Working Windows: A Guide To The Repair And Restoration Of Wood Windows

Small edit, the author does address most of these, but I think he should have started the book by addressing them. I'll go ahead and point them out now :)1) If you have growing children, never start a window restoration that involves stripping paint. It is unlikely that you will be able to capture all of the lead and you're going to cause problems with your child's development. Even more so if you or your spouse happens to be pregnant. I do not believe that lead dust is that harmful to grown adults, but it is extremely harmful to said adult's children.2) If you're working on wood windows, chances are the paint on them is lead based. Maybe not the outermost layer, but somewhere in there is lead. Don't use heat to remove the paint, while the lead dust is harmful to children (less so with adults), the vapor is much more dangerous. Particles in fumes are much smaller and will end up in the blood stream. You're also much more likely to catch something on fire. If you're going to use this method then use extreme ventilation, imagine stripping windows in a wind tunnel, that is where you'd like to be. Oh and while you're in that wind tunnel, wear a respirator.3) If you're going to use a paint stripper, do not, under any circumstances, use a solvent based stripper indoors. It's a bad idea to use them outdoors. much less in a drafty box. Use something like Soygel or its citrus equivalent. No, it's not going to strip the paint as quickly, but it isn't going to kill you either. The author doesn't have much faith in this type of stripping, but it does work. It does however take a lot of time. The solvent based strippers he recommends are dangerous. Do not, under any circumstances use them indoors. Take the sashes out and strip them. If you're wanting to strip the casing with it, find another way. Don't risk it.4) Pet's love lead paint. It tastes sweet and is everywhere! Imagine wanting to chew on something and finding out that not only is the texture awesome, but it tastes delicious too! This is how your dog(s) view lead. It will cause development problems similar to those found in children. In some cases it will cause the animals to become violent after prolonged exposure. We had a neighbor lose a pet because it became increasingly violent and unresponsive. It no longer ate or drank and spent all of it's time trying to bite anyone or anything that came near. The veterinarian suspected rabies but it turned out the dog had been chewing on wood molding behind the family couch. Once they acquire the taste, it is hard to stop._______________________One thing the author does do is avoid using interlocking weatherstripping. It is not nearly as hard to use as he would suggest and is much better than sprung brass. It is more expensive, but it lasts longer and performs better. You can even get rid of your weights completely by using interlocking weatherstripping. You just have to be careful when making your dado.

If you've ever lived in a pre-1950's house you've had to deal with old style windows. Sure, they look nice with their wide wooden trim and lead dividers. But opening them in the summer to bring in some fresh air. Good luck with that.Whether they are stuck shut with too much paint, suffering from a bad case of rot in the stiles or hard to open because the pulley ropes are missing, it's likely that your old windows need help.Faced with these "broken" windows, many home owners seek to replace the windows with new drop-in vinyl windows. We didn't want to do that. For one, it's expensive to replace all the windows in the house. Two, we bought the house because it is a charming old farmhouse. But I know nothing about old windows. Hence, the purchase of this book.Terry writes with humor and wit. I can't tell you how many times I chuckled while reading this book. How often does that happen in a household repair book?The book starts by defining the construction of old windows, and naming the parts. Later, it gives detailed guidance on removal of windows, repair strategies, where to buy replacement parts and more.

Window installers come at the public with a good line of hype. Many times it is flagrantly untrue. I think, almost every time, it is worth restoring the original windows rather than replacing them with new vinyl ones. Seasonal movement is one of the major problems for windows. Vinyl's seasonal movement is four times that of pine or fir according to the government testing lab that tests building material. Vinyl does not rot or is not destroyed by termites; it deteriorates. They are not made to be repaired, they are throw away. Also, the design of the vinyl window is out of place with the period of the home, making them grossly stand out as inappropriate to the style of the house. If you are concerned about the R rating, your old restored window, with a storm window attached is rated much higher than a new vinyl window. There are some homes,being lived in now, with two to three hundred year old windows still functioning fine. These are the reasons to buy this book. Window restoration and repair are good DIY projects. This book will take you through it.

Good book with a lot of mundane information. Well, it's mundane if you're not restoring windows. If you're restoring wood and other types of windows this book is a great resource. I do wish they had had a good way to remove 82 year old window putty, however. That stuff was petrified! Maybe they could add that in the next addition.......

This is great book for figuring out what to do with old stuck wooden windows. The descriptions are spot on. I only knock a star off for the sparse illustration and picture content. Careful reading and observation however with the help of this book will have you getting those impossibly stuck wooden windows not just moving again, but weather sealed like a pro.

I think this book is worth having. As someone that was embarking on restoring 100 year old windows, i saw a number of recomendations for this book as I searched for information. But, I have to say, while the book was informative and helpful, I wish it had more specifics in some areas and more pictures would have gone a long way. And, sadely, so much information is available on the internet that you don't find much new in the book. I didn't regret buying it. But I am continuing to look for other good sources of information.

If you want to repair your windows this is the book to buy. My first reaction would be tear them out!Now that I have learned to appreciate old houses and the value of keeping them original this book was a great asset. It was well illustrated ,informative and written in an easy to understand style. The author interjects some light hearted humor to keep it real. This book shows simple and proper techniques to paint,reglaze,free up those old windows,repair the weight system without destroying the window,weather strip and much more.

Just what we needed to help renovate our crumbling sash windows.

Very useful book: helped e enormously in restoring my sashwindows

A great book full of relevant and helpful information, helped me refurbish my sash windows and old windows. great book

Packed full of helpful information related to our window problems.