Saturday, November 1, 2014

2 of 37… ooooh boy


I'm not sure if I've talked before about having wood windows at our house.  I love them, and adore that they are original to when it was built in 1939.

There are only two problems with this.

#1 - I have 37 of them (although I get a different number each time I try to count) . . . with most involving more than one pane of glass per 'window'. . . and three are actually HUGE multi-pane ones (in the sunroom).  This is only a problem because...

#2 - eventually the paint on them wears down, and the glazing cracks or the glass cracks, or something has to be done to restore them.

Don't get me wrong, I love doing it and the idea of doing it… but 37 times!?  With (often) more than one pane of glass per window?  One day I'll count how many actual pieces of glass I'll deal with, but not now.  I don't want to be discouraged when I'm just getting started.


I was finally motivated last weekend to get downstairs and put together a window… and a half!  My Mum had helped me finish part of one of them a long time ago, but we didn't get time to finish it.  SO, that was the first one I put back together last weekend.

You can see the refinished one on the left.  We've chosen a grey/beige/green and I'm not quite sold
on it yet, although GW likes it okay - perhaps it'll grow on me
I also took advantage of the last bit of nice weather we were having to take a window off of the front of the house and refinish it.  There are tonnes that need work, but this one was protecting an interior stained glass window and seemed to be getting moisture in it each winter.  Hopefully not this year!

Not only did I have to strip wood, strip putty, clean out points, then glass, then sand . . . and strengthen the wood, patch the wood, then sand . . . and prime, then putty, install glass, points, putty . . . and then paint.

PHEW!

They look beautiful when they're done - truly lovely - but they're something I wish I could donate more of my time to.

I'm also seriously considering purchasing special paint for them which has something called linseed oil in it, and is used specifically for heritage restoration projects.  Apparently this paint will last 25-50 years, or something equally ridiculous.  But I'd have to order it from the States… and I'd have to commit more strongly to a paint colour.  I'm not quite there yet ;)  We'll see if this grey-beige-green grows on me or not.

So, how many are left now?  (keeping in mine that each window has the frame around it and interior ones that need to be done too… yikes!)

Front door, tiny closet window, back window of kitchen, dining room windows, kitchen sink window...

The sunroom windows (oi vey), basement windows (there are actually 5), the front bays and the garage




Posts to your inbox?   That's easy… simply enter your email here:
No spam, I promise, just Project Jumanji Love!


2 comments:

  1. I know what you're going through but the windows sure look nice when restored - don't they! Well worth the effort.
    L - D.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I kind of wish I had gotten to them sooner, but hope my motivation returns in the spring. xo

      Delete