How to Fix Up These Frames?
So last fall, I replaced all the windows in the house (Windows We Are did a great job). Massive improvement over the old windows. But now, with these gorgeous windows, I still have the surrounding frames to deal with. A lot of the framing is either original, or at least very old. Tons of paint,…
So last fall, I replaced all the windows in the house (Windows We Are did a great job). Massive improvement over the old windows.
But now, with these gorgeous windows, I still have the surrounding frames to deal with. A lot of the framing is either original, or at least very old. Tons of paint, old caulk, some wood that has seen much better days. Still has a bunch of original detail, and most of the pocket shutters are still around.
What are people’s experiences with fixing up the framing around the windows? How involved has the work been, did you do it yourself or bring someone else in? What kind of costs were you in for?
Thank you!
We did part of the stripping ourselves, but it got to be a huge job, so we hired someone to do it. However, it was not a clean job and we had quite a lot of damage to the newly refinished floors, so I cannot recommend him with a clear conscience. I still, however, strongly recommend stripping, because of the umpteen layers of leaded paint which is dangerous for kids. Also, the moulding, even if repainted, looks great after being stripped, because the details stand out.
As far as pulling the whole look together, I agree with Mopar and Arkady- stain rather than paint the new windows, they will look great with stripped shutters and both will operate smoothly forever. The surrounding painted moulding will look just like a picture frame.
Good luck with your decision.
if you ask me, i think that the standard bullnose around the block is the most disconcerting detail.. a painted flat would have worked better as a transition between new window/ old molding, and probably a fill strip on the sill, since a bullnose there makes no sense at all
I did a tinted wash on mine – both windows & surrounds as well as the shutters. It blends completely.
My suggestion is to caulk between the new frames and the old molding, then paint the old stuff.
Personally, I’d avoid painting the new windows frames. I think that will mess them up, even though it will visually pull everything together. Did Windows We Are give an opinion on whether to paint the new frames?
RG – did you do the work yourself, or did someone else do it? If so, can you recommend/refer them?
One unknown for me is melding the new window trim with the old frame – e.g. getting the entire window new window + trim + old frame to meld a little more coherently. I know a uniform paint job will help, but it’s hard to envision the final product at the moment.
I posted some photos here for example:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16229220@N00/sets/72157624376977836/
Thank you!
We did a combination of both new and restored (stripped) depending of how badly deteriorated the moulding were. We made the decision by room, so that there would be some consistency. For that reason we kept the original moulding throughout the halls and stairwell. It was hard and dirty work, but we love the result. I cannot give you a $ quote because it was part of a major gut restoration.
However, we sent the shutters out to be stripped ($100 a book) then sanded and varnished them ourselves, and have been enjoying their beauty and functionality every day. I think it’s money well spent.