Replies

1. 
   Shep | May 20, 2005 02:48am | #1

   What you have isn't all that difficult to fix- just pull off the old exterior casing ( the bigger board) and the blind stop ( the smaller board ). I would guess that both are pine.The sill bevel varies a bit among different manufacturers, but is easily dealt with.

    Use a bevel square to match the bevel on the sill, and transfer it to the casing and stop and cut them to fit. Backprime everything you can get to, including the exposed sill. I like to set the new casing in a bed of caulk to seal it in.

    If you can't get a reading with a bevel square, or don't have one, use a scrap of casing and make an educated guess on the bevel. Keep trying until it fits. Then just cut the top end to length, and put it all together.

1. 
   BG | May 20, 2005 04:31am | #4

   Shep,
   Thanks, that is helpful...especially the bevel square suggestion for determining the slope...I really should have thought of that. Normally my tools don't see the daylight..hope this doesn't confuse them... 

2. 
   mbdyer | May 20, 2005 03:09am | #2

   Is the siding finished with paint or stain, the trim?  If the the finishes are similar and are the same age one clue is the weathering.  Cedar's earlywood often wears faster than pine's giving it its characteristic ribbed appearance.  If the trim is painted then replace it with whatever suits you.  It seems these boards are the stiles of your window trim sitting on the sill, whereby wicking certainly is the first suspect.  When replacing, backpriming exterior trim is the key to longevity in exterior wood.  If the final finish is a stain, backprime with primer and sand the arris clean, otherwise paint all six sides of the board, this doubly means endgrain!   While you're at it, inspect your caulking and flashing, hopefully there is adequate head flashing.  Remove and recaulk any suspect beads with as good a silicone caulk as you're willing to purchase.

   Check the slope of the sill, it may have been set too level or warped so.  You can use a level and a speed square or a tumbler of water, if it doesn't fall off before half full you may need to address this.  You can replace it off course, or go into your shop (I assume you have some planes if you peruse Knots) and fetch a block and a bullnose plane (a slick or 1 1/2" chisel will do, if you don't have'em here's your excuse to get'em).  Reshape the sill to a proper slope, prior to reinstalling the trim stiles, refinish and there you go.

   That was the long version, the short version is chip out the rot, fill liberally with exterior wood dough, sand, caulk and paint.  A wood epoxy dough would(sic) do well in this case as well.  Repeat in a few years.

1. 
   BG | May 20, 2005 04:41am | #5

   mbdyer,
   The house is stained and the trim (windows) are paint. One of the issues on all the window sills is paint will not stay on...it curls and peels off. Two years ago I scraped, sanded, primed with Bin and painted...today they are all as if I had never touched them.
   I'll check the slope, I do have many planes..but if I had my druthers I'd replace them.
   I don't relish being up on a ladder, I'm figuring replacing the wood would be the easiest and keep me on the ground more...thanks 

1. 
   BillHartmann | May 20, 2005 09:06pm | #8

   Get some Paintable, water Repellent, Protectant and treat the replacement before installing. Also treat any of the other areas where the paint bad. SPECIALLY at where the end grain of the verticals hit the sills.The water repellent protectant has waxes in it that fill up the end grains so that they won't absorbe water, but not so much as to as to keep paint from sticking.The protectant is coper or tin oxide that inhibits fungal rot.The US Forest Products lab have pictures showing 2 windows, one protected before painting, the other not. Dramadic difference between the 2 after a few years.Jasco make several different ones.

1. 
   BG | May 21, 2005 12:04am | #9

   Bill,
   Thanks, I hit the Jasco website and the US Forest Product Lab website for a bit but it's gonna take more time to investigate fully... 

3. 
   gordzco | May 20, 2005 03:32am | #3

   First of all, BT members do not use ball point pens to pick apart rotted window trim. You will need to get a pocket knife and carry it at all times if you want to post here.

   Secondly, find out where the water is coming from and why it was pooling long enough to cause that kind of damage. Also find if there is any subsequent damage behind or below the rotted trim. A pocket knife will be invaluable in your research.

    

1. 
   BG | May 20, 2005 04:51am | #6

   gordzco,
   I can't use any of my precious finely honed tools on that scragly unprepared and, probably, dirty / dusty wood that you guys work with...I'll see if I can sneek a steak knife up there to check out the rot....lol.
   I did try to determine the where or why of the water....the thing that seems to make sense is maybe it was a bad piece of wood to begin with. Actually, a hole in the wood appeared first, about a foot or so up from the sill...thanks 

1. 
   gordzco | May 20, 2005 02:52pm | #7

   If the steak knife is rusty...

   I'm okay with that.