Repair of old wooden windows - partial and major window restoration. Restoration of wooden windows with your own hands - a specific example How to repair old wooden windows with your own hands

Do with my own hands repairing old wooden windows - such a task periodically arises before home craftsmen.

Even now, in the age of popularity plastic products, wooden frames do not lose relevance.

Many are only now beginning to realize the benefits of the familiar wood, which has recently been vigorously replaced by plastic. Wood is not just natural environmental material, it has quite obvious qualities.

Wood products are quite resistant to external influences, have good heat and. windows contribute to maintaining optimal indoor humidity levels. Manufacturers quickly realized that the kind of "plastic boom" was subsiding somewhat, and began to actively advertise products made from modified wood.

Nothing bad can be said about their quality, on the contrary, it pleases. Unlike the price, which is somewhat intimidating. I must say that with a lot of effort and diligence, you can restore an old wooden window. It's not that hard, although it takes time. But a practically dead dilapidated window can be turned into an attractive product that looks like a new one.

Wooden window repair technology

Exist special technologies, allowing even completely unusable and rotten windows to be turned into quite decent ones, adding a few more decades of life to them.

What will be required for this?

Materials, tools

• Various chisels from 4 to 30 mm wide.
• A planer for cleaning and selecting grooves, folds, quarters, as well as sharpening perpendicular edges, it is also called a selector.
• A fragment of a thin and wide jigsaw or hacksaw blade.
• Palette knife or shoe knife.
• Thin-walled core drill for wood.
• level or level.
• carpentry.

A plumb line is also necessary, but it is easy to make it from a nut and thread.

You will also need materials:

• liquid nails (mounting);
• natural:
• flute brushes 80 and 40 mm;
• small nails;
• a large, dense and deep plastic bag;
• scraps of waterproof plywood or a block of small-layer durable wood;
• , suitable in tone, on sawdust;
• thick white, zinc or titanium white;
• kerosene;
• board shield or plywood sheet slightly larger than the frame;
• aquarium silicone glue.

In this case, polymer putties are not required. deep penetration on the water based. The fact is that their use significantly enhances the thermal conductivity of wood products. Depending on the design, clear acrylic lacquer and may also come in handy.

If it is possible to use a special industrial hair dryer, then a plastic bag and kerosene will be superfluous.

Restoration of windows is best done in warm and dry weather, when optimal humidity 40 percent (not higher than 65). Just in case, if the weather turns bad, we protect the openings with a film on any temporary frame.

Disassembly and revision

One of important elements window construction are wooden chopsticks ( special pins), fastening the window at the corners.

But there is another way that can be called capital - processing is enough for decades. This will require a special device: this is a piece of pipe made of durable steel, welded on one side. It is fixed in a tilt position of 30 degrees. This procedure is strictly outdoors away from buildings.

In the event of a flash of drying oil, it is required to have a felt mat made of fiberglass or burlap, which, in an unforeseen case, close the neck of the pipe. You can continue when the fire goes out.

How does the capital processing work?

Three-quarters of the pipe is filled with drying oil, and they begin to heat it from below with hot air from electric tiles or building hair dryer. With a sudden increase in the smell of drying oil, we stop heating for a while, then continue again. Impregnation can begin to be carried out when bubbles disappear in the heated mass and no bubbles appear.

For impregnation, a steel hook is used, with which the part is melted in the mass for several minutes, then it is taken out and dried. Details can not be taken even with hands in mittens. Also, you can not bend over the neck of the pipe and look into it. The process is followed sideways. Parts processed in this way can serve for many decades.

Restoration of old wooden windows

Wedges and dowels

Before starting work, you need to take care of new wedges and dowels. Dowels can be made from suitable straight grained wood with a core drill (strictly across the grain). For everybody individual element wedge is being prepared right size wooden suitable breeds, for example, rowan or oak.

alignment

An aligned frame is assembled on the slipway-shield, first without fixing it with anything. As before, they are equalized diagonally, fixed from the sides with nails. Mounting holes are drilled. Then the frame is disassembled, the grooves of the joints and mustaches are smeared with liquid nails, checking with diagonals, they are assembled in a slipway, if necessary they are equalized. After the glue has set, it is fixed with dowels.

