I have Integrity with Fir interior. I used a couple of pieces of Fir from trimming the windows to triy out a couple of different finishes before we finished the windows. Our painter did all the finishing with what we selected. Everything was done in place and masked. You do have to trim the windows before staining. I would wait to stain them all at once.

Thanks IkBum, I called a painter this afternoon. I'm hopeing he'll call back tomorrow. I live 45 miles from "town" and it's often hard to get folks to come out, even though I pay for the job, and the travel, and the gas, and...

I believe you totally, but can you tell me why the windows need to be trimmed before they are stained/finished? Our trim, shrink wrapped and sitting in the middle of the floor, was purchased prefinished. Had I known it would be almost blizzard time before the windows were installed I would have paid the extra for the factory finish.

Ah hindsight. It's a wonderful thing.

Integrity does not have a fir interior option. That is available on the core Marvin line so you have clear pine. If it is any consolation to second guessing yourself, Integrity's only prefinish option is white only unless your distributor offers something more. That is all the factory offers.
I would at least unwrap a piece of the trim and use it as a reference so you can match it as close as possible before you trim them out.

Thanks, EastBay 10;

I grabbed the windows' labels from the file. They are Integrity, and the wood is pine. I didn't read the tiny print! I should know better.

I toyed with the idea of pre-finished oak and then cheaped out since the house is, at best, old and tired, and we won't be here more than 10 years.

Thanks for the help. I will say the new Marvin's, even lower end, are at least a 1,000% improvement over the 60-year-old, single pane, rattling and leaking windows that were in the room.

I used Minwax satin acrylic poly on my Marvin double hung windows. The poly dries quickly - perhaps if you have a 50 - 60 degree day you could get at least one coat on them.

I went around the window with a razor blade and got off a little of the latex caulk from the factory. Sand lightly with 150 grit sand paper, vac, and use a 'tack cloth' to remove all dust. Mask the window pane with blue tape.

Apply a thin coat with a foam brush. The first coat will raise the grain - so you need to lightly sand after the first coat, then vac and tack. I applied 3 coats - since the acrylic poly is really thin. Before you remove the blue tape, use a razor blade to cut between the glass and the tape - so you don't pull up the varnish when removing the tape.

I think it would be good to get at least one coat to seal the wood and prevent it from getting soiled.

Didn't realize they pine either. I asked my builder and our windows were trimmed with clear poplar. The painter used used a gel stain and top coated with urethane. Trimming before staining will give a more uniform finish. It's hard for me to get a photo, but here is one that shows the window and trim.

Ikbum; that window is beautiful! Can you believe that here in North Dakota it is a balmy 68 degrees right now! We should have snow on the ground already. Hopefully the good weather will hold out for me. Something needs to go correctly with this project!

Geoffrey, I want to use a satin finish, too. I had the original oak floor sanded and finished with a satin Varathane, no stain, just the "finish". Floor Man put the first coat on, lightly sanded again, and then added four more coats. It turned out beautiful. If I can replicate the look on the windows I will be thrilled.

Should I use the Polyurethane, or the Spar Urethane? Will the oil-based Spar be too toxic to use indoors?

I have blue tape, but I'll have to run to town tonight for the finish. Thank you for the info.

I will take out the moveable casements and do them first. Then I'll concentrate on the big east window before doing the stationary south window.

There is solvent based polyurethane - Verathane brand you mentioned, and water based polyurethane. Minwax also makes both kinds of poly.

With the solvent base you will have a 'deeper finish' - it brings out the grain. Over time it yellows a bit, so it will be a warmer color. This can be a plus, in that the new and the old will eventually match - might take 3-4 years.

However the solvent base takes more time to dry - at least 12-18 hrs to be tack free, and the solvent smell can be quite strong. But for a window frame that's not a lot of area, I think you could do it, but I'd close the bedroom doors, etc.

Water based poly dries in a few hours. Crystal clear, doesn't yellow, little or no smell. However it doesn't enhance the wood grain.

If you would varnish your window you would have to leave it open enough for the finish to dry. Maybe you could tape plastic over the outside of the casement frame. So you could have the window open until the poly dries.

I wouldn't varnish below 50 F. It would be ideal for you to varnish in the morning of the 60+ day.

Solvent based products adhere far better to wood than water based products..even with all the advances on paint type products.