Replace A Rotted Window Sill
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- Опубликовано: 17 окт 2024
- Learn how to replace a rotted window sill with a lasting repair. Window sills take a beating from the weather and sun, but you can repair a window rather than replace it. See if this option makes sense for you.
Yes! Do what this man does! Use nothing less than Douglas fir for above-ground, exterior, appearance applications. Of all the "soft woods" that are readily available, these are the stablest, most decay-resistant: Doug fir, western-red cedar, redwood. The slightly higher price you'd typically pay for Doug fir or cedar over pine is well worth it! Same goes for stainless steel fasteners: well worth the higher price.
Hey buddy as a fellow GC/carpenter your work is beautiful. We do similar things. Repairs like these are an art. Real craftsmanship when you have to make sill/rails detail trim etc..from scratch. It is also and unappreciated art.
Great work!
Thanks, bud. You're right about being unappreciated! Often when I pull off a small carpentry miracle people don't know the difference and these days I don't get to do some of the more interesting details people used to want. Many times I've walked into a million dollar house to look at a project and discover crown moulding installed upside down! The owners don't know the difference, and the carpenters obviously didn't either. Sad to watch it die out.
Spot on buddy. I just finished a portico turned a ranch into a carriage house 14 pieces of of trim for each window surround. cedar shakes. Some one is touching the finished body saying "Is this vinyl siding it looks so real".
I will post some stuff on my empty page when I get time. Great chatting with you I look forward to more. Miss Jersey used to live in Bayhead and Point Pleasant. Many moons ago!
Some of us, who cannot do it appreciate it. It is art.
Thank you, a very informative example. Gives me confidence to do it myself.
In 2005 a week before my son’s Eagle investiture I discovered I had termites I. The dining room window. Like you, I made a new sill but I did it because the new window sill pieces were different and I didn’t understand it. Thanks for all the info. Excellent video.
Great video. Well presented. The subtitles are a nice touch considering the wind was so loud.
I was going to suggest a voice over if you can the video is very well done. Nothing like watching someone do the job and make it look so easy helps to build confidence to tackle the job yourself. Thank you!
great job replacing the sill. I've got 4 to replace this weekend. I'm planning on using PT. The repair looks great.
Nice video. Good to see someone doing a quality job. A few less polished examples on RUclips for the same subject.
Great job, especially considering the cold weather that you had to deal with. I have a sill to replace just like this one that became rotted after many years of birds nesting in the sill in the summer months under a window air conditioner that was in place, and the straw and droppings eventually encouraged the growth of spores that began the rot.
I'm using treated lumber for my replacement sill, and I also like the way that you used wood hardener on the end grain to give the best chance for durability. Alternatively I could use rot-proof PVC lumber and I believe that a PVC standard sill profile is available, but it's cost-prohibitive. In your case, if the weather was warmer I'd recommend treating all of the components' end grain with hardener or green wood preservative wherever accessible before reassembly to afford the best protection. In my case, the exterior sill section with the ears will need to be replicated separately in 2 pieces and inserted behind the aluminum siding that was installed over the exterior trim, then caulked and screwed to the main sill section, and an additional strip calked and screwed to the front to replace the furring strip installed for the aluminum trim that covers the front of the sill.
I'm going the whole route with this, also installing Window-Fixer jamb liners to both repair and dress up the old window. (Those aluminum Window-Fixer kits are hard to come by these days, unlike 20 years ago when they could be found in home centers everywhere. I bought a couple of kits at a garage sale and I'll need to cut the channels to the correct length. I'll need to check if the manufacturer is still in business, but I doubt that they're made any more given the modern trend to vinyl windows.) I suppose that I could have bought a replacement window to install inside the old frame, but of course, I still need to replace the rotted sill. But I'll just repair this window for now as is as I'm short on money and the repair materials and cost are negligible. I also need to replace all of the interior trim as it was that cheap, prefinished "cellulose" plastic trim that was sold back in the '80's, and it's impossible to remove without breaking. I'll also carefully clad my replacement sill with sheet aluminum to shield everything from moisture to prevent future rot.
