If your house has old wooden windows, you don’t have to replace them. Moreover, not all homeowners like PVC windows, especially when it comes to a wooden house (white plastic will simply ruin its appearance, and laminated, with wood imitation, glass in house interior will still not look so natural).
The decision to repair windows will be much cheaper than replacing old windows in the house with new ones (no matter plastic or wooden). And they will be able to serve you for another 1O and more years.
Below we will discuss the stages of such a repair and its features.
Repair Of Wooden Windows: Do It Yourself Or Entrust It To A Window Repair Company?
The window renovation procedure itself is not complicated, if you have construction experience behind you, have a few days left and, of course, the necessary tools. In any case, the first step is to assess the scale of the work ahead.
For this, the condition of the wooden window frames is inspected for:
- The presence of stains and fungi. As a rule, they appear because of various beetles that have wound up in wooden frames.
- Emerging cracks and holes. Again, made by bark beetles, or due to broken window sealing and excessive moisture ingress into it
- The presence of hidden defects and cavities. You can check them by tapping on the frame and platbands with a fist, screwdriver, or chisel. The sound should be resonant, and the surface should not deform. If the screwdriver is driven into the wood too easily, it means that the wood has already begun to ache and rot.
- Incipient decay processes. Wood usually rots due to high humidity. The humidity of a tree can be checked using a special device – a moisture meter. The optimal value (measured at a depth of 5 m) is no more than 15% for softwood, and no more than 129 – for hardwood. If the moisture value is higher, it means that the wood will need to be thoroughly dried before starting work!
Repair Of A Wooden Window Frame
If you decided to repair the windows in the house, the first step is to remove the wooden frame. It is advisable to do it in warm weather and when there is no liquid and solid precipitation outside. Store it in a dry and warm place to not damage the frame.
Then you should carefully inspect the frame, both inside and outside. If the problems indicated above are identified, it will be necessary:
- Clean from dirt, dust, and mold
- Polish
- Repair cracks and cavities
- Paint with varnish or impregnation
Repair Of Window Sashes And Fittings
Next, you should carefully examine all the doors removed from the frame. If possible, it is better to remove them so that they do not interfere with you during grinding work.
Also, pay attention to the condition of the hardware as it also spoils the house glass window design. As a rule, it is better to replace it with an old and ugly one with newer anti-corrosion hardware. So you get rid of crevice creaks and just your windows will look neater.
Old window putty should be removed. In recent years, special acrylic or glass silicone is used to seal the connection between the glass and the window frame.
Removing The Old Coating
The next step is to remove old paint and varnish from the wooden frame. This can be done in three ways:
- Mechanical
- Thermal
- Chemical
Sealing Cavities, Mildew, and Mold
Everything that was hidden by paint and varnish on your wooden frame can now be seen with the naked eye. You may notice micro-cracks, cavities, and even holes, all of which need to be repaired.
Over time, rotten wood fragments become soft and may fall off. Fungus and mildew appear in the lower part of the wooden window frame (where excess moisture from rain and snow usually accumulates).
After cleaning, apply wood hardener to the affected area with a brush and leave to dry for several hours. After this time, when the hardener layer is completely dry, you should cover the defects with wood putty and smooth it with a spatula.
After which, again, we leave a new layer to dry for one to two hours, and then level and grind the smoothed surfaces with fine sandpaper.
Impregnation And Painting Of A Wooden Frame
The next step is to coat the wood with a suitable impregnation material. This material will protect your windows from bugs and fungi.
After impregnation, choose the right paint. You can use colored paint to give a design of a house interior a fresh look. Also, it could be an opaque wood paint that will hide all the imperfections of your old frame and give the wood a uniform look and color. Keep in mind, however, that opaque paint will likely leave all knots, cracks, and other features of your wood frame visible.
Installation Of A Wooden Window
This is the final stage in the renovation of wooden windows. The removed frame is returned to its place and then fixed with polyurethane foam. If it is necessary install new hinges and other fittings.
