Is it possible to (cheaply) rescue tatty wooden window frames?

[Springforward]

Another we've-seen-a-house-which-is-OK-but thread from me - TIA, MNers.

House has wooden sealed-unit double glazing, which hasn't been painted for years. A couple of the frames are splintery, all are back to bare wood in at least parts. One pane is misted.

If we offered on it and secured it, we may not have enough left over to get the windows replaced straight away. So - is it possible to rescue wooden frames in this state, would it be a job for a carpenter or another trade, and does anyone have anything like a ballpark figure for a 4-bed house?

Been doing some research while drinking rum and coke, so may not be entirely reliable. Google tells me that wood filler can be used to repair rotten frames - does that sound right?

I repaired rotting wooden frames myself with some kind of liquid stuff to harden the wood, then I filled it - several tiems building up the layers then sanded it down (bought a cheap detial sander) then painted over it. glass merchants can replace teh misted pane which depending on size would probably cost £100-£200

Thanks Kew, that's helpful to know.

DH is convinced the lot will need replacing, but I actually rather like the look of wooden windows, TBH.

They probably will need replacing at some point (or at least repairing professionally) but I reckon I made a good enough job of it to last a good couple of years.

Ok, my ex was a carpenter and there is some residual information on this lurking in my head...

Yes, it is possible (think of listed properties where wooden sash windows have to be preserved) but the amount of work can be great. You will need to strip the frames back to the wood and remove any rotten (soft) sections plus the areas directly around them. Smaller sections might be able to be filled, but most likely you will find whole sections that need to be completely removed and new pieces of wood 'spliced' in their place.

The actual glass is the easy bit. Any trade window company will supply you with replacement double glazed units to your specified size. It's surprisingly cheap too and if you can afford to replace all the units (panes) with modern (e.g. Pilkington k) glass you should also save on energy bills. A good trade desk will also be a very valuable source of information and advice.

So in summary, have a good look & feel and if the wood is mostly hard and rot-free it could be a viable DIY job. Otherwise I'd probably advise steering clear!

I think a lot will depend on where you live. We have just had a quote to overhaul our windows. So for overhaul of 9 sash windows (we don't need to replace any of the panes), installation of draught proofing system, 2 new cills and repairs to 4 cills the total is £2400 inc VAT

We rescued some windows by stripping them, cutting out rotten bits and filling them , painting wood hardener onto them and then painting on top.

eyes, we are in the West Midlands if that helps compare?

We are East Midlands, so would have thought it'd be a similar cost?

there is a few pages about windows sash and casement in the may issue of Which (go to your library?) with indicative prices for each dimension etc...

If you are buying the house our landlord is selling replace them all.

There is a reason that all the wooden windows around here are being replaced! 2 in the last 3 weeks.

OK. So on balance, seems like they can be rescued, but it's going to be a faff if we do it ourselves and pricey if we get someone else in. That's helpful to know.

Spring - DH and Ireplaced all our windows, patio doors and external doors with made to measure UPVC ones at our old (4 bedroom) house (I know, yuck-yuck-yuck to UPVC doors, but we were selling the house and we're advised to do it). We ordered direct from a small manufacturer and installed ourselves (not too hard) then got local Building Control out to sign it off and issue whatever certificate it is that you need for insurance/resale etc.

I didn't mention it earlier as it's obviously pricier than fixing up the old ones, but I don't think it was vastly more than eye's repair job. Did you want me to dig out the exact figures for you?

(Apologies for all the typos)

Yes please .

Just have to tackle our jungle of a lawn before it rains and/or gets dark then I'll dig them out and post them...

Too late, it's raining It's now starting to remind me of that Peppa Pig episode where the ball gets lost in the long grass!

The total cost, including delivery et al was £3,987.81 for:

*2 external doors with glazed panels and very secure locks

• Patio doors (also with very secure locks) *2 large 'picture' windows (non opening) *7 'double' windows (two panes, one of which opened) *3 'triple' windows (three panes, two of which opened)

All with Pilkington K glazing so excellent energy performance. All opening windows conformed to the (at the time) building regulations for 'escape' windows. All opening windows had security locks. All upstairs windows had optional child restrictors on them (stop children opening them wide enough to jump out, but can be over-ridden by an adult in case of a fire). Bathroom windows had obscured glazing.

You'd also have to factor in the cost of a visit from Building Control. You could check this on your local council's website.

I do have a detailed breakdown per window/door somewhere, but not to hand!

I should also add that all the windows were LARGE

Ooh, that's interesting, much less than I thought - never considered DIY window replacement.

The doors would have occupied a large chunk of that, so if you can do without those you'll save money. The trick is to reduce the number of openers. So something like this is vastly cheaper than something like this