Thank you for posting your video.
the groove on the underside of the cill is called the mortar key.
when windows are fitted to new buildings, the bricklayer sits it on a bed of soft mortar.
when it sets it forms a rigid bar of mortar that prevents the window from falling out.
Mortar keys run up the edge of the stiles too so that as the wall is built up the cement between the bricks squeezes into the mortar key.
Hope that assists.
The groove on the bottom is the drip groove to prevent any water from getting back to the wall. Windows are never set into mortar as the acid in the concrete would rot them in short order. There is always a rough frame other wise there would be nothing to secure the window.
no in not talking about that. In yr video you said you didnt know what the larger wide groove was for that runs down the sides and along the base of the window. Its as I previously stated. Its for the mortar to run in when fitting to a new build. Its called a mortar key. Im a thirty year, time served joiner. Take it from an expert.
I believe you! It was another viewer who thought you meant the drip edge.
I have been in the architectural field for 45 years. Our firm has done a number of rehabs on buildings dating back in to the mid 1800's and have yet to see an existing or modern window set into mortar. They were and are always set into a rough frame other wise there would be nothing to secure trim to or shim the window to level it. On top of that any window installed as you say would make it impossible to remove it in one piece in the future. This video is showing a modern window and those large grooves are relief cuts. They help to stabilize the wood and provide a path for air so the window can breath. This is necessary as the finish is only on one side.
Love the video. Im a big DIY person. I am having trouble with a replacement window. This video really helped, even though the application is a little different.
Very helpful, thank you. Have some windows I am replacing and the sills are basically brown sponge with paint around them.
great job on the sill!! 2 thumbs up!! Unfortunately not everybody has a shop or the skills to custum make a piece. I will have to buy a sil at Lowes and hope for the best!
You might have better luck at a local lumberyard to find replacement sill. In my area, anyway, neither Lowes or Home Depot carry the sill.
Lowes in southwestern CT carries PVC sills & solid wood. Home Depot only scarfed pine. Think I’m gonna go for the PVC though pricey. Being 79
I don’t enjoy working on 2nd floor window next to angled chimney using a ladder
Good job. In the UK we use clear wood preserver that soaks into wood and prevents rot. It looks like petrol and is used before any finish.
There used to be more of that sort of thing available in the states, but environmental laws changed things. I was hording my remaining can of a copper and petroleum base preservative which worked pretty well. Today the preservatives available are mostly a surface coating for decks. They often are not compatible with paint and their utility is limited anyway.
I have had several of these replaced over the years. Mostly due to poor calking by original builder that I was too green to notice. Complicated by my addition of bull nose treatment under the nose piece. (my idea) I cannot make them so must have my contractor buy store bought ones. I have went to pvc. Only problem I have had is the new ones are somewhat thinner than old ones and that causes a problem with storm window and they must drop down and next you must put up a strip across top to catch screws. ( hate it when they change that). Also must shim under them from rear or they will sag. About to replace my last ever sill and contractor wants to use a nose piece. I cannot see how you can put a nose piece, with groves in back, up to a sill you just cut flat. Seems bound to fail. Any thoughts? Beautiful work, wish you were here!
I'm not sure I follow your description of the new work, but in general terms you do need to be careful about mixing PVC with wood in the same assembly. PVC expands and contracts with temperature, wood expands and contracts with humidity. Together they can be at odds. The PVC needs room to move within a wood assembly so you can't nail everything together tightly and expect it to stay that way.
@@enduringcharm Boy, do I know pvc expands! Thank you for your reply. To be clear: The outer part of the sill is rotten. (nose) For quite a while I have heard of people replacing only the nose piece. I have always had the whole thing replaced which is a lot of work. My contractor, this time, is set on putting up a nose piece only (pvc). These come with kind of a tung and groove back that mates to the other half of sill. He wants to put that nose against the place where he cuts it off ( old wood part). Cannot see how that can come close to working.
Oh, now I see what you are saying! Yeah, that would be a hard "no" for me, dog. If you are keeping the wood sill that is part of the window frame and attempting just to replace the rotted nose which sticks past the siding then that nose needs to be wood as well. I've done the successfully many times, but you need to be meticulous about the process. I fit the nose tightly, I use waterproof glue, I use stainless trim screws for a mechanical connection if needed, and I use wood treatment before priming and painting. If you want to give up on the wood, then replace all of it with PVC, or with Boral, or whatever it is. Actually, my last video was about a new product called Acre which might be used too. In any case, don't try to mix two different materials like that, it will be a disaster.
