Give Your Windows a Mechanical and Aesthetic Rehab That’s Affordable

Have you noticed peeling and cracked paint on the interior and exterior of your windows? Does cracked glazing putty fall into your window sill every time you open and close your windows? Do you notice drafts coming through where glass was formerly sealed tight? Does your sash get stuck when you try to open or close it? These are all common problems that can be solved with a lower sash rehab.

Original double hung windows had lower and upper sash that were initially operational. That is, the lower sash could be raised and the upper sash could be lowered. When used together, it created a beautifully simple passive system for generating airflow through the rooms of a house: it allowed warm, stale air to exit through the top and fresh air to enter through the bottom. With the advent of air conditioning and aluminum storm windows with fixed upper glass panels, it became common practice decades ago to simply paint the upper sash shut. Today, many people do not realize their upper sash have the same working components as their lower sash, with pulleys, sash cord (ropes), weights, and jambs in which they can operate. While it is a common project to fully restore double-hung windows to achieve full operation, the labor costs of this work sometimes keep people from choosing this level of window restoration.

This is where lower sash rehab comes in. The lower sash is much easier to remove for maintenance. This keeps costs down so that time can be spent doing the actual rehab, rather than on the more time-consuming removal and reinstall of the upper sash. Because the lower sash is most often used nowadays, it is also the one that gives people the most trouble. Remember all that glazing putty that is filling your sill? Every time you open and close that window, more is bound to fall off. And with all this opening and closing, it is likely that those 100-year-old sash cords will start to break, if they haven’t already. Further, because the lower sash receives far more direct sunlight and water exposure due to it’s greater distance from the eaves of the house, the glaze and paint of the lower sash is typically in far worse condition compared with the upper sash. For all these reasons, consider a lower sash rehab to keep your windows operating smoothly, to cut down drafts, and to keep your windows looking their best.

With all work taking place from the interior, lower sash can be removed, new sash cord can be installed, jambs and pulleys can be lubricated, and weatherstripping can be installed. Old, cracked glazing putty can be removed and the window can receive new putty and exterior paint where it is needed most. This is also an opportunity to address issues with rotten wood by using structural-grade wood epoxy and carpentry repairs for failing joinery. Touch-up painting can also be done on the interior side, and adjustments or replacements can be made of sash locks and pulls. When everything is put together, you are left with a smoothly and quietly operating lower sash, a window that is more energy efficient, and that looks refreshed from the inside and out.