Any one know about high quality wood window restoration?

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As many of you know, I love working on the preservation and restoration of old homes.

I recieved a call Friday asking me to perform the restoration of wood windows in a brick home built in 1867.

While I have some experience with the 12 windows in my own home and some different windows around town, they had been told that I was some sort of window restoration wizard!!!!

I am extremely quality minded and would love the work, which pays $30 an hour plus materials(with a 30% mark upon those materials) and will pay for any specialized tools I might need.

Here are my specific questions:

Is there any sure fire way to remove glazing points from the windows with out breaking the glass? (They want to try to save the old glass if at possible.)

Is there any sure fire way to remove the old glazing without breaking the glass, aside from using a hair drier to heat up the glazing?

Anyone know of any good websites?

Again, I would love the work, would love to become accepted into the high end 'fraternity' of restorers currently on this project, and the extra cash could help me weather the winter months.

Thank you all so much for your help.

-- clove (clovis97@Yahoo.com), August 26, 2001

Answers

if the galzeing is that old,, it should be pretty dry and crumbly,, and come off without a problem. The pints,, once you find them are easy,,Ive never broken a window removeing the points. Just use an old dull flat screwdriver (thats what I used), I wouldnt heat the glazing up,, Id just chip it away,,let it come off in pieces, till all the points are exposed

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), August 26, 2001.

I'm sure others have proven ideas. I would "work" a thin piece (like a plastic wallet calendar or credit card between the point and the glass. Bend it slightly out with a thin, flat, screwdriver, and yank it with needle nose pliers.

-- rick K (rick_122@hotmail.com), August 26, 2001.

We are redoing another room in our 90+ year old home. I took the glass out of 3 windows and was only able to save the glass in one. These were the first I had done and the old glass was very brittle. I used a hair dryer which helped some. I saw on a website that you can put linseed oil on the putty to soften it up. Just be very careful and try not to apply any pressure to the glass. Once the glazing is off you should be able to find the points. We think ours were made out of lead because they were very soft and bendable. I used a utility knife to bend some of them over because they were too close to the edge to get a grip on. I used needle nose pliers to pull them out. You might tell these folks how brittle the old glass can be and that you can't guarantee that the glass won't break. Another idea - on the last 2 windows I did (after the first ones broke), I taped off the window all around the edges and across the diagonals and used furniture restorer to remove the old varnish. Then I used the palm sander to remove the remaining stain. No broken glass! I can add putty where it needs it without removing the old stuff. Would love to hear how things work out. Good luck!

-- Cindy in NY (cjpopeck@worldnet.att.net), August 26, 2001.

These ideas help!!! Thank you for the input!!!! Will be looking at the job again tomarrow, and will have a better understanding scope of work from the general contractor.

-- clove (clovis97@Yahoo.com), August 27, 2001.

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