Timber windows are worth keeping, up to a point
Wooden windows give a house character, and a well-kept frame lasts for decades. Their enemy is water. As long as the paint and putty keep water out, the timber stays sound. Once water gets in, the problems follow in order: the glass loosens, the sash swells and sticks, and eventually the wood rots.
Reglazing and putty
Putty dries out and cracks in the sun, and pieces fall away until the glass is held in by little more than habit. Water then runs into the rebate and starts on the timber. Reglazing means cutting out the old putty, removing the pane if it is broken or loose, cleaning and priming the rebate, bedding the glass and applying new putty. Once the putty has skinned over it should be painted, which is what keeps it working. Broken panes are replaced at the same time; see window glass replacement for the glass choices.
Sticking or swollen sashes
A wooden sash that sticks in summer rain and rattles in winter is moving with the moisture in the timber. Layers of paint make it worse by building up on the edges. We ease the sash, plane back the high spots and seal the bare wood so it takes up less water. If the sash has dropped on its hinges, it is rehung.
Hinges and stays
Hinges on wooden casements work loose as the screw holes wear, and stays rust or bend. Worn screw holes are plugged and redrilled so the new hinge has solid timber to hold, and stays and catches are replaced to suit the window.
Rot
Rot usually starts at the bottom: the sill and the lower rail of the sash, where water sits. We assess how far it has gone by probing the timber. A small area can be cut out and a new section of timber let in. Where rot has spread through the sill or the joints of the sash, replacing the sash or the whole window is the sounder choice, and we will tell you which we think it is.
When aluminium makes sense
If the frames are badly rotted, or you are tired of the painting and upkeep, replacing wooden windows with aluminium is worth considering. Aluminium does not rot, swell or need painting, and new frames are made to the size of the existing openings. See aluminium windows for the window types and options.
Repair or replace?
Repair when the timber is sound and the problems are putty, glass, hardware or a sticking sash. Replace when rot has reached the joints or the sill, or when the cost of repairing several sashes approaches the cost of new windows. For faults in other kinds of window, see home window repairs.