All this must be done on the same day, while the adhesive joint is still sufficiently ductile. The pins are finally fixed with wedges, driving them from both sides along the fibers of the pin.

Nails lubricated with liquid nails are hammered into the prepared holes with mallets in such a way that the fibers of this element are perpendicular to the fibers of the wood of the main product. This is an important condition for their reliable connection.

Door and frame adjustment

Ensuring the outer edge is square does not mean right angles to the various mounting openings. The fact is that the tree has the ability to dry out unevenly. Therefore, the next important and necessary step is to align the quarters inside. First, we adjust one sash: we put it on the priest and check it with a quarter plumb line.

If there is a perpendicular, then it is taken as the base. If there is none, with the help of a T-square and a square, we find the most "left" corner. Then you need to beat off new lines of an even opening along the rail with a pencil from it and from other corners. With a zenzubel and a chisel (in the corners), we remove all unnecessary.

In the same way, we inspect and check the outer sashes. Then the sashes are located side by side and aligned in width and height. It is not necessary to touch the quarters under the glass, since their slight distortion will not do much harm. After all the above measures, the sashes will become smaller than the opening of the frame itself.

Quarter frame to fit on liquid nails small strips of plywood are placed. When the glue sets, we process everything accurately and accurately with a chisel, not forgetting to make recesses for the fittings. We nail small carnations at a distance of 15 to 25 cm, plunging their hats deep into the dominator. We return the ebb to the place with the help of liquid and ordinary nails.

Sanding and putty

For small irregularities and recesses, it is quite acceptable to prepare putty on your own. To do this, sawdust and liquid nails are mixed in a ratio of three to one. Prepare the composition in small portions, which are quickly used. Such a mixture seizes in a few minutes. We grind the frame sandpaper.

Painting

For most often use high-quality oil paint. The best option in this case, buy a thickly grated composition, and knead on a nut or linseed oil following the example of artists. Ready-made oil paints for sale are based on mineral or synthetic thinners, which are inferior to traditional ones in terms of their durability.

Pentaphthalic and glyphthalic enamels are also not very suitable for finishing: need in a few years new painting. And multiple layers of paint do not look too aesthetically pleasing.

When choosing a thickened paint, it is advisable to make sure that it contains a mineral, and not a synthetic pigment.

If you rub a pinch of white between your fingers, there should be no feeling of slipperiness. White should not stick to fingers. Synthetic pigment, when shaken off, almost all flies off. Knead the paint in a flat, wide-mouthed bowl. Dry paint is poured there, oil is added in portions to the hole in it, and they begin to knead. Oil is added gradually, bringing the mixture to the desired consistency.

Special window restoration technology allows you to save them appearance and performance characteristics for many years. Next, we will talk in detail about the available methods and their nuances.

Before you update old windows with your own hands, you need to assess their condition. Required to identify problem areas. Remember a few helpful tips.

• If the wood has severe damage (through cracks, cracks more than 5 cm long, etc.), then the windows need to be replaced. An attempt to close up such defects will not be successful - the technical specifications will be violated.
• Serious damage can be hidden under a layer of paint. Therefore, it must first be completely removed (with a solvent, spatula or burner).
• Small holes can be repaired with putty. Therefore, do not rush to throw out the old frames.

In order for the restoration of windows with your own hands to be effective, it must be carried out completely. In other words, gaps need to be sealed around the entire perimeter. It makes no sense to repair only part of the window, because even the smallest cracks will begin to get cold air.

Fundamentals of sealing and insulation

Repair of wooden windows should be carried out at least once every 2 years. Wood is a rather brittle material that deforms over time. As a result, the level of sealing is significantly reduced, which allows cold air to enter the room. There are several ways to correct this situation.

Tip: to check where the cold air is coming from, bring a flame (from a match or lighter) to the window and start driving around the perimeter. Where the light becomes "attracted" and there is a leak.

The most popular technique is the use of sealing tapes.

