Good call on the silicone seals, they're definitely worth the extra few bucks. Another thing I've found helpful is using a penetrating wood preservative before painting—especially on the sills and lower rails where water tends to sit. Learned that one the hard way after replacing a couple windows... never again, lol.
Definitely agree on the wood preservative—wish I'd known about that sooner myself. A few years back, I had to replace the bottom rails on three of my windows because moisture had completely rotted them out. After that, I started using a borate-based preservative before priming and painting, and it's made a noticeable difference. Silicone seals are great too, but combining both approaches really seems to extend the lifespan significantly. It's a bit more upfront work, but beats replacing windows every few years...
- Borate preservatives are decent, but honestly, I've had mixed results.
- Tried it on my south-facing windows—definitely slowed down rot, but didn't completely stop moisture issues.
- Ended up adding storm windows and improving drainage around the frames; that combo finally did the trick.
- Agree silicone helps, but it's not a magic bullet either... gotta tackle moisture from multiple angles.
Borate treatments are alright, but honestly, sealing the end grain properly made a bigger difference for me. Moisture loves sneaking in there... once I started priming and painting those areas carefully, the rot slowed way down, even without storm windows. Worth a shot maybe?
Totally agree about sealing the end grain—makes a huge difference. Had a client a few years back with beautiful old wooden windows that kept rotting out at the bottoms. We tried borate first, and it helped some, but once we started carefully priming and painting those end grains, it was night and day. Last I heard, they're still holding up nicely even after a few rough winters. Definitely worth the extra effort to seal properly...
"once we started carefully priming and painting those end grains, it was night and day."
Had a similar experience myself—old farmhouse windows that kept rotting no matter what I tried. Sealing helped tons, but I'm curious if anyone's experimented with epoxy consolidants for really damaged areas... worth the hassle?
I've used epoxy consolidants on some porch columns that were pretty far gone, and honestly, it held up surprisingly well. Bit messy and takes patience, but saved me from replacing everything. Wonder if windows would be trickier though, with all the moving parts...?
"Wonder if windows would be trickier though, with all the moving parts...?"
Yeah, windows can definitely be a bit fussier. I remember tackling some old double-hungs at my place—thought I'd breeze through it after doing porch railings, but ended up cursing my optimism halfway through. Epoxy worked great on the frames, but getting the sashes to slide smoothly again was another story. Anyone here tried wax or silicone sprays on the tracks afterward? Curious how that holds up long-term...
Yeah, windows are definitely their own beast—I've been down that road myself. Epoxy's a lifesaver for frame rot, but getting the sashes to move smoothly again... that's a whole different headache. I tried silicone spray once, and while it worked wonders initially, it seemed to attract dust over time and ended up making things gunkier than before. Wax has been my go-to since then—just plain old paraffin rubbed along the tracks every year or two. It's not perfect, but at least it doesn't turn into a sticky mess after a few months.
Also, one thing I've learned the hard way: don't underestimate the importance of balancing your sashes properly. If they're even slightly off-kilter, no amount of lubricant will save you from frustration. Adjusting or replacing those sash weights can be tedious, but it's worth the effort in the long run. Just don't drop one on your foot like I did—trust me, that hurts more than your pride...
"Wax has been my go-to since then—just plain old paraffin rubbed along the tracks every year or two."
Paraffin wax is decent, but honestly, I've found graphite powder to be even better. It doesn't attract dust or dirt like silicone spray, and unlike wax, it doesn't build up over time. Just sprinkle a bit into the tracks and work the sashes back and forth a few times. Sure, it's a little messy at first, but once it's settled in, your windows glide smoothly for ages without needing constant reapplication...worth a shot if you're tired of wax buildup.