Rebuilding a window sill and jambs.

[michaelskis]

I have a 120 year old wood window sill and jams that I need to rebuild, along with replacing the siding around it. The area is totally rotten because of water splashing off an entry roof onto the corner of the window. The window sash and glass are still in good condition, but the rest is toast. I actually fear that there might need to be some studs that need replacing as the water infiltration has caused substantial plaster deterioration as well. The root cause (gutter issues) will be repaired this weekend, then I will begin on the other repairs later next week.

It does have aluminum triple track storm windows that have protected the window sash, but have also retained the water on the sill, resulting in rot and now an ant population.

Other than hiring it out, does anyone have any suggestions as to how rebuilding the jam and sash? I have the typical tools (table saw, power miter saw, osculating tool, pry bar, first aid kit…) and have done just about everything else imaginable when it comes to DIY repairs and improvements, but the replacement of a jam and sills are new to me.

[pqtex]

I don't have any advice, but wanted to let you know I checked out your blog posts and think you're doing a good job!

[angolito]

checked out your blog also. don't paint your trim! TOH is bunk and has lost the OLD moniker. you can refresh your historic shellac.

SO glad to see you are both green and SMART. the "greenest" thing to do with old windows is to repair them. i see you are in a quandry about how to restore your upper sash. you have to remove the inside trim and parting bead to do this even without the storm windows in place.

i am sure someone will come along re your more extensive work on the sill replacement.

great home!

[Sashguy]

Michael, I've sent you a PM, will talk you through it. GC

[jade mortimer]

hi there michael...
best i can do is suggest you map out how your sill and jambs were constructed and copy the method/joinery...carefully deconstruct the components taking photos and measurements along the way...using a rot resistant wood such as spanish cedar or mahogany will offer a much longer problem free life for these components...

i just had to watch an episode of TOH last week...tom silva was showing a homeowner how to unstick a sash, remove the sash and replace the ropes....ok, so i would have done it a bit different BUT the part where i yelled at the tv was where he used two SCREWS to attach the rope rather than tying a knot and inserting it in the bore (hole) intended for that purpose!!!

TPOH...this poor old house.......

...jade

[michaelskis]

(This can be deleted, it double posted)

Thanks,
Mike

[michaelskis]

Thanks for the responses to the posts. I am looking at getting a better word press site and have worked on several projects since then. One of which is the living room. Don't worry. The only rooms that will have painted trim work is the kitchen and the bathroom... and that is only because it is currently painted. I am also building a screen door for my 8-foot high back door and refinishing the original screen doors for the front door too.

After talking with a few people, I fear I might need to do a strip and do a light sanding on our woodwork to get it to look nice again. Additionally, I discovered the height chart from the first owners kids dating back to the 1890's on the end of a door molding. Needless to say, that part will NEVER get sanded or painted.

As for the window and jamb, did a bit of poking around, and it looks like I am going to need to do a substantial repair job. Several pieces of siding need to be replaced and I pushed on the corner of the outside sill and it was held together with 100 years worth of paint. Oh, and more ants fell out too.

The gutter issue is more complicated. I tried to fix it yesterday and discovered that my 40 foot extension ladder will only go to the bottom of the eaves and we have a 2-foot overhang. I fear I might need to get a bucket truck to get up there to make the repair.

[chooseopen]

Hello fellow blogger and old house owner! Our houses look very similar. I have found that my ladder is also not sufficient for many exterior tasks. I am mostly trying to concentrate on interior work right now, but I have started working on the wife to let me buy a scaffold tower.
I looked at bucket trucks and see three issues...

1. Renting them is expensive. I would need to keep renting it all the time for all the work I need to do.
2. Used they run 8k-10k dollars. There is no way in hell my wife would let me buy one
3. They all need a lot of room to operate. I either have little clearance or uneven grade that make them impractical.

I have done quite a bit of research and I really like what I see at http://www.scaffoldmart.com/. Their 30ft tower looks perfect for me...

Good luck with your window project! I am planning to restore (vs replace) all of my windows too.