Strips of material are nailed or glued (if there is an adhesive base) around the perimeter of the box. This is very affordable option though not the most durable. There are such types of tapes:

• Felt with plastic coated. It is fixed at the bottom of the wings. Differs in the increased durability.
• Pad. Allows you to completely get rid of drafts.
• Tubular rubber seal with adhesive backing. The most popular option today. It can be used for any designs. Features easy installation and high technical specifications. There is one important disadvantage - the adhesive base quickly loses its properties, and the tape begins to fall off. Therefore, it will have to be glued regularly.
• Styrofoam. Most cheap option which is very short lived. There are models with a special coating. They are more efficient, but in most cases their thickness is not enough.

Restoring wooden windows with tape is not a very durable option. They need to be changed every few years (especially in cold regions). There is a more practical technique - the use of special sealants. In the process of drying, this substance takes on the consistency of rubber, which allows it to completely fill all the seams and cracks.

The procedure for applying sealant is simple and anyone can handle it. It is produced in the following sequence:

• We prepare the initial surface: we go through a fine sandpaper, after which we clean it from dust.
• Degrease (a solvent or White Spirit is suitable for this).
• We fill the grooves with sealant. At the same time, do not fill in drains and grooves (if these elements are available).
• Immediately lay any non-adhesive tape on top of the sealant (food wrap is suitable for this).
• After waiting a few hours (the drying time is indicated on the package), remove the tape. If there are smudges, cut them off with a knife.

The sealant must be highest quality(resistant to moisture, temperature changes and UV rays). If you save on this aspect, you will have to carry out the procedure described above much more often. Therefore, the use of high-quality compounds is quite justified.

Bringing back the beauty of frames

Another aspect is the appearance. Painting wooden windows allows you to give them their former beauty. Let's consider this procedure step by step.

Removing old paint

To remove the remnants of the previous paintwork material You can use one of three possible methods:

• Solvents (better designed specifically for these purposes). These compounds are applied to the surface, as a result, the old coating dissolves and can be safely removed with a spatula or knife. This method- the simplest, but it does not always help. If the paint is very old, then the solvent will be powerless.
• Physical impact - just scrape the frame. This technique is very laborious, besides there is a risk of damaging the wood.
• Heating followed by removal. This method is the most efficient and very fast - we heat the sashes using special devices (burner, building hair dryer). The second device is more practical - it allows you to adjust the degree of heating and does not damage the wood. A gas burner can set fire to a tree, which will adversely affect its quality.

Preparing the original surface

After removing the old enamel, you will need to carefully prepare the surface - sand it with sandpaper. You can use a grinder - this will save a lot of time. After grinding, we check our surface for defects (advice is given above). If there are small defects, we fix them with putty.

Tip: add to plaster mixture PVA glue (1 to 5) - this will give it moisture resistance.

We use only special putty - for wood. In this case, it must be applied in several thin layers. Otherwise, it will simply fall off. Having achieved good evenness, we go through the completely dried (time indicated on the package) putty with a fine sandpaper - this will give it smoothness.

Final touch - painting

The last stage has come - painting the frames.

Almost every person is familiar with the work with a brush. Therefore, we will give only a few useful recommendations:

• First, we cover the surface with a primer - this improves adhesion, as well as improves performance.
• The use of wood impregnation increases its moisture resistance. As a result, it does not dry out much longer.
• We paint from top to bottom. Otherwise, smudges cannot be avoided.
• The best option is to apply paint in several (3-4) thin layers.

As you can see, updating an old wooden window is not difficult. Therefore, do not rush to make a replacement, because it can be given a second life.

Do-it-yourself restoration and repair of old wooden windows is an occupation for the patient. But it allows, firstly, to save money, and secondly, to get windows that look great and keep heat well. Indeed, along with the coloring, you can lay a heater, which guarantees the absence of drafts. Windows will be produced according to the so-called "Swedish technology".

Inspection and definition of the scope of work

Meticulously inspect the window sashes and frame, open and close several times, see if there are gaps and how big they are. Assess the condition of the wood: are there any rotten areas, if any, what are their sizes.

The first stage - dismantling and assessing the condition of windows

The first step is to establish whether it is possible to restore the affected areas or the rotten fragment requires complete replacement. If replacement is inevitable, there are only two options: if you know how to work with wood - you cut out the required part yourself, if not - you order from a carpenter. Any person with “straight” hands can eliminate all other window defects with their own hands.

