Old House Window Repairs

Reconditioning Old House Windows

Introduction:

Older home windows were not constructed to save money. These old house windows are a basic constructed window using a single glass sash. Because they were so poor in their construction a storm window was usually hung over the regular window during the winter to offer some amount of insulation. If you live in one of these older homes you can either fix the problem or live with high heating cost.

If you live in an old home there are two options for saving money.

1.  The first option is if the window is single pane and has no storm window or has missing or damaged storm windows, don't spend any time and material on installing or repairing the storm windows because that same money could go towards a modern replacement window that will seal dramatically better and also provide ease of use and cleaning.

2.  The second option is if the window is single pane and has adequate storm windows, replace any missing or loose caulking around the outside edges of the window pane(s) and re-caulk around both the inside and outside of the storm window. Ensure you leave the bottom weep holes uncaulked.

• It is most likely that the window has a weighted opening system. The system consists of a large cavity next to each window to encase these weights. Remove the outer molding and seal all perimeter corners of the cavity space with non-expanding foam spray. When dry, pad the back area with R-11 to R-13 insulation. Be sure to leave adequate space for the weights to move.

• If the ropes to the weights are broken replace the lines with a new clothesline rope.

• During colder winter months when the window would not normally be opened, you could encase the inside of the window with a heat shrinkable plastic kit.

• If the solid wood frame window does not close enough to allow for the locking mechanism to engage the window will not be able to be closed tight enough to prevent cold air from entering. If this is the case, remove the bottom window and plane its bottom edge to provide additional space for the window to close properly.

• If the window closes but the window does not seal tightly against the window base, install foam based weather stripping on the base of the window to help create a better seal.

• Many older wooden windows have uneven gaps at the base, making the use of weather stripping difficult. To resolve this, open the window and place a large bead of caulking on the window sill along the entire width of the center of where the window would close. Cover the caulking lightly with plastic wrap, overlapping the caulking by several inches.  Close the window gently and tightly and let sit for at least 24 hours. Once the caulking has cured, open the window and remove the plastic wrap, and you now have a weather seal that fits your window base perfectly.

Older home windows can be repaired and better insulated to save you heating cost. If they cannot be repaired they should be replaced with a replacement window.

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How to Select the Best Windows

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