@@enduringcharm Thanks. It is so hard to get anyone to work on these I may have a tough time convincing him. Thanks for all the tips. Will let you know the results if I am not too ashamed. Wish I could do videos. He is very good on these jobs but seems dead set on doing it this way this time.
you did a great job there fella, i have discoverd rot on one of my windows patched up best i can got lucky 2 days now freezing blizzard will look again in spring
That's always the case, isn't it? You never discover these things when it's warm and you have time on your hands!
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I will know what to specify to the contractor.
Plane down spruce? Pine?
I looked at this video, hoping to learn if I should use spruce or pine.
Hemlock?
One can never be specific enough.
+Robert Karl Skoglund If you are going to resaw 2x kiln dried lumber from a lumberyard or box store, then Fir is probably your best bet. The box stores may not even differentiate between species, selling it as "spruce/pine/fir"! These are all similar sorts of softwoods as far as strength and decay resistance. I think more important than choosing between these species is the quality of the actual length you choose. Pick through the pile to find the tightest grain and the length that was cut from the center of the log, which can be resawn so you end up with what New Englanders call "vertical grain." In my experience in the last two decades I've noticed that tight grained fir does seem to provide slightly better decay resistance than other softwoods like pine or spruce if you prepare it well be sealing the end grain and keeping it painted.
I think you'll find that the groove cut next to the drip cut is for the clapboard or shingle to go in. The wide center one I'm not sure.
Agreed--there is one groove intended to allow clapboard siding to be hidden at the top, although in practice it doesn't always work due to alignment issues or thickness.
Great work , I prefer to use a Spanish cedar for my sills but beautiful work !
I'm curious where you are located. I couldn't buy spanish cedar anywhere near me and I've never seen it used in any exterior application.
I am in the northeast, rhode island , our lumber yards carry it not the big box stores and always have so its common around here. Always use it for this application , works well lasts forever ! Where are you?
Yeah, New England generally has pretty good lumberyards. I'm in Jersey, and we have very little selection other than the box stores. Our lumberyards are also in bad shape due to the covid lockdown. I think the abundance of historic areas in New England allows for better lumberyards to exist. Incidentally, I went to college in RI, as did my kids, and I love the area. Often I wish I had stayed up there. RI has had it's share of economic misery, but what a nice place to be miserable!
@@enduringcharm same here due to covid we are in bad shape , I have lost several deck builds this summer , gave back 8k worth of deposits , lost thousands ! We have zero treated lumber , its horrible , none to be found so now I am doing repairs etc whatever I can find , acually have a job where im replacing several window sills that have rotted starting soon , a door install here and there etc just to keep busy but decks are my main income and i cant build any , this covid has killed us up here. Its a shame , Most of my money for the year is made between May and October , lost all my decks . I know other contractors who have made the mistake of ripping out old decks with no way to build the new one, there screwed and left customers in a terrible limbo ! Bad buisness to do that , anyway hoping for better times ! Peace and stay safe !
I'm actually relieved to hear that. We also have a severe shortage of pressure treated, limited doug fir framing lumber, and limited pine. Now I'm scrounging around for exterior screws! The grip rite deck screws that I use for nearly every project in some form are all gone. I literally have more stock in screws on my trailer than any of the Home Cheapos or Lowes within driving distance of me. It's nuts! Now I'm using up my own inventory and wondering what I'll do next. Online options seem limited too. This week I'm supposed to start replacing thirteen windows in a 1700s house that will need a lot of rot repair and custom framing. I have no idea where I'll get the materials.
hello I was just wondering if u have videos on how to make a window t track or rail im making a window but I havent decide how is better and last longer is playhouse for my daughters I did the window sill thanks alot for your info,,,
+Ernie Zamora I don't have a video like that but if you are making a window sash yourself and this is just a playhouse I think a wood guide nailed and glued together would be sufficient to hold the sash.
my window that I did has a window sill I did it as you post it on video ,,, what is more strong for window frame ,,, do as cabinet door opening or sliding frame,,,,,thanks ,,,
+Ernie Zamora I'm not sure I follow your question, but if you are going to the trouble of making your own window sashes then I would make them sliding as well.
