Rotten Wood on Casement Window - Repair or Replace?

[bosstone75]

Hello all. I'm hoping there's a few of you out there who can help me with my problem(s).

I have a 1992 house with all wood casement windows. Every winter, a big patch of frost/ice forms at the bottom of most of my windows running about 4 inches up from the bottom and is about 1/8 of an inch think in the worst spots. This frost/ice over time has caused the wood at the bottom to loose it's finish and gray (see picture(s)) - basically rotting. The rot is not soft (it's hard to the touch).

I've never tested the humidity in our house, but we have forced air heating (which I thought dried the air out) AND I make sure to turn off the humidifier that is combined with our furnace.

The only thing I've found to do to stop the frost and ice from forming is to seal the outside AND the inside of the window with 3M film AND to seal a tray full of DAMP RID in between the inside film and the window itself to dry the space out.

So... my questions are...

1) Is there any other ideas out there for keeping the ice from taking over my windows?

2) Should (Can) I repair the damage done so far, or should I just replace the silly things?

3) Should I remove the entire window (not the frame just the window) to repair it? Or can I repair it while the window is still in place?

4) I've tried sanding the windows a bit and haven't gotten rid of the gray color in the wood. How do I get rid of the gray color?

5) Am I going to have to end up sanding the ENTIRE wood frame in order to get the color to match up when staining?

6) What steps (other than keeping the windows dry) can I take to make sure the wood doesn't just rot again this winter?

7) (Picture in the next post) - Do I need to worry about the piece circled in red. (it's on the outside of the window and is the "floor" of the place where the crank mechanism goes when the window is closed.

Thanks all for you ideas and help! If you have any more questions, let me know!

Bill

 

[bosstone75]

What about the piece above the "floor"? Is that easy to remove to repair?

 

[glennjanie]

Welcome Bill:
I suppose very few windows in Minnesota can make it through a winter without a lot of frosting and icing. I would think, if your wood is still solid, you could paint the wood to make it all the same color and try to keep it protected.
I like your idea of the 3M film on both sides, it has to be a tremendous help.
Removing and replacing the sill should not be too big a problem for a DIY'er; especially if you can get the new piece already milled from the window company. A recriprocating saw with a hacksaw blade would help in removing the sill piece and cutting any nails or staples that are holding it in place.
Glenn

 

[bosstone75]

Thanks for the ideas Glenn. The 3M tape certainly did help, but it's kinda a pain, especially on the higher windows. But it does the job I guess.

 

[John7447]

If the frost and ice is on the inside glass probably not low-e glass,if you have the money vinyl window with low e glass and argon gas.Replacement
_____________________________________________________
Alside windows Boston

 

[bosstone75]

Thanks! That's sort of what I was leaning towards. I can't figure out who manufactured the window but in between the two panes of glass it says...

HGP 22 IGCC CBA 82

Anyone know what that all means?

I think I'm going to try and repair a few of the windows downstairs that don't have as much condensation problems and replace the upstairs ones. I just went to the library to pick up some books on window repair and replacement. There's not a lot of info on repairing the rot on a casement window, but we'll see.

 

[cpcrnch]

Your windows are `92..you need new weatherstripping. you will most likely have sash and frame w/s..look closely at how flat and compressed it is,get marvin leaf and bulb.it works on 90% of the windows out there..if your gonna DIY it spend the extra money and replace the upper and lower hinges.their fairly inexpensive if you know where to look..and if ya do all that your windows will be "Tuned Up"..oh and by the way the ice is happening because the cold air and warm are is meeting on the sash...because of the W/S
PSS... the windows pictures are of `90`s series scherer/farnorth windows..I can tell from the boot and the operator cover
Any questions feel free to e-mail me @ [email protected]
I`m in minnesota too..make sure you give referance from this forum if e-mailing

 

[scherer1]

Scherer Brothers still stocks parts and does offer full service repairs on all Scherer PineCraft and FarNorth windows. Casement 80, 90 and 2000. Our parts desk and repair shop is located at 9 - 9th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN, 55413. Call 612-627-0731 for more details.