Doors and Windows - Rotten Roundtops require rethinking
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : Rotten Roundtops require rethinking
ArgMeMatey
11-20-05, 09:08 PM
I am looking for a product or method to keep the bottom wood sash of a storm window from resting directly on the sill.
I have just refitted 21 OEM (Circa 1926) wood sash storm windows to my newly-painted trim. Of the 21, eight are roundtops. All of the roundtops are attached by turnbuttons only, while all of the square tops have standard storm hangers on top. All eight of the roundtops had badly rotted bottom sashes that required loads of wood-bondo and hours of repair. On the other hand, the square tops without exception had bottom sashes in good condition.
My theory is that the sashes with hangers don't rot because the hangers have kept the storm sashes largely off the sills, while the roundtops succumb to gravity and therefore rest on the sill, subjecting them to soaking up whatever water finds its way there.
Any ideas for me? Thanks.
I have just refitted 21 OEM (Circa 1926) wood sash storm windows to my newly-painted trim. Of the 21, eight are roundtops. All of the roundtops are attached by turnbuttons only, while all of the square tops have standard storm hangers on top. All eight of the roundtops had badly rotted bottom sashes that required loads of wood-bondo and hours of repair. On the other hand, the square tops without exception had bottom sashes in good condition.
My theory is that the sashes with hangers don't rot because the hangers have kept the storm sashes largely off the sills, while the roundtops succumb to gravity and therefore rest on the sill, subjecting them to soaking up whatever water finds its way there.
Any ideas for me? Thanks.
XSleeper
11-21-05, 12:00 PM
If you don't mind a tiny gap underneath the storm windows, just put a couple galvanized 3d nails into the sill, and leave the heads stick up 1/8" so that the storm will sit on top of the heads.
If you don't like that idea, stick a shim under each end to shim the storm up. You could also use an idea I read about in the 9/05 issue of the Journal of Light Construction. On pages 83-90, there is an article entitled "Protecting Doors and Windows in Wet Climates". The author of that article uses disassembled Cor-A-Vent S-400 as a weep system for areas like what you are attempting to drain. (Cor-A-Vent is made up of tiny plastic corregated layers which he has found work great as weep holes) The problem I see with that is that the bottom side of the Cor-A-Vent would also be in continuous contact with the sill, and could remain wet underneath unless it is sealed somehow.
Another of his ideas was to use a strip of bronze screen that would be rolled in half so as to allow the item it is under to vent and drain.
If you don't like that idea, stick a shim under each end to shim the storm up. You could also use an idea I read about in the 9/05 issue of the Journal of Light Construction. On pages 83-90, there is an article entitled "Protecting Doors and Windows in Wet Climates". The author of that article uses disassembled Cor-A-Vent S-400 as a weep system for areas like what you are attempting to drain. (Cor-A-Vent is made up of tiny plastic corregated layers which he has found work great as weep holes) The problem I see with that is that the bottom side of the Cor-A-Vent would also be in continuous contact with the sill, and could remain wet underneath unless it is sealed somehow.
Another of his ideas was to use a strip of bronze screen that would be rolled in half so as to allow the item it is under to vent and drain.