Restoration of Picture windows and Transom windows in house
The two picture windows with transoms in the house that was saved are a key part of the architecture of the house so are being completely restored. The sashes and the frames are stripped and the double hung function is being restored. The windows like all the original windows were painted shut and the sash cords long gone. The weights for the windows sat in the base of the weight columns in the walls. Since the wall plaster had been removed the weights are being reused. Below are pictures from the restoration. The five below show the rebuilding and restoration of a bottom sash that had a very warped center post. To replace the center post the frame needed to be partially disassembled as the top joints are keyed such that the side styles had to slide horizontally. In addition to replacing the center post one of the side styles was replaced with another that was in better shape and fit well. Since these sashes were not maintained well there was some gluing of wood and clamping shown as well. All the joints are tongue and groove and some are compromised such that wood needs to be added as shown in the bottom right photo. This is called a dutchman repair if you cruise window restoration sites. It is best to use the same wood and since I have some extra window sashes that is what was glued in to replace the missing wood.
The pictures below show part of the restoration work to the top picture window and transom window. The pocket door was opened and the window weights were inside. They are being reused. New ropes and pulleys have been used. All the restored windows will function as double hung windows. They will move. The picture window has very heavy hurricane resistant glass so additional weights were needed. Spring brass weather stripping has been added as well. The stops (strips of wood) that have to be removed to get the sashes out are press fit but you need something like the wide mouth sash stop pliers shown to get them out without breaking them. Just a tool of the window restoration trade :) Also shown is the transom window glass that I attempted to repair with clear epoxy. This was the only piece of original glass so I wanted to repair it. But the repair was terrible. Just looked like I had tried to glue together broken glass. Which of course I had...
So one more historic note. In one of the photos above you can see the shingles of the porch roof. One of the former occupants of the house was kind enough to meet us for coffee and tell us about growing up in the house. She and her friends would open this window and sneak out on the porch roof to smoke and stay up late. So getting this window back to operating honors here adolescent behavior and deviants like us everywhere!
The picture windows and transom windows paired with them were a feature we wanted to keep in the original house. Like all the windows they had been painted shut and we in pretty tough condition. What is shown here is basically correct order is getting the window out after cutting old paint and getting the window stop out as well (gently). Some shots are of the second floor set and some the ground floor. I took the picture window our first then the transom. Both (or all four) removed for repairs over the course of about a year. You can see that to help with the structural stability of the sash I am putting in wooden pegs to augment the pins that have not held up too well over the last 100+ years with the window sash neglected. In the final picture bottom right is the picture window with new glass and the frame and stool or sill all stripped of old lead base paint.
A progression of repairs from the new pulleys for the new shash cord that will have a ton of the old steel (these are too corroded to be lead) weights for both the transom and picture window. Lots more weight for the picture as I got very tough impact resistant glass that weighs a ton. Again repair of the sash and glazing on the transom with the pretty lattice pattern. So happy that none of the pieces of diamond shaped glass were broken. Also shown here are the weight pocket door and some of the weather stripping which is spring bronze. Last shot is the restored first floor window and transom operating. They are looking over a new porch floor!
So this is about where we ended 2022. The new addition is going on. The roof had tarps on it which had pretty much given up keeping rain out. But the garage is going up with the window frames (if that is the correct name) installed so that when I get the window sashes from the 1885 grocery store restored we can have some memory to the store that is no longer there.