Tools and materials

Since we are repairing old windows, we will need to remove old paint: restoration without this is almost impossible. For this you will need:

• a building hair dryer or a thick plastic bag, rags and 0.5 liters of pure kerosene;
• spatulas, a wide knife (shoe).

In the future, you will need to repair damage, align the frame and sashes, etc. The set of tools here is more extensive, but even if you buy them, it will not take very much money, and you can make them even smaller if you rent them.

Gathering the necessary tools

• hacksaw, jigsaw, hacksaw blades;
• planer, chisels, selector (if any - excellent);
• drill and drills of different diameters;
• dense wood for wedges and dowels;
• drying oil for impregnation or ready-made primers;
• putty on wood;
• rubber sealing cord;
• new fittings: hinges, latches;
• large, preferably a carpenter's square, building level, slope;
• glazing beads and silicone sealant.

For impregnation, you may need either factory compounds and a brush, a metal vessel, drying oil, an electric stove or a heat gun.

Need some special tools and a large flat surface

And last step restorations will be stained. The stage is very important - the appearance and service life until the next repair depends on the quality of the work.

• set of brushes;
• window paint or stain and varnish if you want to preserve the natural look of wood.

The procedure for the restoration of wooden windows

It all starts with demolition. The sashes are removed first, then the frame itself. Can the window frame be removed? It is possible only in one case, if it is in perfect condition: there is no damage to the wood, all angles are exactly at 90 o and no defects. But the work will be more difficult. In all other cases, the dismantling is complete.

The glass is carefully removed from the sashes, the old putty is cleaned off, all the carnations are given. Fittings are removed from all parts: they must be replaced. Now the outer tides are carefully removed: the nails with which they were fastened are probably almost crumbling.

Glass is removed first

Removing the paint

You can use a building hair dryer by setting the temperature to 200-250 o C. It’s better not to set more: wood loses heat during high-temperature processing most their properties. For the same reason, it is undesirable to use a blowtorch: even without charring, you will break the structure of the wood and it will collapse faster.

Remove the paint from the window, warming up the surface on small area. Bubbles quickly appear on the surface, and they need to be pryed with a wide knife, scraper or spatula. It is better to find an old spatula, with a blade already rounded: a new one often “cuts” into wood, then it will take a long time to grind. In general, it is more convenient to work with a wide knife used by shoemakers.

Restoration wooden door begins with the removal of old paint or varnish

The second method is chemical softening. There are modern compositions for softening paint, but how they affect the structure of wood is a question. You can use the old, proven method: treat with kerosene. You will need a large bag of dense polyethylene film(necessarily whole, without a single hole), old cotton rags (they should not shed) and kerosene. It is undesirable to use other solvents - they again affect the structure of wood fibers.

Wrap the frame with strips of fabric, put it in a bag (its height should be enough for the neck to tie). Pour out the kerosene and tie the bag tightly. After a day, you can remove the paint. But do not take everything out at once - while one part is being processed, the paint on others will harden. They took out one part, tied the bag, removed the paint. Moved on to the next one.

with any chemical active drugs better to wear gloves

When removing paint in small depressions and cracks, the paint can not be removed: it will be less necessary to putty and level. But this is only if you paint the window. If you plan to varnish, you will have to do everything scrupulously. But for the first experience, it is better to process under the paint: easier and faster.

Aligning the frame

For leveling, you will need a fairly large absolutely flat surface. This can be a table (but the surface must be flat), a workbench, a sheet of plywood laid on stools, etc.

First, align the frame. We lay and expose the corners. They must be exactly 90 o . We examine the contour: the strips should be even. At this stage, we remove the places affected by rot or change the completely rotten parts of the frame to freshly made ones. (How to process a rotten area is written a little lower).

Aligning and sorting out the frame

We check the strips in vertical and horizontal planes, remove the excess with a planer. We work with chisels in the corners. The result should be perfectly straight, even surfaces. Once again we check the corners, measure and align the diagonals, fasten the frame at the corners with nails. Then we take a skin or a grinder (belt) and process it to a smooth state.

Restoring sashes

We disassemble the connections of the valves. They are assembled on dowels - small wooden studs. round size. For windows that have served for more than a decade, they must be replaced. It’s easier not to knock them out (you can do it that way), but to drill with a drill of a smaller diameter. Then remove the residue and clean the hole for installing a new retainer.

