwena, we had a window restorer come in earlier this year to give us an estimate on renovating all of our windows (all original to our 1926 bungalow). They've been maintained really well but just need a little work here and there. A couple of the sills are rotted and this guy - who is a total restoration NUT; runs the preservation group for our county, etc. - was going to use some kind of epoxy to fill in the sills. He gave us extensive information on the topic including the article linked to below.

(Unfortunately we had an unexpected death in the family and DH and I had to use our window restoration fund on the funeral, so the windows will have to wait a bit.)

"Restoring Wood With Epoxy" article from the February/March 1997 issue of Fine Homebuilding magazine
The site charges $3.50 but I have the whole article and it is very comprehensive.

Also: Fixing Decayed (Rotted) Wood Using an Epoxy Penetrant and Filler

Good luck!

loriellen, can you give us a ball park figure of restoration cost of an average window? I'd love to have an accurate way to compare restoration with replaceent as far as cost goes. I'd also like my husband to appreciate the work I'm doing on these windows! I have two windows removed, completely stripped, and primed with oil-based primer in 4 days. The worst part of the job was removing the old glazing compound. I should be able to put glass back in tomorrow. I hope to get three more windows done next week!

Old House Journal has a website that has lots of suggestions for products and methods for restoration. It's worth a look if you haven't been there. They list Abatron among their products. It was also suggested to us by a neighbor who does restoration work.

Good luck with your windows. loriellen, I think those windows are a reasonable DIY project. I am having a great time doing mine as long as I don't try to do too many at once and I have limited skills. This summer I'll have eight complete windows restored and one wooden floor refinished.

An excellent pair of booklets on exactly these issues can be purchased from John Leeke's site.

You need the Wood Epoxy Repair volume and the Repairing Window one. The window repair one tells you how to go about fixing the sill, and the other on additional disussion about using epoxy's to do it.

You can find them at www.HistoricHomeWorks.com.

I have had my copies for a long time and they are torn and ragged from frequent, successful use. I just purchased a full set as a housewarming present for a friend (I think it was seven topics) and the total was $59.00 including shipping; got them in just a few days.

They are really great, and very useful, so I recommend you get at least the epoxy and the window one before you tackle this. The good news is that it is a DIY project (with good instructions), and can preserve and protect and important feature of your old building.

Good luck!

MOlly~

corgilvr,

We have 16 windows of varying sizes and in varying stages of health. (Most open and close just fine, some don't open, pulleys need replacing due to breakage or fraying, all are slopped with paint/stain, etc. etc.) The estimate to restore all 16 windows according to this description:

"Labor cost for the restoration of the existing sash. All
brick mold, sash and casement trim will be stripped,
sanded, primed w/ oil-based primer and coated w/ two
applications of oil-based paint to match existing."

was $5525.

Additionally, we requested a quote to have him build new wood storms. Click here for pictures of his sample storm. We currently have aluminum storms which make me crazy. The quote for 10 custom storms was just over $2500. I can't remember why we didn't get quotes for the rest of the windows.

We had been considering postponing the window project anyway because we're planning to build an addition on the back of the house in some years (five-ish) and at that time will completely remodel the exterior of the house according to some of the guidelines in the book Bungalow Colors - Exteriors. It would be nice to roll the window cost into the remodel/addition loan but it would also be nice to have new storms now.

Anyway, with the death of my FIL in late spring, the matter of the windows fell out of our heads completely and we're just now getting to a point where we can think about such things again. In fact, the quote above was emailed to me the day after FIL died so I haven't even looked closely at it until today. (I did reply the contractor to thank him for his time--he spent a couple of hours here with us one day--and explain that we had a sudden death in the family and would have to put the window project off indefinitely.) I am not surprised by the expense. The restorer seemed extremely reluctant to do the windows himself; I'm sure he intentionally charges an arm and a leg because it's such a pain. He strongly encouraged us to hire him to come in for a weekend and teach us how to do one or two of the windows, and then do the rest ourselves.

My initial thought is that I should take care of the windows myself (me and my trusty copy of "Working Windows" along with the info provided by the restorer), and hire out the storms. On the other hand, we are trying to start a family and I don't know about working with paint, strippers, etc. while potentially pregnant.

Sigh. So many complications. I'm interested in knowing what you think but I've now completely hijacked this thread so maybe I should start a new one.

But to answer your post - Tell your husband what our restorer told us - it would be cheaper to replace the old windows with medium-quality new windows than to hire out the restoration project. You're doing well! :)

corgilver--you said, " have two windows removed, completely stripped, and primed with oil-based primer in 4 days."

WOW. I'm looking at two little 28" x 46" windows in the front bedroom - where I'd like to start the restoration - and I have no idea where to even begin. You are my heroine!!

You need to be careful working with old paint. No price can be put on healthy mothers and children. We're old and I grew up in NJ so I figure I'm immune or doomed regardless of what I do now. I do take standard precautions and use a heat gun which does not exceed 900 degrees for stripping. I hate chemical strippers.

My front windows are 36" x 66" and consist of double hung sash with a muntin dividing them down the middle of each, so we're not talking lots of little panes. It will take me most of tomorrow morning to put the glass back in and play with the glazing compound. That then takes a while to skin over, but I can prime the interiors and let those dry while I start the next set of windows. I leave the awful aluminum storms on until I get the windows back in. I take the storm off to strip the exterior trim and put it back on with a few screws down each side at the end of each work day until the windows are back in. Then I prime and paint all exterior trim.

I'd be happy to tell you the proceedure I use and it is working well for me. Just email me if you want any more details. The prices you were quoted seem fair to low compared to the labor charges in our area. We had one wooden storm window made and will try to make our own. I will probably hire our carpenter to walk us through one and help us set up an assembly line to construct them.

I think you can do it, but I don't want you to risk your health.

The other issue with using hardeners and fillers indoors is that they do emit chemicals. I don't even like the idea of using them outdoors, because our air is polluted enough as it is. I've opted not to use them, period.

I have 18 double-hung windows in my house. Some are repairable, and I'll make traditional storms for those that don't have the originals (those ugly aluminum storm windows have to go!) Some windows will be replaced as I can afford it. There are a few other minor issues with rotted boards, but I'd rather replace than deal with hazardous chemicals.

Dayle Ann