Modern Window - Rotted Wood

Aluminum-Clad Window - Paint Failure

In our window restoration work in the Chicago area, we are finding that flaws in the design of some modern windows contribute to premature wood decay and paint failure. As house painting contractors, we are increasingly called upon to do epoxy restorations on wood windows where the wood has rotted in the lower portion of the styles, brick moulds and the sill next to those areas.

On two different painting projects, we recently restored double-hung windows, which involved similar issues with the vinyl jamb liner. In both cases, because of its design, that portion of the jamb creates channels that trap moisture. Additionally, in the case of wood windows, these channels inhibit the proper caulking and painting of the inside portions of those channels. Since the moisture has nowhere to go, it finds its way into the miter cuts in the bottom portions of the window components and rots the wood. The picture of the wood window clearly shows the damage this problem causes. For windows like these, we recommend a by-yearly inspection and maintenance program to detect and correct the problems before they get out of hand. Periodic maintenance is essential in order to mitigate the problems associated with this window design flaw.

The other picture illustrates a similar issue with an aluminum-clad window. In this case, rotting is not the issue; premature paint failure is! On the sunniest side of the house, the moisture that gets trapped in the vinyl jamb liner heats up, deteriorates the paint film and causes it fail prematurely. On the sunny sides of a house, such windows require maintenance every 5 years or so. To correct the problem, the sills have to be sanded and repainted with 2 coats of direct-to-metal paint. Because of the discoloration caused by the sun, the whole window will likely have to be repainted. In order to ensure color uniformity, every window on that side of the house may have to be repainted as well.

Educating our customers on the pitfalls of some window designs is part of the value we create for the clients who use our window restoration services.

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Window Restoration Project

Window Casing - Before Restoration

Yes, even a seventeen-year old house can be in need of window restoration work, especially when it boasts 91 windows and 30 freezes. In all, forty of the casings will need epoxy repairs and a few will need some wood replacement as well. On the house’s south side, the sun is the major trigger for the deterioration. On the north side, high and thick landscaping interferes with air circulation and causes the moisture to overly befriend the window components. In both cases, the moisture settles in the areas where the casings meet the sills and rots the wood.

This new client is interested not just in restoring the windows and arresting the deterioration, but also in doing the preventative maintenance that will minimize or eliminate the need for such costly repairs in the future. Starting next year, we will be doing a yearly inspection of all the windows and freezes to detect any caulk failure on or around the components. Caulk failure is the culprit behind much of the rot that develops on window components. Ensuring a tight caulk seal between all the joints is key to a sound window maintenance program, because it prevents the intrusion of moisture into the window components.

As house painting and decorating contractors in the Chicago area, part of our mission is to preserve and protect the useful life of surfaces. We favor restoration over replacement. Restoration preserves surfaces and saves you money!

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Before the economic downturn, replacing windows was a fairly routine decision. The new economic reality we live in has forced homeowners to take a much harder look at that decision and look to do preventative maintenance in order to preserve the life of their windows. As house painting contractors in the Chicago area, we have welcomed that change in outlook on the part of consumers.

Epoxy Restoration Underway

Restore Sill with Epoxy

Replace Wood Sill

The most vulnerable parts of a window are, in this order: sill, bottoms of casing stiles, the bottom rail of the sash. When not maintained properly, these parts can quickly deteriorate and rot away. Most of time, the culprit is the moisture that intrudes through openings in the caulk and gets trapped in the lower components of the window listed above.

What do you do when rot has developed on window components? Replacing windows is an expensive proposition. With the carpentry and finishing costs involved, the replacement cost of a window can easily top $1000 and sometimes far exceed that amount, depending on the size and complexity of the window. Epoxy restoration and selective wood replacement can save homeowners a lot of money and greatly extend the life of the windows. Making the proper assessments to determine what can be restored with epoxy and where wood replacement is needed are key to the success of window restoration. In some cases, there is too much damage and the window or sash must be replaced, However, in most cases, restoration is the best choice!

The pictures, I have attached show a sash and sill in the process of being epoxy restored, a sill that has been restored and a sill that will require replacement because of the extensive damage.

When doing epoxy repairs, it is essential to remove all rotted fibers and make sure that the area has dried out completely before the epoxy is used. An epoxy consolidator must then be used to harden the soft fibers before the epoxy filler is used.

Finally, the cost of window maintenance can be reduced even further by doing a close by-yearly inspection of your windows and looking for any sign of failure in the caulking. That step will greatly reduce the chance of rot developing on the window components. This is how Painting in Partnership preserves your wallet, as well your windows!

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