If necessary, the sashes can be completely disassembled into planks. Clean the joints, align the planks, cutting off everything superfluous with a planer, working out where the corners are needed. In general, put everything in order.

This is an old nail. It is desirable to remove it and put a new one in its place.

The next step is the assembly of the sashes. Fold, processed boards, measure diagonals and angles. Now the tricky operation: you need to remove the strips, coat the grooves and joints with glue and install them back. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the sash does not warp. After setting the bar in place until the glue has set, set the corners and diagonals.

After assembly, for greater reliability, we will install new dowels. Let's make them first. We take a core drill with an internal diameter of 5-7 mm. From a bar solid wood across the fibers (namely across) we drill cylinders. This will be pins. The diameter of the stud should be slightly larger than the drilled hole on the frame (approximately 0.5 mm). So it will “sit down” tightly and will hold the structure well.

Do not use planed chopsticks instead of dowels: the window will have to be repaired again in a couple of years. Cut across the fibers, they will keep their shape for at least 10 years.

Wedges are cut from a piece of oak or mountain ash. Their width is 5-7 mm, depending on the diameter of the prepared pins, and the thickness is 1.5-2 mm. They are then driven along the fibers, wedging the hairpin and achieving excellent fixation.

If, as a result of sorting the sashes, the hole has become uneven, level it with a needle file, or with a drill. But try not to make it wider. Lubricate the seat with wood glue (it should be good quality), drive in pins. By glue, they fit well. Then make a groove along the fibers with a screwdriver, into which insert the planed wedge, and drive it in. Cut off the excess sharp knife so that everything is even.

Wooden dowels securely fasten the details of the wings

So we change all connections, constantly controlling the geometry of the valves. After everything is assembled, the sashes should be quite stiff, but don't shake them too much: the glue hasn't dried yet.

After all operations, the sashes can be of different heights. We level them so that they are the same both inside and out. Now we take the frame and put the sash in it. They are definitely smaller than necessary. To make them fit tightly, we glue strips of plywood of suitable thickness and width onto the frame with liquid nails.

All parts (and the frame) are laid on a flat surface, a load is placed on them. It can be laid on a flat floor, with several boards on top, and a solid load on them: about 100 kg. Leave to dry and level for two or three days.

After the glue dries, we bring the frames to normal, where necessary, by grinding and making notches. We mark the places for fastening the fittings, we make recesses for it.

Installing the seal

How to lay a seal in windows using Swedish technology, the forms of these seals are described in detail in the video.

Impregnation

There are different ready-made impregnations. How to use them is described in the instructions. There is nothing complicated in the process: under certain conditions, you need to apply the composition and wait until it dries. Treatments can be several, one or different compositions.

But there are masters who are sure that the polymers that make up the impregnations worsen thermal insulation properties wood. They work only and exclusively with drying oil. Moreover, there are two processing methods: cold and hot.

With the cold method, heated drying oil is applied with a brush to the frame and sashes of the window. Leave until completely absorbed and dry, when the surface becomes non-sticky to the touch. The treatment is repeated four times. This treatment guarantees the excellent condition of the wood and paintwork for 5 years. After that you have to repaint.

Oil impregnation is a great way to preserve wood

During hot processing, drying oil is heated in a vessel to high temperatures. This occupation is fire hazardous - drying oil can flare up. Therefore, we first prepare a piece of tarpaulin, felt, etc., with which it will be possible to cover the vessel. It is better to heat up on a heat gun or hot air from an electric stove (not on a tile, but above It is sometimes necessary to quickly remove the heat source to avoid fire. Because the fire is not suitable.

Parts are dipped in drying oil heated to a boil for several minutes.

After some time, the drying oil begins to bubble: air and moisture come out. There is one important point: when the bubbles are already coming, it happens that the smell of drying oil increases dramatically. You need to quickly remove the heat source. If you hesitate, the vapors will flare up, a felt mat will come in handy. If you make it on time, it will pass without incident. After a few minutes, heating can be continued. When there are no bubbles, you can soak the details.

