That’s the thing—once you’ve put in the elbow grease, those old sashes can outlast anything new off the shelf. I’ve found that after sanding back to bare wood, soaking the end grain with wood hardener before priming makes a big difference. Silicone’s not textbook, but if it keeps water out, who cares? Sometimes you just have to improvise.
I’m with you on the wood hardener—stuff is magic for old sashes. I’ve done the same on my 1920s windows and it’s saved them from the bin more than once. I do get a little nervous about silicone though... had it peel away after a couple of winters, but maybe that’s just our wild freeze-thaw cycles up here. Lately, I’ve been trying linseed oil putty instead. Takes longer to cure, but seems to stay flexible and keep water out. Curious if anyone’s had luck with that?
Lately, I’ve been trying linseed oil putty instead. Takes longer to cure, but seems to stay flexible and keep water out. Curious if anyone’s had luck with that?
I’ve actually had pretty good results with linseed oil putty on my 1930s casements. It does take a while to skin over—sometimes weeks if the weather’s damp—but once it’s cured, it really does seem to flex with the wood. I used to swear by silicone too, but honestly, after a couple of freeze-thaw cycles here in Ontario, it just started peeling like old paint. Not sure if it’s the brand or just our climate.
One thing I’ve noticed with putty is you have to keep it painted or it’ll dry out and crack faster. I learned that the hard way when I left one window unpainted for a season—ended up redoing the whole thing. Still, I’d rather deal with that than scraping off failed silicone every spring. Anyone else find that putty attracts dust before it cures? Drives me nuts, but maybe that’s just my workshop...
Dust on fresh putty is the bane of my existence, honestly. I’ve tried covering the windows with cardboard “tents” while it cures, but sometimes it just seems to attract every bit of fluff in the house. I’m with you on painting—skipped that step once and regretted it after a winter. One thing I do now is rub a tiny bit of linseed oil on my hands before working the putty, which seems to help it smooth out and maybe keeps dust from sticking as much. Not foolproof, but better than nothing.
I get wanting to keep dust off, but honestly, I’ve never had much luck with the linseed oil trick. For me, it just made my hands greasy and didn’t seem to do much for the putty itself—maybe I’m just clumsy with it. What’s worked better is waiting for a less humid day and doing a quick swipe with a tack cloth right before painting. Not perfect, but less mess. And yeah, skipping paint is a gamble... learned that the hard way last fall when a corner started cracking already.
Funny you mention greasy hands—I swear linseed oil ends up everywhere except where I want it. I’ve seen folks swear by it, but honestly, I’m with you: I’d rather not have my tools slipping out of my grip. Tack cloths are a lifesaver for dust, though. I keep a box in the truck just for window jobs.
Skipping paint is definitely rolling the dice. I had a client last summer who wanted to “let the wood breathe”—looked great for about three months, then the putty started shrinking and we got that classic cracking in the corners. Ended up doing a full redo before winter hit. Lesson learned: primer and paint might be tedious, but it’s way easier than scraping out rotten putty down the road.
Only other trick I’ve found is making sure you get a good slope on your glazing so water runs off. It’s amazing how much longer everything lasts if you keep standing water away from those edges.
That “let the wood breathe” thing is such a trap—I've heard it from a few clients and honestly, it just doesn’t hold up in real life. I get wanting to see the grain, but like you said, you’re basically inviting moisture in. Primer is a pain, but it seals everything up. I’d add, don’t forget about the bottom edge of the sash—so many folks skip it and that’s where water sneaks in. I’ve started using a little shellac on end grain before priming, just as an extra step. Not sure if it’s overkill, but so far, no callbacks...
Interesting, I always thought “letting the wood breathe” sounded kind of logical, but now I’m second-guessing it. The shellac trick on end grain makes sense—does it help with swelling too, or just moisture? I’ve noticed the bottom edge of my sashes gets soft first, so maybe I’ve been missing that step. Guess there’s more to this than just slapping on some paint.
I always thought “letting the wood breathe” sounded kind of logical, but now I’m second-guessing it.
Funny, I used to think the same thing—like wood needed to “breathe” or it would somehow get unhappy under all that paint. But after a few years dealing with soggy window bottoms (especially on the north side of my place), I changed my tune. In my experience, sealing everything up tight is the way to go. Shellac on the end grain is great for blocking moisture, but honestly, it won’t do much for swelling if water’s still getting in somewhere else. The real trick is making sure every surface, especially those cut ends and joints, gets sealed—primer, then paint or varnish.
I used to skip the bottom edge too, thinking it needed to vent. Bad idea. That’s where most of my rot started. Now I prop the sashes up and do all six sides, even if it means rehanging them a day later. It’s a bit of a pain, but way fewer soft spots since then.
If you’re worried about swelling, keeping water out in the first place is key. A little extra time sealing pays off in way less repair down the road.
That makes a lot of sense. I used to think if I sealed everything, the wood would somehow “suffocate” and get worse over time, but your point about rot starting where you skipped sealing—especially on the bottom—hits home. I’m still learning, but it seems like “letting wood breathe” is one of those myths that sticks around.
The real trick is making sure every surface, especially those cut ends and joints, gets sealed—primer, then paint or varnish.
Makes me wonder if I should go back and check the window frames in my place... I was worried about swelling too, but maybe moisture’s a bigger enemy than trapped air. Thanks for sharing this—definitely encouraging to hear sealing really does pay off.