Curious if anyone just sticks with putty and deals with the wait, or if there’s another workaround for this.
I’ve mostly stuck with putty because I’m nervous about messing up the original wood. The wait drives me nuts, though. Has anyone tried that two-part wood filler instead? Wondering if it holds up better on old frames.
I’ve tried the two-part wood filler on a couple of sashes, mostly out of impatience. It sets up way faster than putty, but honestly, I’m not convinced it flexes the same way when the wood expands and contracts. On one window, it cracked after a winter. Maybe it depends on how much movement your frames get? I keep falling back to putty for anything that really matters, even though the wait is a pain.
Maybe it depends on how much movement your frames get? I keep falling back to putty for anything that really matters, even though the wait is a pain.
I hear you on the two-part filler. I tried it after a neighbor swore by it, but that “sets up way faster than putty” deal is a double-edged sword. I had the same issue—cracked after the first freeze-thaw cycle. My house is 1920s, so those frames move a lot with the seasons. Putty’s slow, but I trust it more for anything that’s going to see real weather. Honestly, patience seems to pay off in the long run, even if it means living with taped-up windows for a week or two.
Yeah, I totally get the frustration with how slow putty cures, but honestly, it’s the only thing that’s really held up for me. I’ve tried all the “fast” modern fillers and they just don’t flex enough when the frames start doing their seasonal dance. My place is 1930s, and those old sashes swell and shrink like they’re auditioning for a weather channel ad. Two-part epoxies look great for about six months, then you get that hairline cracking or, worse, chunks popping out when the wood moves.
I will say, if you’re in a rush or doing something that’s not going to face much weather (like an indoor window or sidelights), the quick stuff can be fine. But once I had to redo a bay window after a winter freeze split the filler like a bad seam in cheap jeans... that was it for me. Putty’s slow, but at least you know what you’re getting into. I usually just tape up with painter’s plastic and live with the weird look for a week or so. Neighbors probably think I’m building a grow op or something, but hey, it’s better than redoing the whole job next year.
One thing that helped: I started using a heat lamp to gently speed up drying—just have to keep an eye out so you don’t cook the wood. Not perfect, but it shaves off a bit of the wait. Anyone else tried that, or am I just impatient?
Honestly, I’d rather deal with a bit of inconvenience now than chase cracks every spring. Old windows are a pain, but when they’re done right, they actually last. The trick is accepting that “right” usually means “slow and annoying.”
Heat lamps can help, but you really have to babysit them or you end up with dry, brittle putty or even scorched wood. I’ve tried it a couple times on jobs where the weather was turning and the client was getting antsy, but honestly, I find that patience is still the best tool for this stuff.
I’m curious—when you’re dealing with those old sashes, do you ever strip back to bare wood, or just patch and go? I’ve seen some folks swear by full strip-and-oil before putty, but sometimes it feels like overkill, especially if the frames are still solid. And what about glass—do you reuse the original panes, or swap in new? I’ve had mixed results with old wavy glass; sometimes it’s charming, other times it’s just a headache when it cracks during reinstallation.
Seems like every old window has its own personality... or maybe just a grudge against anyone trying to fix it.
I usually just patch and go unless the wood is really rough or flaking apart. Stripping back to bare wood just feels like too much work for most of the old sashes I’ve dealt with, especially when the frame’s still solid. As for glass, I try to keep the wavy stuff if it’s not cracked, but honestly, I’ve broken my fair share just getting it back in. Sometimes it’s more trouble than it’s worth, but when it works out, it does look pretty cool.
Stripping back to bare wood just feels like too much work for most of the old sashes I’ve dealt with, especially when the frame’s still solid.
Honestly, I feel the same way—sometimes you just don’t need to go all-in with stripping unless things are really falling apart. If the frame’s holding up and there’s no major rot, a good patch and paint can get you years more out of them. I’ve done both approaches, and the full strip-down is a serious project… not always worth it unless you’re going for that “museum restoration” look.
Totally agree about keeping the wavy glass. That old stuff has so much character, even if it’s a pain to work with. I’ve cracked a few panes myself—usually right at the end when I’m feeling confident. Still, when you get one back in and it catches the light just right, it makes all the hassle seem worth it. There’s something about those little imperfections that modern glass just can’t match.
Don’t beat yourself up over breaking a few pieces. Happens to everyone who messes with old windows. The end result is almost always worth the struggle, even if it takes a couple tries.
I get what you’re saying about not stripping everything back. I’ve found that spot repairs and a fresh coat can buy a lot of time, especially if you stay on top of maintenance. That said, I’ve run into some old paint layers that just won’t hold—peeling after a year or two, no matter what primer I use. Maybe it’s the humidity where I live, but sometimes I wonder if the half-measure actually ends up being more work in the long run. Anyone else deal with stubborn paint that refuses to cooperate?
Can definitely relate—my house is 80+ years old, and those window frames have seen every paint fad since the ‘40s. I tried just sanding and repainting a few spots, but the old layers underneath kept bubbling up. Ended up stripping one frame to bare wood, primed it with oil-based primer, and it’s held up way better... but it was a slog. Sometimes I wonder if the quick fix just drags things out. Humidity’s brutal here too, so maybe that’s part of it.
Sometimes I wonder if the quick fix just drags things out. Humidity’s brutal here too, so maybe that’s part of it.
Oh man, humidity is the real paint villain. I tried the “just sand and slap some paint on” method—looked fine for about a month, then the old layers started peeling like a sunburn. Ended up renting a heat gun and stripping everything back. Took forever, but at least now I’m not repainting every spring. Still, I do wonder if I’d have been better off just replacing the whole window...