Windows, Windows Everywhere!

During the summer and fall, a lot of windows were removed from the Cross House to undergo restoration.

The house, amazingly, retains all its original sashes. Of course, after 120-years some are not in great shape.

 

Before

Before

 

After

After

 

As the above image testifies to, with a great deal of faith (I just know these windows can be restored!), some perseverance, and elbow grease, miracles can happen.

When restoring a sash, the glass must be reglazed. And this take time to dry before painting can ensure. I mean months of time. So, a lot of sashes have been sitting inside the house waiting and waiting and waiting for the damn glazing to dry.

 

hethe

Just four sashes. There are more. So many more! Oh, see the two holes in the library floor? From 1950 to 1999 there were two toilets in that exact location.

 

the t

The above four sashes go in the large two windows in the octagon tower. I have not even started on the small arched windows to the tower.

 

,l8o

The third level of the round tower has five windows. You can see one set of restored sashes in place. A new tower roof is planned for this year!

 

ukm

The rest of the round tower windows finally have some paint on them. Classic black. As they were in 1894.

 

hm t

When I paint a sash, I am quite casual about getting paint on the glass. You see, one WANTS paint on the glass. This helps create a seal to keep water from getting under the glazing.

 

ghne

To get things all neat & tidy through, I put a straight-edge on the glass, and with a sharp straight-edge blade, carefully remove all the excess paint. It comes off easily.

 

 gr

And perfection is the result. The paint is still actually ON the glass, thus protecting the glazing. The thin white edging you see is the inside edge of the wood frame. Ideally, one wants the painted outer edge and the inside edge to align. So, I will need to make the glazing wider next time.

9 Comments

  1. Traci on February 4, 2015 at 7:33 pm

    Hi Ross:
    What does glazing a window entail?

    Thanks!

    Traci

    • Ross on February 4, 2015 at 7:47 pm

      Hi Traci,

      You will find a wealth of information if you Google “glazing a window”.

  2. Brian on February 4, 2015 at 10:15 pm

    It’s amazing how some effort and a bit (a lot?) of time can make something so old and scary looking look almost brand new! Speaking of windows, have you heard any news on that grant to get the stained glass windows fixed?

    • Ross on February 4, 2015 at 10:22 pm

      Hi Brian,

      I will know soon! The grant request addresses a number of issues, including the poor condition of the stained-glass.

      Am crossing my fingers!

  3. DeAnna on November 20, 2015 at 2:18 pm

    Having ventured into the world of window glazing myself(I am up to 6), my one tip is to tint the glazing compound black.

  4. Montana Channing on February 25, 2016 at 12:39 am

    I once talked with a window restorer at Scribner Mill Days in Harrison, Maine. Both are dead and gone now but he said he had never found a window he couldn’t restore. He even was teaching 2 ten year old boys to cut those complicated curves on the muntins with a coping saw.
    Fortunately your windows are just one pane but that doesn’t take away the pane – oops – pain of reglazing them.

  5. Seth Hoffman on October 12, 2016 at 12:00 am

    Over-painting and then cutting it back is a great trick! I wish I would have thought of that before I did all our windows. I used masking tape to get a clean edge over the 1/16″ paint lap onto the glass, but I think your method is a lot faster.

  6. djd_fr on January 13, 2017 at 3:29 pm

    I was glad to see the tower roof will be repaired. When you had all that scaffolding up for painting, I couldn’t help but think wouldn’t it be a good idea to do the roof at the same time.
    Over here they charge for setting up scaffolding.

    • Ross on January 13, 2017 at 4:40 pm

      I knew that I would hire out the roofing, and that they would have their own bucket truck.

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply





Your email address will NEVER be made public or shared, and you may use a screen name if you wish.