Excellent job John. What caulk/sealant would you recommend for this? Can I get away with Acrylic latex or do I need to use polyurethane? ie waterproofing for rainy days..thanks John..will wait for your advise..
Assuming your repair will be well painted, an acrylic latex caulk is just fine.
@@enduringcharm Thanks, John. Will give it a go!
I appreciate your time to explain.
See you on your next video. Good luck
Thanks.
How would you recommend making the "notch" cutout @ 4:36 - 4:56 with a circular saw? The sill is for double-wide window (almost 7' long), and the shorter cut also should be mitered for the storm window to fit against. Thanks
A circular saw? You don't have access to a table saw? I wouldn't go that route, but if I absolutely was forced to I'd clamp the workpiece to several other 2x boards or to some kind of work table to provide a stable surface for the saw. I'd also use a saw jig like the one shown in one of my other videos. But, it would be much safer and much cleaner to use a table saw.
Hi, I liked your video, how many hours you estimate it would take the whole replacement, from star to finish, including painting and caulking.
Thanks
That's hard to say because there are so many variables. Even a first floor versus a second floor window can make a big difference. The range is probably an hour to three hours for a typical window.
Thank you for your response!
odd there's no framing under the sill? or maybe it was hiding in the insulation, but I don't think so.
as you say, cedar is good rot resistant, Doug fir, not so much. I use PVC for these sill replacements. We'll see how they last. I hate plastic in general, but sometimes....
Yeah, there was proper framing. It was just under the insulation and up on the roof like that there was a limit to what detail I could film. As far as cedar versus Doug fir, I would actually consider them about equal these days as far as rot resistance. The cedar available today is not the same slow growth, tight grained cedar of yesteryear. I've had numerous examples in recent years of cedar rotting long before it should. PVC sills? Well, that could pose a problem when mixing with wood. PVC expands and contracts with temperature, wood with moisture. So they are at odds with each other seasonally. Really the best answer is meticulous detail and maintenance, but homeowners don't want to hear that. Now, if you really want to be entertained with window framing, don't miss this video: ruclips.net/video/8tVJCZZ8KTM/видео.html
@@enduringcharm Nice one. This is why we carry liability insurance. What kind of person cuts a beam like that, especially an intersection?
I work on boats now, but come from residential construction and still go there from time to time. Boats mix and match all kinds of different materials, so I understand what you say about the PVC. Modern adhesives, caulks and paint are way better than even 20 years ago. I went to pvc because of the non existent maintenance homeowners put into their window sills and trim. I don't like plastic, but composite materials endure where traditional fails. As you say, modern wood materials are not what they used to be, or if they are, they cost more than most people can afford.
Have a good one.
I have a really old house that was built on the 30s. The window sill only extends maybe 1/2". Past the window that is a modern window. Past the bottom of the new window. The new window has its own window sill. Looks like a old timey style big piece of wood under the wood window sill. Is this common? The house was built in the 30s.
I'm not really certain I'm following your description, but it sounds like perhaps somebody installed a replacement "insert" window into an existing (and older) window frame. These so-called replacement windows are installed by removing the original window sashes but leaving the actual frame. Then the new window insert is installed into the original frame. You lose glass area with these units, but their selling point is that you don't have to disturb the existing interior or exterior window trim, since you are leaving the original frame intact. I hate them! Aside from losing glass area, they look awful, there is no opportunity to seal or insulate around the original window frame, and any rot or damage in the old frame or sill is simply covered up. In my opinion the correct way of replacing a window is to remove the entire window, including the frame, and installing a complete new window into the opening. This typically means re-trimming the interior and exterior, however. For historic houses, insert windows are just a travesty because they obliterate the original proportions and don't fit with the style of the original sills or trim. Plus, you aren't actually improving insulation value even with double glass or argon filling since the weakness of the insulation and air sealing of the original frame still exists! Anyway, it sounds from your description like you might be seeing the old original sill sticking out from under a newer replacement insert.
