an old sash window - not one of ours. Beautiful in its dilapidation, but oh so difficult to repair
For the last couple of years we’ve been studiously ignoring our rotting windows and doors. Though I’ve murmured endearing little asides like ‘I think this window is a wee bit falling apart’ or ‘Oops, silly me. Look! Another chunk of door came off as I closed it.’ It fell on deaf ears.
The deterioration galloped on a pace along with our diabolically wet weather. I became more direct. ‘I think it’s time we all made a concerted effort to SAVE the windows and doors. They are rotting’ No response. Nothing, nada, not a pipsqueak. Those who were meant to hear either buried themselves obliviously behind periodicals which two seconds before they were mindlessly flipping through or walked away swiftly before I could finish.
In a last ditch attempt I phoned the joiner…making quite sure everyone was gathered about ‘Hi, Greg. Remember I phoned you about our windows and doors the other day? Yes? Did you get the measurements…? No, no, I understand. Just an estimate. Of course. Really! No! That much? And that’s just for a repair? Okay. Oh heavens, so it would be really pricey for a replacement? Wow, that is a fair whack; I’ll have to think about it. It’s a lot of money.’
RESULT!
Frenetic activity. Sanding, scraping, gouging and scouring. Old paint, dead wood dried putty flying off. Buckets of water, litres of white spirit, bundles of wire wool and rolls of sandpaper. Olly set to with grim determination. Twenty-three windows in our veeery looong house, and five doors, all, bar one, glazed.
Filling, re-puttying, glazing-bar renewal, wood hardening and preserving, joinery and carpentry – without a doubt Robert’s your man. 23-windows-5-doors-all-bar-1-glazed…
The final titivating preparation, washing down and paint job – that’s me. 23 windows, 5 doors – all glazed, bar one…
So, over the last week, as the sun shone, the wood dried, we beavered and are continuing to beaver. Twenty-three-windows-five-doors-all-bar-one-glazed. It’s like the Forth Bridge – immense, never-ending and infinite. All to get done before it rains…
the thing is - I love gentle deterioration too...
15 comments
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September 17, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Tony Wildish
those are beautiful photos, especially the second one. That said, I can imagine that rotting doorways look nicer from the outside looking in than from the inside looking out!
September 17, 2009 at 9:20 pm
paula
Hi Tony, thanks for visiting. I’ve just had a quick look at your and your wife’s blogs. Great stuff.
Yes that door is beautiful – you can also see the quality of the wood and workmanship too…I guess that’s why it survives. I do love decay though, but as you said not that practical!
September 17, 2009 at 7:13 pm
elizabethm
I am in awe of you both – what an achievement. Those photos are very beautiful though. The colour of the door is one of my favourites.
September 17, 2009 at 9:24 pm
paula
It’s a job we now wished we’d never begun…there’s so many other things that need to be done in this gorgeous weather…topping, wood, shearing and and and. But when it’s done we’ll be so glad.
September 17, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Jane
Oh God Paula… tell me about it! We don’t have as many windows… hold on let me count. 28 sashes. Oh no – 28! I’ve been putting it off too. When we had them painted and filled 3 years ago the painter/carpenter said “you’ll need these changed next time”. The sash ropes keep breaking, they get stuck half open, some don’t open at all. I’m dreading the quote. I love them… but someone please pass me the bucket of sand so that I can plunge my head into it. You are very brave and I bow down to you! Fancy 28 more once you’re done???
September 17, 2009 at 9:38 pm
paula
I know…we’re crazy! Stupid, mad, unhinged…and as I said to elizabeth ‘wish we’d never started’….talking of which, you know theses Hardy Women of yours? Well, I was thinking that maybe….? Yes? A possibility…?
September 21, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Catherine Sherman
Our gentle deterioration was completely charmless, but we dawdled at fixing our rotting sashes, too. Beautiful photos.
September 26, 2009 at 10:24 am
paula
Our is/was as well Cathy! Hence the concerted effort…ongoing
September 21, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Sian
Oooh I feel your pain! I’m fortunate that my 16 sash windows were new (all wood) about 10 years ago when the house was renovated (no windows just holes in places so nothing to renovate!). Now I get someone to paint them for me every few years – an allergy to pain can be useful sometimes! LOL!
I love the photo of your door – beautiful, but probably not so good when the wind rattles through the cracks in winter…….
September 26, 2009 at 10:29 am
paula
The frightening thing about our windows is that they too were all new about 15 years ago…and we’ve kept them painted. Water seems to have seeped in and started rot. Such a shame AND a huge amount of work. Unfortunately not out door…
September 26, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Sian
Oh good grief – how awful! Although it’s no comfort to you, it is to me though – my house was completely renovated nine years ago and now got problems with damp on the gable end wall because of porous stone, and other seepage. Builder no longer in business so I’m left to deal with it. I wouldn’t wish anyone in the same boat but it’s comforting to know i’m not alone
Some days I just crave a nice new cosy little eco-pod! Old houses have their charm but also many challenges!
September 27, 2009 at 11:25 am
Jane
I feel loads better now. Our sashes are over 70 years old. Pretty good innings by the sounds of things. I’m trying to find out if there is a way to restore and save them… but it’s so expensive. Won’t be changing to PVC as we’re in a conservation area – but a few well fitted windows wouldn’t go amiss in the cold, windy winter!
September 24, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Kari Lonning
If you’ve finished yours …. actually I did have the whole outside painted 2 years ago and re stained the kitchen deck last week, but … I discovered that the painters just painted over the rotten wood under the door sill … I’m trying to ignore it for now. But there is the leak in my livingroom that was “fixed” last year … and now is just as bad as it was … It doesn’t seem to end. All I want to do is weave .. but I still have to empty the greenhouse before frost and loading everything back into it. I need more hands, and more hours in each day … oh well. Some will get done, the rest … won’t!
September 26, 2009 at 10:34 am
paula
Kari – been taken up so I don’t know how your exhibition went…was thinking of you.
I so understand your comment which mirrors what’s going on here at the moment – too much to do, too short a time! But as you say ’some will get done, the rest…won’t!’
October 1, 2009 at 1:22 pm
janet Metzger
I love that old door…it is lovely!