Had to scrape a bunch of peeling paint off my old wood window frames last week, and underneath there was some soft, crumbly wood—ugh, the dreaded rot. I’ve tried keeping up with painting every couple years, but it seems like the moisture still sneaks in somehow. Anyone else fighting this battle? Is there something I’m missing, or is it just a losing game with older windows?
I get what you’re saying, but I don’t think it’s a totally lost cause with old wood windows. My place was built in the 50s and I’ve had some rot too, but honestly, after digging out the soft stuff and using wood hardener before repainting, mine have held up better. Might just be that some windows need more TLC than others, but I wouldn’t give up on them yet. Sometimes it’s just about catching the leaks early before they turn into real problems.
I’m with you on not giving up on old wood windows. Sometimes folks are too quick to rip them out and go vinyl, but honestly, a little know-how goes a long way. I’ve got double-hungs from the late 40s, and yeah, I’ve chased my share of soft spots. The trick for me has been making sure the paint is solid—no bare wood anywhere. Once water gets in, it’s game over unless you catch it fast.
I’m a fan of epoxy consolidants for the real trouble spots—wood hardener is good, but epoxy fills and bonds better if you’ve got deeper rot. And don’t skip checking the glazing putty; if that fails, water just pours in behind the glass. I do a quick inspection every spring and fall, especially after rough weather.
One thing I learned the hard way: don’t caulk everything shut. The wood needs to breathe a bit or you’ll just trap moisture inside and make things worse. It’s a balancing act, but definitely doable if you stay ahead of it.
I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, sometimes old windows just aren’t worth the headache.
I’ve tried leaving gaps, but in my place (humid summers, brutal winters) it just meant more drafts and higher bills. At a certain point, you spend more on repairs than a decent replacement costs. Not saying vinyl is perfect, but for some of us, it’s the lesser evil.“don’t caulk everything shut. The wood needs to breathe a bit or you’ll just trap moisture inside and make things worse.”
- Old wood windows can be salvaged, but it’s a constant upkeep cycle.
- Key points: scrape loose paint, treat any soft spots with wood hardener, fill with epoxy, then prime and paint.
- Watch for failed glazing putty—water sneaks in there a lot.
- Agree with not caulking everything tight. Focus on joints where water pools, not every seam.
- Honestly, if you’re patching the same spots every year, replacement might be cheaper long-term. I see a lot of folks hit that wall after a few seasons.
Honestly, if you’re patching the same spots every year, replacement might be cheaper long-term. I see a lot of folks hit that wall after a few seasons.
That’s what I keep wondering myself—how many years of patching before it just makes sense to swap them out? Mine are original to the house (1920s), and I like the look, but the south-facing ones get hammered by rain and sun. I do the whole scrape/prime/paint routine, but honestly, I still end up with soft spots in the same places after a couple wet winters.
Has anyone tried those metal drip caps or flashing on top of the window frames? Do they actually help, or do they just make water sneak in somewhere else? I’m all for preserving old stuff, but not if I’m basically rebuilding the window every spring...
Curious if there’s some trick I’m missing before I finally bite the bullet and replace them.
I’ve wondered the same about drip caps—seems like they could help, but I’ve also seen a few cases where water just found a new way in. On my old place, I tried adding flashing and it did slow down the rot, but didn’t stop it completely. Have you checked the caulking around the frames? Sometimes that’s where things start to break down, especially on the sunny side. I totally get wanting to keep the original windows... but man, after patching the same corner for the fourth time, I started to question my life choices.
Yeah, patching the same spot over and over gets old fast. I swear my back window corner is just cursed—no matter what I do, it’s like the rot fairy pays a yearly visit. Drip caps helped a bit for me too, but water always seems to find the tiniest crack or gap. You’re spot on about caulking; I thought mine looked fine until I poked at it and chunks just fell out. The sun really does a number on that stuff.
One thing that slowed things down (for now) was using a good oil-based primer under the paint and making sure everything got sealed, even the underside of the sill. It’s a pain crawling around down there, but it made a difference. Still, every spring I end up with a tube of caulk in one hand and a scraper in the other... kind of feels like an endless cycle.
Honestly, sometimes I envy people with vinyl windows—but then I remember how much better these old wood ones look. Guess it’s just part of the charm?
Yeah, I hear you on the endless cycle—sometimes it feels like wood windows are just an invitation for rot. I’ve seen folks religiously maintain everything and still get that one corner that never dries out. Oil-based primer is definitely better than latex, but honestly, even the best prep won’t save wood if there’s a design flaw or water’s pooling somewhere. I’m not totally sold on caulk as a cure-all either... half the time, it cracks in a season. Vinyl’s boring, sure, but man, the low maintenance is tempting some days. Still, nothing beats the look of old wood with real profiles. Just wish they didn’t come with so much baggage.
Vinyl’s boring, sure, but man, the low maintenance is tempting some days. Still, nothing beats the look of old wood with real profiles.
That’s spot on about design flaws being the real culprit—no amount of primer or paint can compensate for a sill that slopes the wrong way or a joint that traps water. I’ve had better luck since I started using epoxy consolidant on suspect spots before priming, especially around muntins and the lower sash corners. As for caulk, I’ve found that high-quality urethane holds up a bit longer than silicone or acrylic, but yeah, nothing’s perfect. “Vinyl’s boring, sure, but man, the low maintenance is tempting some days.”—I get that. Still, there’s something about the heft and detail of old wood you just can’t fake.