Traditional Heritage Windows
If you have traditional counterbalance double hung rope timber windows, that were made between 1890s to 1950s, they have been designed and made to last and to be repaired. They have been made with quality joinery, cedar frames and hardwood sills, and if they have been maintained correctly will last over 100 years and beyond.
Problems that can occur with traditional windows:
Our Standard Service will maintain items such as - replace broken sash cords, rebalance windows, release jammed windows, replace rusted inoperable pulleys, replace beadings, replace any broken or cracked glass, replace any damaged putty.
Rotten sashes (Sashes are the frames that move that hold the glass.) When windows are not maintained and exposed to the weather they will reach a point of actually starting to rot, however, this can take many years. Sashes will usually rot on the bottom window where the sash mortise and tenon rests on the sill, where water can sit. Sometimes the top sash will have a rotten meeting rail where the water has penetrated the mortise and tenon join due flaked paint. Finding rotten sashes do not mean you have to replace your whole windows. If the frames and sill are in good condition, the sashes can be replaced and your window can be revived.
Window sills which are generally manufactured with hardwood will have a longer life, despite catching the brunt of the weather. The window sill can often only have surface rot, which can be addressed by covering with lead flashing, thereby lasting for decades. However, if the window sill is truly rotten and you can push your finger through, it is a good sign that your window sill will need replacement. Generally, if the window sill is truly rotten, and the styles of the window frames are also badly rotten, it is a good indication you will need to replace the whole window.
Painting if this is is not maintained regularly the paint will flake off and exposes the timber to the elements, and the timber will start to degrade and eventually rot. Especially if they are facing the ocean, southern storms or the western sun. However, because the timbers of cedar and hardwood are quite resistant to the weather, they and can be exposed for many many years. We do not paint.
Problems that can occur with newer 1970s-2000s style windows:
Inferior Design and Materials Most newer double hung windows manufactured from the 1970s to the present day are spiral balance spring windows. They were made with inferior materials and design, (accept some from that era have been made with cedar frames and sashes which is a bonus). The windows made with maple and poor quality cedar are prone to rotting and warpage, especially if they have not been maintained. This is most prevalent with window sills that were made with softwood, getting wet rot. At some point there is no solution other than to replace them.
Inferior Mechanisms Newer double hung windows have mechanisms of spiral balance or springs, and in some you can replace the spiral balances or springs. Unfortunately these newer mechanisms are vastly inferior to counterbalance windows.
So, in summary
If you have Traditional Heritage Windows that were made between 1890s to 1950, you have quality windows. If they have been reasonably well maintained and are protected from the weather, you can successfully repair them. If your traditional windows have a rotten sash (a sash is the timber frame that moves that hold the glass) the sashes can be replaced and the windows can be repaired. If the window sill has slight surface rot it can be lead flashed and repaired. If the windows have been very poorly maintained and have totally rotten stills and styles they will need to be replaced.
If you have Newer 1970s-2000s style windows that have been well maintained, the windows can be serviced and spiral balances can be replaced. However if the softwood sills and frames are rotten and warped the windows will need to be replaced.