The item is immersed in heated drying oil for 3-5 minutes. At the same time, it is convenient to work with a crochet: they can hold it and pull it out conveniently. After taking it out, carefully place it in a clean place to dry. Don't touch the details with your hands. Even in mittens: hot drying oil will instantly soak them and burn your hands. The burn will be severe: the temperature is about 130 o C.

Masters say that after such processing, wood, even on the street, can stand for decades. With good paint, its renewal will be required no earlier than in 10-15 years. Like this.

Puttying and sanding

Now the frames are rigid and are not afraid of anything. Now we putty and sand them. For significant damage, we use coarse putty with sawdust. For finishing thinner and softer. If you paint the window White color, take white putties. They won't show through the paint.

The technique is simple: fill cracks and crevices with putty, then remove the excess. More often metal spatulas of small width are used. But in some places it is more convenient to work with rubber: they are designed for grouting when laying tiles, but it is also convenient to work with putty.

The use of technology will increase the speed of work

After the composition dries, take a skin (grinder) with a medium grain and clean off, if any, the excess. At the same time, go through the entire frame, bringing everything back to normal, smoothing out the bumps. Then, with fine-grained sandpaper, everything is leveled to the ideal (as far as possible) condition.

Coloring

Choose the type of paint yourself, based on your preferences. The only thing you can advise is to take glossy or semi-gloss. They keep their color for a long time. This is especially true for white paints. Surfaces painted with matt white paint quickly turn gray: they have a porous structure, which gives a “matte” finish. These pores are clogged with microscopic dust particles, which give a grayish tint. Therefore, for perfectly white windows, take gloss or semi-gloss.

The first layer is a primer. This is one part paint diluted with two parts of a suitable solvent. After the primer dries, you can apply the main paint. There will be several layers, so everything will be painted over.

Apply paint in thin layers in different directions

Do not take a lot of paint on the brush: there will be streaks that are not easy to deal with. Dip, squeeze, rub well. You need to move from top to bottom, without changing direction. Only in this way the layer will be even. Apply the first layer, moving the brush from left to right, the second - from top to bottom, and the third layer - from right to left.

Each subsequent layer is applied only after the previous one has completely dried. If after the first application of paint there are streaks and bumps, after the paint dries, take the skin and clean them. Just don't grind down to wood. The second layer is done more carefully, but even here you can still sand a little. The third should be without flaws. After the paint has dried, your self-restored window can be installed in place.

Glazing

Installing glass is not the most difficult thing, but responsible. Prepare a transparent moisture-resistant and frost-resistant sealant. Lubricate the seat with it, insert the glass. On the other hand, they are pressed with glazing beads. They are also sanded, impregnated and dyed. Then they coat the perimeter of the glass with sealant, press the glazing beads and fix them with small carnations.

Replacing rotted sections of a wooden frame

If the site is rotten, you can help the grief in two ways:

• cover with a special reinforced putty, recreating the required shape;
• remove the damaged area by inserting a patch in its place.

A reliable way to eliminate rot is to cut out the damaged area

The second option would be more correct in terms of durability: here it is possible to remove the entire infected area, ensuring that the rot will not spread further. The technique is simple. Cut out the affected area, capturing some healthy wood. Cut out a piece of exactly the same shape. Lubricate the joints with carpentry glue, insert a patch, align it, if necessary, fix it, leave it until the glue dries completely.

After it is necessary to putty the seam, sand and paint. All. The window frame (or sash) has been restored.

But it is not always possible (or willing) to cut out a damaged piece of wood. Then you can use epoxy putty with reinforcing fiber. After drying, it is stiff enough to hold its shape.

First of all, we separate everything that can be removed. All the rubbish and filth. Blowing off the dust where we can, we reach healthy tree. If you plan to use the restored frame for a long time, it is necessary to treat it with antiseptic impregnations: to prevent, as far as possible, the spread of rot.

rotten plot window frame can be restored with putty with reinforcing fiber

After that, the composition is applied to the damaged part with a spatula. Putties of this type have a rather thick consistency; any configuration can be molded. Give a shape close to the desired, but a little larger: after drying, it will be possible to sand and level the level. It takes noticeably a day to dry, but the exact time depends on the composition, temperature and humidity of the air. After sanding and leveling, it remains only to paint the window. Then you won't see anything at all.

