Best material for deep window seat (or stool)
darnpotter
| Posted in General Discussion on
Looking for advice on material options for window seats (inside part of the sill, I think I’ve got this right). Due to thick masonry walls and 2×6 framing, our window seats will be about 12″ deep. We don’t have great roof overhangs, and have lots of sudden summer storms so the seat needs to be somewhat water tolerant.
There are quite a few windows, so cost is a consideration. And… the windows are already installed (by previous owner who gave up on the remodel). So either the seat needs to be under 1/2″ thick, or I will have to remove and relocate every single window (there is vertical room, but I was hoping to avoid doing it).
Painted wood? (what type?) Marble/Corian? PVC? Is there a magic product made just for this?
Thanks
Replies
Any good finish on most any solid wood or good paint over MDO plywood (sign board) which comes 1/2” . Corian or stone, no problemo. What about the window jambs, extensions or the side walls, what do you have there?
Price? Maybe the MDO (which wasn’t cheap, maybe 45 for a 4x8 sheet . Now? Beats me, retirees don’t keep up much anymore).
How about posting a picture?
Where would you buy MDO? Our local big boxes keep correcting me, thinking I'm asking about MDF but that seems like a different material.
There are currently no jambs, extensions or side walls around these windows. It's a 100 year old decorative mason block house. Used to have massive windows. Previous owner made smaller buck frames inside the original frames to hold smaller (3'x5'), standard size windows. There is no framing at the moment. The more I look at it, the more I think I'm going to have to remove the windows and redo the bucks to accommodate what I want.
Here we have a supplier, Toledo Plywood. First rate, continuous owner and been around for a very long time! They supply sheet goods to builders, cab shops, and real lumber yards. Also trim and laminate. I would try a real lumberyard vs a box.
I see you mention possibly pvc. Remember that heat expands it in length. So larger full sun area would need to be considered. Also, $. Any routing would leave the rough core. There are some ways to deal with that which you’d probably find or figure out.
I used some plastic drywall J bead on half-inch MDF with a couple coats of good latex primer/paint at the windows on my basement to isolate the window from the extended sill.
That's a very good idea. Considering the exterior sills aren't in the best shape. Have you ever replaced an old wood sill with a PVC one?
We had vinyl replacement windows put in 15 years ago, and I put a vinyl sill in when I redid the basement for a pair of windows.
This is really just interior trim, and does not go under the actual window.
I think it came out nice. Baseboards also are vinyl for this walk-out basement.
Replacing the sill on an otherwise still wood window might be more of a challenge.
This is one of the deeper windows with the MDF and the J bead. I also used the J bead on the drywall where it meets the window.
The MDF just has about three coats of latex all around, and is set in a couple dollops of poly construction adhesive on some 3/4 inch pine strapping I put in for support.
I will have to let you know in ten years if this turned out to be a good idea.
Note that this window is too high to sit on (if you are not a cat), I would want to put good support to have an actual person sit on it.
Thanks for the picture. That looks good. That's exactly what I imagine ours will (should) look like. Some Kilz with latex on top should probably do the trick.
PVC is great and the concerns about expansion are definitely over blown. 1) glue it in and make sure its very well attached with mechanical fasteners 2) Make allowances for expansion especially if its crazy hot or cold at the time of install.
MDO is also a great recommendation. Big Box stores do not stock it and their hourly employees dont know enough about the industry to give advice. Go to a real lumber yard for MDO.
100 year old masonry house- wow post some photo's sounds interesting.
Thanks! I'll be on the lookout for a lumber yard. So far, no luck. We've got saw mills and Lowes. Here's some photos of house in progress. Looks much better on the exterior, for now. And a link you might find interesting about how the rock face block was made (hint: sears meets Appalachian farmers with not much to do in the winter) https://classicrockfaceblock.com/history-of-rock-face-block/