Window Restoration (Part #1)
I've spent the past couple months in my spare time restoring the 70+ year old windows in my spare bedroom. They are fairly typical, double-hung sash windows. The window casings and sashes were extremely weathered and in need of some attention. I'm currently restoring the sashes of the second window. The first window is complete.
I first completely de-glazed (removed window panes) and stripped the many, many layers of paint off the casing and sashes, similar to my methods in previous posts. This process is rather painful and I hate doing it. But it has to be done. I then applied an oil-based exterior primer (make sure the primer has linseed oil) to the interior side of the sashes. Due to the humidity here, it takes roughy a week to dry.
Bottom Sash Primer Only
After the primer has dried, I applied two coats of 100% acrylic (latex) paint and lightly sanded with 220 grit sandpaper between all three coats (1 x primer and 2 x paint). I like to let the latex dry overnight, but 4-8 hours is generally ok between coats. It's kind of difficult to tell from the pictures, but the painted top sash pictured below definitely looks better than the primer only sash. The paint is much smoother and richer.
Top Sash Primed and Painted
Moving on to the exterior side of the sashes, the window panes need to be installed and re-glazed to form an air right seal. Many of the panes in this particular sash were broken, or I broke when de-glazing, so I'll need to get some glass cut at the local hardware store. Before glazing, it's a good idea to apply glazing points to hold the pane in place. It's the small, triangular piece of metal.
Glazing Points Installed
After the glazing points are installed, I used an oil-based glaze (putty). I do not recommend using any form of water-based glaze, or anything that comes in a tube. Those products are generally crap and won't hold up over time. There are many methods to glaze a window, and it actually takes a little practice to get the hang of it. But the nice thing being oil-based, there is plenty of time to scoop it out and start over if the glazing isn't going well. The picture below shows an empty pane, glaze applied, and then the glaze smoothed to form a nice beveled edge.
Glazing in Progress
Glazing Done (Still Missing Panes)
Once the glaze is dry (takes about 7-10 days), I can apply primer and paint (similar to the interior of the sash) to the exterior of the sash. Once it's dry, the sashes are complete.
More to come on the window casing, weatherstripping, hanging counterweights, and putting the window back together.
But for now... beer time... Cheers!
posted by analogrecording @ 8:49 PM
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