Very detailed! Excellent video!
great video, great skills it looks the original is spruce judging by the very tight grain. I do not use pressure treated for anything. As nerdy as this may sound whenever there is a remodel from a house 1950's or earlier I try to salvage a selection of spruce fir and cedar. 95% will be old growth.
+anthony morales Funny you bring this up, since I just spent the last two days replacing very expensive cedar railing components that rotted in about 12 years. It's difficult for me to describe to clients just how poor the quality of wood is today. The slow growth wood of past decades is far more stable, rot resistant and tight grained than you can buy today at any price. For high end projects I often comb through the bins for the tightest grain I can find and then resaw and remill what I can buy for the right size I need. The cedar I just replaced would have been solid for many decades in the old days but the modern cedar simply does not hold up like it used to. I also salvage quality older boards whenever I can, but the search gets more difficult every year.
Nice job. Thanks for braving the elements!
You did a great job. Thanks for sharing...
thanks very much, very helpful to see it done start to finish
I really like this video I mean it's matches my windows are perfect if I can do the job it would be great thank you for the video
what happens when I don't own my own personal woodshop complete with planer and professional table saw?
What?? No personal wood shop?? Well, you can still do the job. One option is just to stick with the window sill stock you can buy at your local lumberyard. It's getting harder to find these days, but you can still get it. You can also make your own stock with simple hand tools, it just takes longer. You can use a circular saw or even a hand saw to cut the widths. Instead of planing down thicker stock you can glue up thinner stock if need be--just hide the glue lines under the areas which show and face the weather. Push came to shove I could create a custom profile window sill using a crosscut hand saw, a block plane and some sandpaper. But, as a practical matter, sourcing window sill stock is likely your best bet.
Is there a reason you did not decide to use something like Bondo putty, as the damage to the wood was so litttle.. you could have fixed it in under 10 mins.. Just curious why replace the whole thing when only a little needs to be fixed.
+Nirav Shah There are instances when I will use that approach. I have a video on fixing rot in a deck railing, for example, that shows that approach. But, in this case there was side trim that met the window sill, which will trap moisture. There was a path for water to the inside through the rotted area. And, the window sill is part of the structure of the window not just an esthetic consideration. For these reasons it's wiser to replace the whole thing for a longer term repair and insurance against water infiltration into the interior wall cavity. I have seen entire wall systems compromised by leaking window sills, necessitating significant investment in time and money to repair.
+enduringcharm Thank you for explainig the reason. Very helpful.
hello I really like shows how to doit ...what kind of nails should I used? thanks for the videos take cae
+Ernie Zamora If you are using an air nailer I prefer stainless 15 gauge nails. If you don't have that you might consider stainless trim screws or a quality galvanized finish nail.
What do you charge to replace window sills like this?
It varies depending on window construction and the extent of the damage. It would also vary regionally due to differences in costs and wages. As a general rule, though, if the rot is just in the sill and the window construction allows a repair, then the cost will be less than replacing the window with an equivalent quality.
I note the new timber is a piece that is effectively "quarter sawn", i.e. sawn on the radii so that it will not warp. No mention in the commentary of this very important point. Questions to modern builders: Why the *bleep* don't you know about this elementary requirment?
Martin, you are quite right about the "quartersawn" terminology. Another important term is "vertical grain" which is used most commonly in the New England area and means essentially the same thing-- the grain is oriented upright to avoid warping. I don't use the terms much because nobody knows what I'm talking about when I use them! Finding vertical grain wood in a pile now is done by accident. In my area, anyway, it isn't possible to purchase wood purposely cut this way, it may just happen by luck. And, unfortunately, the quality of the wood that can be purchased these days is so poor that the grain orientation is but one small issue. The growth rings show very wide spacing, there is no more heartwood from these fast-growth farm trees, and the kiln drying is often poorly done, resulting in checks and case hardening. Woodworkers who make an effort to source better quality stuff from boutique retailers may still know the terms, but most carpenters working in the field just have to grab the fingerjointed garbage and hope for the best.
