Source Needed: Vinyl Covers For Wooden Window Sills

[DerbyDad03]

I'm looking for vinyl covers for wooden window trim, especially the sills.

I found a product on youtube and contacted the guy, but he said that he is retiring and doesn't have enough stock for my project. He said that the video will be taken down soon, so if this link doesn't work, use the image link below it.

Basically, it's just pre-bent pieces of vinyl that you trim to fit. He said that he has to buy his stock in "special order" quantities and would have to order so much stock that he'd never be able to sell it before he retires. He knows of no other source and I haven't found one yet.

It seems like there would be a market for this product. Does anyone know of a source?

Thanks!

[dpb]

Well, if he's retiring he shouldn't mind revealing where he's ordering from for the root source.

I'd think any of the vinyl siding outfits that has shaping facilities of their own could do it.

[DerbyDad03]

I'm not sure the name of the source would help.

In one email he said "The manufacturer made them specifically for me so when I reorder I am required to a substantial amount because they have to set up the equipment just for me."

In another email he followed that up with "I'm getting ready to retire and it would take me 3 to 5 years to sell the inventory I am required to purchase."

That tells me that either this stuff doesn't sell or he required to order a boatload.

I though that too until I went looking for vinyl casing for my garage door opening a few months ago. I went to a couple of local contractor houses (windows, doors, siding, etc.) and they had nothing. Everybody kept saying that aluminum was my only option for wrap.

We don't park in the garage, so I was willing to give up 1.5" of opening by fastening some 1 x 6 PVC plank to the faces of the wooden 2 x 6's and then trimming the outside with a decorative PVC casing.

It came out nice, but I can't do anything like that with a window sill.

[dpb]

Well, if you can't contact his source, you'll never know for sure, will you? Maybe you pick up where he left off -- eBay would probably move 'em.

There's a siding outfit in Wichita that forms there own -- I'd talk to somebody like that and see if they couldn't form for you or have another option. Just a contractor reselling a product wouldn't necessarily expect.

Or, bend your own from aluminum, it really isn't that difficult but you do need a bender--but for single wide they're not that expensive from HF.

See

[Spalted Walt]

Or maybe buy the sill & brickmould prebent?

[DerbyDad03]

I may have found a local window place that will bend a piece for me. The sales-guy says that all of their trucks have brakes on them so they could probably bend a piece while a truck was in the yard. He said to stop in with the dimensions to get a price.

Trimbender has a maximum length of 94" and I think (I'm not home) that the actual length of my sill is a full 8'. Rough estimate is $14 for a 94" piece, $30 shipping.

I'll see how the local place prices it and take it from there.

Thanks.

[dpb]

I'm looking for vinyl covers for wooden window trim, especially the sills. ...

Depending on what the actual problem is, the alternative is to just repair the existing sill...just finished doing three on the old house.

It's really not that difficult presuming the bad section is other than absolutely the whole thing in which case that almost necessitates removing the window and rebuilding. But, in my experience, if they're that bad the bottoms of the jambs are also gone, not just the sill.

With a straight edge on the sill that is angled to match the sill angle so have vertical cut, the woundrous multi-tool will give a nearly smooth and straight cut that can be cleaned up just a tad w/ block plane and some hand work at the ends to make a glue joint surface.

I then used the biscuit joiner for alignment and glued with TB III. The glue line is virtually invisible; I'm betting they'll last another 100 yr this way or at least much longer than I'm going to need to worry about them... :)

[Bob La Londe]

I don't see why a simple plastic bender would not work to make bent pieces. Lots of home made ones out there. Usually used to bend polycarbonate or acrylic along a line. Basically a hinged base with a hold down like a sheet metal break, but made out of cheap materials like MDF. Then a nichrome wire as a heating element in a groove along the bend line.

Might not be something to use for production, but it could do a single project for you. Count on wasting a few pieces getting it dialed in.

Maybe vinyl sheet doesn't respond well to a process like this?