Results

You do not need any super-abilities to repair and restore wooden windows with your own hands. Not the most complex tools, accuracy, patience and a fairly decent amount of time are needed.

Restoration of wooden windows, especially old Soviet-made ones, is a great topic for disputes between specialists, and ordinary consumers too. The fact is that there is no single opinion on this issue. Some consider the restoration of wooden windows to be unprofitable and even stupid, since the installation of new plastic structures is not much more expensive. Others, on the contrary, argue that good windows from solid wood to change to plastic is not reasonable.

There is a grain of truth in the statements of each side. But there are also many misconceptions. Let's try to understand this topic in more detail, and also understand why the restoration of wooden windows is both good and bad at the same time.

Misconceptions of supporters of plastic windows

The main misconception is that supporters plastic windows significantly increase the cost of restoration of wooden windows. In practice, even ordering it from a construction company, you pay 1.5-2 times less.

• A major restoration of a turnkey double-leaf window costs about 8-10 thousand rubles ().
• A plastic window with two sashes costs an average of 14 thousand rubles.

With installation, window sills and a low tide, all 20 thousand, or even more, will come out (this is the real price for good windows with high-quality installation, but companies where guest workers sculpt anything we don’t take into account).

That is, the difference is not the declared 30-40%, but all 200-250%. If there are 3-5 windows in the apartment, the savings are very tangible, up to 50 thousand.

The second misconception is that supporters of plastic windows believe that PVC is beautiful and modern. In fact, this is not entirely true, plastic is still an indicator of poverty, and not the other way around. It looks cheap and ascetic, especially white. People with money put wooden windows, not plastic consumer goods, which is so actively promoted by many corporations.

Well, the third misconception - PVC windows serve for 50 years. This is a marketing ploy, in fact, not a single plastic window will work so much. The normal service life for plastic is 15-20 years, no more. After this period, they are handed over in all respects and it is already desirable to change them or overhaul them. In fact, repair of plastic windows may be needed much earlier, in 7-10 years (fittings and seals fail faster than the profile itself and double-glazed windows).

Wooden windows without gaps do not "breathe".

Fallacies of supporters of the restoration of wooden windows

The main misconception is the belief that wooden windows "breathe".

In fact, the effect of ventilation when closed is due to the loose closure of the flaps, in other words, the presence of gaps through which air from the street passes. As soon as a rubber seal for insulation is installed on the windows, this effect disappears instantly.

The second misconception is that restoration can be done independently.

Many believe that it is possible to restore windows without involving specialists, making the restoration 2-3 times cheaper. It really is, because expendable materials will cost not 10 thousand, but a maximum of 3-4 thousand.

However, everything is not so simple. For restoration work you need a building hair dryer, Sander, drill, special tools for removing paint (a regular spatula will not work, it will cut wood) and tie-ins rubber seal. This set of tools will cost at least 15 thousand, if you take a very bad China, which may not survive until the end of the restoration. But even if all essential tool is, then the probability of a correct repair without experience tends to zero. Most likely, it will turn out to be of poor quality and expensive.

The third misconception is the hope that restored wooden windows will last the same amount. Wood also has its own resource, so most often after restoration, windows become unusable after 10-15 years or even earlier. But there are nuances here further exploitation strongly depends on the wood used in the production of windows and its condition at the time of repair. In "Stalin's houses" it happens that a tree is hiding under several layers of paint valuable breeds and in perfect condition. After careful processing, it can last another 20-30 years without problems.

But in many Khrushchevs (small families and hostels), for example, it is often found window profile from pine, which will not be helped by any restoration (a conscientious master will refuse to restore such a window).

Final comparison

Considering all the misconceptions and real benefits restoration or replacement of windows, we have done comparative characteristic both options.

Parameter	Installation of PVC windows	Window restoration
Price	from 18 thousand for a window of 2 sashes	up to 10 thousand for a window of 2 sashes
Lifetime	15-20 years old	10-12 years old
thermal insulation	High	Medium
Noise isolation	High	Medium
Service	Minimum	Minimum
Appearance	Just like others	Original
Ease of use	Average	Average
Standard mosquito nets	Yes	No, but you can make custom
Damage to the wall near the window	Yes	Not
Windowsill	PVC or installation of the old	Old
accessories	tilt and turn	Usually swivel without ventilation mode
Strength	Medium	Above average
Burglary resistance	Low	Medium
Environmental friendliness	Medium	High

As can be seen from the table, for the most part, although there are few parameters, they are better than restored wooden ones. This is the main drawback of the overhaul. In other words, it will not be possible to achieve as high performance as new windows with all the desire and professionalism of the master.

