specifying wood for window rebuild

[Mr Fiendish]

Afternoon all!

Having stripped the paint from my old sash windows I'm going to have to replace the wood on the bottom of the sliding part - The frames and cills aren't in too bad a condition and can be repaired.

Now I know "wood isn't what is used to be" (tm) what with fast grown, kiln dried stuff being the norm - what sort of good quality softwood should I use and what's the magic term to describe it when I go down the timber yard so as not to look totally clueless.

My Father used to buy old oak tables as a source of good quality wood

- these days that's an expensive route to go.

TIA,

Barley Twist (Please put out the cats to reply direct)

[The Natural Philosopher]

Iroco. Thats hardwood.

Macines well, looks nice stained, or will take paint well.

Otherwise any joiner who makes the frames will do a quality softwood - some of teh pines are good. Its not worh his while to use rubbish wood when his labour will be 6 times the wood cost.

[fred]

In article , Mr Fiendish writes

If you live in an area where sash & case windows are common (like anywhere in Scotland), Jewsons carry, or can order, the profile for the bit you require. If you are talking about the bottom sash then the bit you require is the 'bottom rail'. It's not expensive, & saves a lot of work.

HTH

[David Hemmings]

and try to get it in 'redwood' as opposed to 'whitewood'

[jacob]

Wood is just the same as it always was - but availability is different especially in big sizes which used to be available from virgin (old) forest. The best for sash windows is (and always was) N european redwood (i.e. scots pine) so what you ask for is 'unsorted swedish redwood'. Swedish is best usually and 'unsorted' is the top grade which used to be sorted into 1st 2nd and 3rd. So after 'unsorted' is now 4ths - lowest grade for joinery but ok for skirtings etc. Other sources - russia, finland etc also ok but grading systems slightly different, but 'unsorted' the top grade.

cheers

Jacob

[Dave Plowman]

I've just fixed a window where the sash only was rotten at the bottom, and used a secondhand larger sash for the part needed, and cut it down to size. If you've got an architectural salvage yard anywhere close this might be the best bet - at least it should be made of wood. ;-)

[stuart noble]

I've never found new and old work particularly well together, whatever the wood. The new stuff moves more and so gaps are inevitable. More often than not the bottoms of the sides are also rotten so you have nothing to join the bottom rail to. I've repaired a lot of these with car body filler, loads of the stuff in some cases. My own have lasted 15 years without even a re-paint. You need to use some kind of "former" system to get flat and straight surfaces but it's well worth the trouble.

[Dave Plowman]

In article , stuart noble >and used a secondhand larger sash for the part needed, and cut it down

But this the whole reason for using reclaimed timber of approx the same age.

And I replaced the one rotten side from the secondhand sash as well - it only required shortening. Could have done both if needed.

You've had more luck than me then, as the rot tends to continue and the filler drops out. If you're cutting out all the rot plus a margin for safety there could well be nothing left. Also, in this particular case, the inside wood was just varnished rather than painted, so filler would look dreadful.

[The Natural Philosopher]

IF its dry wood, you can stabilise the rotten bits by pouring a liquid polyester resin - as used for laying up fibergalls (Halfords) potentially thinned with cellulose thinners, into teh 'punk' wood.

That makes a nice rotten wood and polyester composite, that may then be filled with the body filler.

If uyou have a big bit missing, then just get any lod wood scraps and tack them in place with filler, and build up to required level.

Car body filler is expensive, but so is getting wood machined to size and fettling it in. Car body filler doesn't rot eiher. The secret is to cut back to sound dry wood, or stabilise first.

Very stable.

>

[Dave Plowman]

Yes. Did all that using the Ronseal stuff. But the repair didn't last any longer than patching with *new* wood. The rot just started again around it.

[stuart noble]

I pay about a tenner for 3.5 kgs with 3 tubes of hardener. I think most car finishing wholesalers do it for that sort of money.