Have an old 6 over 6 single pane wooden window. One of the panes is broken and needs to be replaced. Can this be done without removing the window sashes? The putty is on the exterior? My friend said that he had seen it done but doesn’t remember the actual procedure..
This centuries-old paint offers vapor-permeabiity, maintainability, and longevity with zero VOCs, but know its limitations before you get to work.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
Jim
up or down, access usually dictates. If too damn difficult to do in place, then weigh that against removing the sash.
Calvin
Wouldn't you have to sit on the window sill with your body outside or lean way out to remove and replace the putty? I want to remove the sash but I'm being overruled.
Nope, off of a ladder....
All the glazing repair from the outside with no isometrics...
Calvin
Ladder? That sounds like fun.
Reconsider the merits of a piece of cardboard.
IF the putty is well-behaved and IF the wood isn't too rotten and IF you've had practice at this, then replacing a pane while standing atop a ladder is potentially viable.
The basic technique is essentially the same whether two stories up or laying on a workbench -- you remove the putty (some sort of heat is usually useful), remove the broken glass, clean up the muttins, give them a coat of shelac, bed and install the new pane (using some sort of "points"), then apply new glazing compound.
I even considered plywood. I've fixed a window on a workbench. Doing the puttying while on a ladder would require a different sleight of hand. I may take a pass unless there is a concession that allows me to remove the sash. These are old windows.
Too many IFs.
Jim
almost the same body angle on a ladder as over a bench. Head at the top of the sash, arms and hands straight out. Nothin to it. Nothing but the altitude.
but be safe.
But when you drop your scraper on a bench you don't have to bend over so far to pick it up.
Calvin
The altitude and the angle of the ladder. I don't know what you call it but between the first floor and second floor there is a roof-type overhang...kind of a ski jump angle. So I'm not sure what angle the ladder will be at to clear this overhang in order to reach the second floor where the broken window is. And as an added bonus there is a storm window.
Whelp
Like I said, compare the ease and safety with the goals and pick one.........
or
if someone else can do it, might be option 3.
just another of life's decisions.......
Easy Decision
Option 3......somebody else!!!!!!
option 3
bust out the pane from the INSIDE, clean out hte old putty from the inside
vacuum up the glass pieces and old putty that fall between storm window and sash what pane is being replaced in
cut replacement glass, form a ridge on the outside edge with triangular wood pieces prepainted and attached with contact cement
apply bead of silicone sealant to the window frame
hold the new glass pane with a suction cup, thin layer of silicone on the triangular wood pieces, maneuver into plae an pull into the bead of silicone
done, no ladder, all from inside, dont even need to remove the storm window.
But some (very) old double-hungs are designed to allow the sashes to be removed with only moderate pain. Basically, you pull the stops out (if you're lucky you only need to do it on one side) and angle the sash out. If you've got one of the better windows in this regard this is pretty simple and halfway idiot-proof. But I've no idea what your windows are like.
There is another option I have not seen mentioned. You can rent a man lift. If you have some other things you would do with it like repairing gutters or trimming trees, it might be a decent deal for you.
I had one here for a day and I got a lot of things done that I had been staring at for a couple years.
Or, slower but cheaper, rent scaffolding. If you don't have your own truck you have to pay for delivery/pickup, otherwise it's not all that expensive, at least around here.
A lift is more fun to play with.
get cracking...
Could be you're way over thinking this.
If you can reasonably get up there with a ladder do that.
If not pop off the stop and take out the sash.