Last weekend I finally decided to tackle the old wooden windows in my house. They've been looking pretty sad for a while—paint peeling, wood looking dry and weathered, you know the drill. Anyway, I thought it'd be a straightforward weekend project, but man, sanding down those frames took way longer than expected. Plus, I wasn't sure if I should use an orbital sander or just stick with sanding by hand. Ended up doing a bit of both, and my arms are still sore, lol.
I also tried out a new stain that was supposed to match the original color, but it turned out darker than I thought. Not terrible, just...different. I'm thinking maybe it'll grow on me?
Curious if anyone else has tackled old windows like this—did you run into unexpected issues too? Any tricks or shortcuts you figured out along the way would be awesome to hear about.
Totally feel your pain on the sanding—it's always way more work than it looks. I tackled mine last summer and quickly learned that a heat gun can be a lifesaver for stripping old paint layers. Just gotta be careful not to scorch the wood. As for stain, I've found samples never quite match reality, but honestly, darker shades tend to hide imperfections better anyway. Give it a few weeks, bet you'll end up liking it more than you think...
Heat guns are great, but man, I nearly toasted my window frames first time I tried one... patience isn't exactly my strong suit, haha. Curious if anyone's tried chemical strippers instead—worth the mess or nah?
Heat guns definitely have a learning curve—I feel your pain, nearly scorched a client's trim once myself. Chemical strippers can be messy, yeah, but honestly, if patience isn't your thing, they might suit you better. Just make sure you ventilate well and protect your skin. I've found the gel-based ones easier to control, less dripping everywhere. Might be worth a shot if you're up for a bit of cleanup afterward...
Heat guns and chemical strippers aside, have you thought about weatherstripping while you're at it? I get the charm of restoring old windows, but honestly, without proper sealing, you're just throwing money out the window—literally. Did mine last year, and the difference in drafts and heating bills was noticeable. Just saying, aesthetics are great, but efficiency matters too. Might as well tackle both if you're already elbow-deep in sanding dust...
Good call on the weatherstripping—I tackled mine a couple years back and it was definitely worth the extra effort. A few quick thoughts from my experience:
- Totally agree that aesthetics alone won't cut it. I learned this the hard way after spending hours refinishing, only to feel drafts creeping in come winter.
- Weatherstripping isn't too tricky once you get the hang of it. Took me a window or two to figure out the best method, but after that, smooth sailing.
- Don't stress if your first attempt isn't perfect...mine certainly wasn't. But even imperfect sealing made a noticeable difference in comfort and bills.
- Plus, there's something satisfying about knowing you've improved both looks and function—makes all that sanding dust feel worthwhile.
You're already doing great work restoring those windows; adding weatherstripping is just icing on the cake. Keep at it!
"Don't stress if your first attempt isn't perfect...mine certainly wasn't."
Haha, can confirm. My first weatherstripping job looked like a kid's craft project, but it still kept the drafts out. Curious—anyone experimented with different materials like silicone vs. foam strips? I've had mixed results myself...
I've gotta say, silicone strips never really did it for me. Maybe it's just my clumsy hands, but I found them messy and tricky to get right—ended up with silicone smears everywhere except where I needed it. Foam strips might not last forever, but they're cheap, forgiving, and easy to redo when you inevitably mess up (speaking from experience here...). Plus, they compress nicely into uneven gaps on old windows.
I've had mixed luck with foam strips myself. They're definitely easier to handle than silicone (which, yeah, ends up everywhere but the window for me too...), but I find they sometimes lose their squishiness faster than I'd like. Ever tried those felt strips? I've been curious about them—seems like they'd compress nicely into uneven gaps, but I'm not sure how well they'd hold up over time. Might give them a shot next time I'm feeling adventurous.
I've used felt strips on a few restoration projects. They're decent for uneven gaps initially, compress nicely and easy enough to handle. But in my experience, they tend to absorb moisture over time, especially in humid climates, which eventually affects their performance and durability. Foam's not perfect either—like you said, it loses its resilience—but it's usually more resistant to moisture issues. Felt might be worth experimenting with, just keep an eye on it if humidity is a concern in your area.