It's quartersawn on either side of the pith, but using the pith can't be a good thing. It's soft and under stress and prone to rotting and cracking. This is why the cheapest timbers all contain pith.
@scott collins That's true, the pith is not the most stable part of the tree. However, the quality of today's farmed fast-growth wood is so poor that the difference is slight. In other words, no matter what the cut it's all pretty bad!
Grate video. Thanks for the tips. Professional ++
Would you use pressure treated wood instead if you had?
That's actually an interesting question. In theory, pressure treated wood, which is now ACQ instead of the old CCA preservative, should last longer. After all, its been treated to resist rot and fungus and mold, right? But, as time goes on I'm finding that pressure treated wood isn't necessarily the best bet. For one thing, there are different levels of treatment and it seems that only the wood rated for direct ground contact is really well treated. The lesser grades don't hold up as well. In addition, the quality of the wood before it is treated is a factor. It tends to be poor quality with large growth rings and the less desirable cuts of the tree. And, it tends to be wet with a high moisture content, which makes it unstable when it dries out. In fact, pressure treated wood seems to do best when it is rated for ground contact, and it is put in ground contact to keep it at a higher moisture content.
A window sill, by contrast, is often subject to a hot sun and/or drier internal humidity within the building envelope. And, I've found that if I pick a higher quality douglas fir 2x stock from a dry pile (looking for vertical grain, few knots and no pitch pockets) and I prime and paint it well it tends to hold up better than pressure treated when subject to this type of environment. I often resaw doug fir for certain exterior trim for the same reasons. It is worth treating the end grain with a preservative, though. So, as counter-intuitive as it may be, I wouldn't necessarily recommend pressure treated for most window applications.
I agree with Enduringcharm. Through direct experience, I've come to the conclusion that PT (pressure treated) is typically of very poor quality wood. That is, the growth rings are very wide, which leads to poor dimensional stability (it will twist and warp). Douglas fir was traditionally used (in the Pacific NW, at least) for window sills, and it holds up very well to the weather if primed and painted properly. I've seen lots of Doug fir that's 100 years old and looks great.
The video shows a relatively poor piece of Doug fir when *compared* to finish-grade lumber that is available, although admittedly more expensive. Enduringcharm may have opted not to use a premium piece of CVG fir (clear, vertical grain) for reasons unstated in the video -- he seems to be very professional and to know his trade. But if you are undertaking what you intend to be a permanent fix, I would very strongly recommend using CVG fir for the sill.
ragnar704
Sadly, what you are looking at in the video is often about the best I can get in my area at any price. In my area of New Jersey the lumberyards and box stores stock very poor quality of wood and very little of it. It's a constant problem for me and I often have to travel to multiple yards in attempt to get lucky and find a recent delivery that I can pick through. This is true for trim and well as 2x and S4S stock.
I did a job up in New England last Fall and I was stunned not only how much better the available stock was in lumberyards there but how much busier they were compared to Jersey. I agree with you, in any case, if better vertical grain stock is available, use it.
Yeah, 2x and 5/4 PT decking is becoming very rare. On my own deck I used Ipe, which is a dense tropical hardwood, because I don't care for the plastic or composite look either. If it makes you feel better, installing one of the plastic decking materials on your existing frame would likely have meant some substantial reframing, especially on stairs. These decking materials cannot span long distances like 2x lumber can.
Could PVC be used to replace the sill? Perhaps PVC isn't strong enough to be a sill piece?
PVC expands and contracts with temperature. Wood expands and contracts with moisture. Mix the two and you can often end up with problems unless this movement is planned for. For a wood window I would stick with a wood sill.
@@enduringcharm Thank you! How about PVC for exterior window or door trim? We are repairing extensive rot and have a hot and humid climate so PVC is appealing.
That's a better match. There is room for the trim to move without compromising the door or window squareness. Still, if you have wood siding or other trim abutting the PVC, you need to plan for the movement with caulks, flashing, etc.
@@enduringcharm Thank you! I was planning to use PVC sill nose pieces on the sills that are not rotted (just the nose) but you've got me thinking that I should use wood for those pieces too. I'll follow your lead on the hardener and caulk. Any recommendations on replacement weather stripping for the bottom of the sash?
