Wood Window Restoration in Richmond, VA

Old double-hungs hang each sash from cords that run over a pulley to an iron weight hidden in the wall. When a cord snaps, the sash slams or has to be propped up. The fix is new rope cord or chain, threaded through the pulley and tied off to the weight. The pocket is usually reached through a small access door cut into the jamb near the sill; where there isn't one, the interior trim comes off. While the sash is out, the old cords are pinned or knotted so they don't drop into the pocket.

Cracked or missing putty lets rain soak the wood at the sash joints. Reglazing means cutting out the old putty, pulling the glazing points, lifting the glass, then laying a fresh bed of putty, pressing the pane back, setting new points and beveling a final bead. NPS advises waiting for a skin to form on the putty, usually two or three days, before painting, and lapping the exterior paint slightly onto the glass to seal it.

Partly decayed wood doesn't have to come out. A liquid epoxy consolidant soaks into soft fibers and hardens them, then a semi-rigid epoxy filler rebuilds the missing shape, sanded and painted. NPS calls epoxies some of the most durable wood repair materials available. Where rot goes too deep, a carpenter cuts out the bad section and glues in a matching piece of new wood, called a dutchman, or has a mill copy a whole rail or muntin.

EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule requires anyone paid to disturb paint in a home built before 1978 to be certified, with trained workers. The small-job exemption never applies to window replacement. Other window work is covered once it disturbs more than six square feet of paint per room inside or 20 square feet outside. Under 40 CFR 745.85, the work area inside gets taped-down plastic at least 6 feet out from the surfaces being worked, and outside the ground cover reaches 10 feet. Torching paint is banned, power sanding needs a shroud with a HEPA vacuum, and heat guns must run below 1,100°F. Ask to see the firm's certificate before the first scrape. EPA also notes that about three-quarters of U.S. homes built before 1978 still contain some lead paint, and window sills are a named friction hazard.

The faint waves and seeds in old panes are part of what the Commission of Architectural Review asks owners to keep, since its guidelines want replacement glazing to match the reflective quality of the original. NPS suggests softening hard putty with heat and soaking panes in linseed oil to loosen what's left on the glass, which lowers the risk of cracking an irreplaceable lite. Ask whether the installer keeps salvaged old glass for any pane that does break.

Richmond's Commission of Architectural Review reviews every exterior change in the City's Old and Historic Districts and issues Certificates of Appropriateness; the CAR page lists 44 districts. Its window guidelines say windows should be repaired, not replaced, and staff won't approve replacing historic wood or steel windows that can be repaired, or using vinyl. To replace at all, an owner has to document that the windows are beyond repair with photographs and a window assessment form, and staff suggest calling a restoration specialist before any window project. The Fan isn't on that list; its listing is state and federal, which carries no CAR review.