I don't know, but it might be worth a try. That might not be the best video. Its just the first of many that came up on You Tube when I typed in plastic bender.

[DerbyDad03]

Worth a try, but not worth the time. ;-)

Thanksgiving company coming. 5 rooms and a stairway to paint, landscaping to finish, possible replacement of kitchen cabinet doors. If not, then 24 doors to remove, sand, paint and replace. Probably ripping out the carpet this weekend.

No time for a "This *might* work project" and all the trial and error it will involve.

[DerbyDad03]

The situation is this:

All of the window trim, including the sills, was wrapped in aluminum before we bought the 60 YO house about 35 years ago.

A few years ago I replaced the original windows with vinyl and removed all the aluminum triple track storm/screen frames. On most windows, I was able to remove the aluminum wrap and re-install it to cover the gap left by the removal of the triple-track frames.

However, the 8' picture window had a different type of storm window which, when removed, left a ~2" gap between the aluminum sill wrap and the outside face of the window. No way to slide the wrap inward like I did on the other windows.

At the time I kludged a way to fill the gap to get me through the winter and unfortunately it lasted way longer than I expected. That kludge is now failing and needs to be fixed (hopefully permanently) before winter.

To be honest, I don't even know what the sill looks like under the wrap, but based on the other sills, I'm sure it's not in the best of shape. If I can wrap it completely and be done with it, I will. If not, I may need to go the repair/replace route.

BTW, the sill wrap is painted to match the shutters.

Hopefully the window and door dealer that I'm going to see can bend a piece to fit. I can't imagine why they couldn't, it's just a basic window sill. They would have to ridiculously expensive for me not to take advantage of their services.

[Bob La Londe]

Sounds like your alternative is to buy 100K pieces then.

[dpb]

On 10/1/2019 12:02 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote: ...

...

I bet Turkey Day will come and go just fine whatever state of repair/disrepair the house is in... :)

I'd worry more about doing it as will be satisfied with for the long run/end result than the company seeing a partially-completed project.

Seriously, they're going to be inspecting the window sills?

PS. We had the main line to the septic tank clog over T-giving week while a house full a few years ago, and even that didn't cause more than mild inconvenience for a day or two...it was, fortunately, not actually on the Thursday in question itself.

[DerbyDad03]

Oh, I am doing it right, I'm just saying I don't have time to experiment with a building a DIY vinyl bending jig right now, nor do I think that that is even a project I want to take on - ever.

SWBMO is going away for a week, so I'm going to knock off a bunch of painting and other stuff while she's gone. Shhh...don't tell her: About

10 minutes after she gets on the plane I'm ripping out the carpet. She'll have to choose a new carpet when she gets back.

Well, my son got his real estate licence last year (Vegas). He's always telling me about (and sending me pictures of) some of the sh!t-holes he comes across. Some of them are pretty bad.

He does a lot of stuff with his girlfriend's Dad. He helps Dad find distressed condos in buildings where the nice ones are selling for big bucks. Dad flips them and my son gets the listing. He keeps suggesting that I retire, move out there and work with him and his other Dad flipping condos.

Anyway, yes, he will notice the window sill. ;-)

[Ed Pawlowski]

In a former life I used to do that as a side line, but used aluminum. If vinyl can be bent as easily it is a simple job. I'd make a template of all the pieces needed and bend them up at home, they take them to the house and install quickly.

Be sure to seal it so rain cannot get under it and rot any wood under the sill.

[DerbyDad03]

Either you were really good with pliers or you had a brake at home. All I have is the pliers.

My kludge has kept them dry for a few years. That part I can handle.

I replaced all my windows and doors. Even fashioned some homemade brick moulding of sorts when I replaced the kitchen casement with a slider. Vinyl is as easy to work with as wood for that sort of thing with the added bonus of not *needing* to be painted, but leaving that option available.

Unfortunately, just like wood, it doesn't easily bend at right angles.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Yeah, I didn't think there was a vinyl that can be easily bent. Aluminum was easy to work with. Bought 50' coils and cut to length and trimmed on site.