Yeah, trying to attach a PVC "nose" would be a disaster--the plastic would just hold the moisture against the wood and it would rot. Better to glue a wood "nose" on after exposing new, clean wood edge on the sill. Then be particular about filling any gaps and painting well. As for weather stripping, I don't really have a strong opinion--best to just see what you have available locally.
5:43 Those backside cutouts on trim lumber is to ensure the edges can be manipulated against matching pieces or walls. If you put a wide casing on a window, for example, you want the edges to match the window jamb and the wall at the edges of the casing... and without that cutout you are much more likely to not be able to get the edges down without gaps.
That's true for casings - the relief plough (the wide "valley" between the two contact points) helps make sure a casing will make contact at the two *visible* points of contact.
However, the sill shown in the video will be installed at an angle (12 degrees according to the cut made on the face of the sill), and the sill will very likely be installed directly over an unsloped piece of framing. Therefore, the only point of contact (unless shims or wedges have been added) will be where the sill meets the sheathing. So, that explanation doesn't seem to be applicable for the factory relief cuts made on the sill.
Theoretically, relief cuts can help reduce internal stresses in the wood and mitigate potential twisting and warping. So that may be one reason. I also wonder whether the relief cuts are used at the factory for placing and holding the sill in a precise location in a jig during assembly. That's just a guess, though.
Most people won't have the wood-working tools used here. Especially, the planer.
Del Jones You could certainly do the same job with simple hand tools--a cross cut saw, a hand-planer made of wood or metal, a chisel and some sandpaper. You could also hand-nail the replacement in place. Same repair steps, different tools. It would take quite a while longer, though.
you can buy those sills at a HD or any lumber yard, youll still need to make the cuts for the ears yourself though...
Very good clip.
the goove cuts on the bottom are relief cuts i think
Have you used PVC window sills?
It's generally not a good idea to mix PVC with wood. The former expands and contracts with temperature, the latter with humidity or moisture. The other issue is thickness--you'd have to glue PVC together if you made your own. And, thicker PVC is even less stable.
Nice job thanks
Have you tried the pvc sill?
I noted in a different comment that wood and PVC expand and contract for different reasons. Wood expands and contracts with humidity or moisture, PVC expands and contracts due to temperature change. So, if you mix the two materials in the same assembly they tend to work against each other, causing separation. If you are repairing a wood window it's really best to stick with wood.
enduringcharm i appreciate your reply thank you ... I’m going to replace one of my house window the only problem is that i have to resize the opening!!
..and if you don't have a workshop with all those machines?
neilprocter Somebody else asked me that (below). You can do the same job with hand tools, it will just take longer. It might be worth trying to purchase the pre-manufactured window sill profile at a lumberyard if you will be doing this by hand, though.
enduringcharm Thanks for your reply. I'm struggling to find anyone in the UK who pre-makes the right pieces. I would have a go myself with hand tools if I could find wood that I didn't need to rip to the right size first. Very tricky.
neilprocter If your lumberyard doesn't carry replacement sill in the right profile ask around to see if anybody knows a local woodworker hobbyist. He or she could make up the replacement sill for you and then you could go about fixing the window yourself.
enduringcharm I will do exactly that. Thanks.
Great job
Great post. Thanks for the info.
very nice shop
Wrap a handkerchief around your microphone when you're outside in the wind. It helps eliminate that wind noise. Decent video otherwise; and helpful.
or thin foam
Looks like the rain water bounces on the roof and keeps the sill wet
It certainly doesn't help, and this was located in a constantly shaded area too. Architectural details like this are often the cause of rot and water problems.
My sills are old growth redwood, still rots just take longer.
90% of the sill was in great shape. Just repair the bad part.
You can make that attempt, but experience has taught me that the repair will be short lived. Another video of mine shows how you can use fillers to repair a deck railing. In that situation if the repair fails no real harm is done. On window sills, there is a connection with the inside of the structure and any water or rot which extends beyond the repair in the future will mean serious trouble. For windows I generally prefer to replace the whole sill once the rot goes beyond the superficial. Plus, by removing the sill entirely I can check or add flashing and protection for future issues.