But, restoration is still much cheaper, which is very important in a crisis. In addition, they have more interesting design and they are much harder to crack (PVC windows break in 30 seconds without breaking the glass). So the restoration has its tangible advantages. That is why it is so difficult to choose between installing new PVC windows and restoring old wooden ones.

If the old wooden windows are in satisfactory condition and made of quality wood (it is usually heavier), then it makes sense to restore them. It will come out a little at a cost, but the result will be good, and such windows can stand for a very long time. But the lopsided windows with a strong backlash do not make much sense to put in order. It is better to throw it away and put plastic or euro windows.

Conscientious masters adhere to a similar position and do not undertake restoration when it is unprofitable for the client. But, unfortunately, there are not many of them.

Do-it-yourself wooden window repair is a very relevant issue. Wooden windows do not recede even in the age of modern plastic ones. Wood is not only a natural prestige material, it also has real advantages: wooden windows are resistant to external influences, provide excellent sound and heat insulation. And most importantly, in a house with wooden windows, optimum humidity is automatically maintained.

Manufacturers, seeing that the "plastic boom" in the window market is subsiding, vying with each other offer windows made of modified wood. Nothing bad can be said about them, except for the price: not only does it not please, it scares. Meanwhile, the restoration of wooden windows with your own hands is not so difficult, and as a result, great-grandfather's dead window can be restored to the form of a completely new product.

Technology, tools, materials

Independent and professional restoration of old windows is most often based on the so-called Swedish technology. But if you understand properly, then its whole essence comes down to inserting a Euro-strip sealing cord, and fitting and repainting remain in the field additional services, the price is from 3000 rubles / window. And in principle, the Euro-strip technology is not a restoration, but a warming. (About which on the eve of the onset of cold weather).

In the meantime, we will find out what tool and materials will be needed for this - there will be few of them:

Zenzubel (selector)

• A set of chisels of various widths, from 4 to 30 mm.
• Special planer for sampling and cleaning folds, quarters, grooves and sharpening of perpendicular cuts - zenzubel; in Russian - selector, see picture on the right.
• A fragment of a wide, 4-6 mm and thin, no more than 0.3 mm hacksaw or jigsaw blade (saw blade). If there is a manual jigsaw on the farm, then a solid tape for it.
• A wide shoe knife or palette knife is a special knife with which painters clean off paint from a palette.
• Thin-walled core drill for wood 8-10 mm inside; acquired after the revision of the valves.
• Carpenter's square.
• Reisshin or bubble level 1m.

You will also need a plumb line, but you can easily make it yourself from a thread with a nut. From the materials you will need the following:

1. Mounting glue for wood - "liquid nails", about 0.3 kg.
2. Putty on wood on sawdust of the desired tone, 0.5 kg, or 0.5 l of fine sawdust; sold in hardware stores.
3. Natural drying oil, 3 kg per two-room apartment medium area.
4. Thickly ground (dry mixture of pigment with filler diluted manually with a thinner) white, titanium or zinc, 2 kg from the same calculation.
5. Flat brushes 40 and 80 mm.
6. Kerosene, 2 l.
7. Nails, small and 60-80 mm, 0.5 kg each.
8. Skin No. 60 or No. 80, 0.7 m.
9. A dense plastic bag with a depth of 1.7 m and a width of 0.5 m. Suitable packaging from bedding etc. Holes should be sealed with tape.
10. A sheet of plywood or a flat shield of boards slightly larger than the window frame.
11. Pieces of aviation or waterproof plywood with a thickness of 1-1.5 mm or a block of durable small-layer wood - oak, beech, walnut, mountain ash, pear, plum, cherry, acacia.
12. Silicone AQUARIUM glue, 10-20 ml.

Note: water-based deep penetrating wood putties for this case are not suitable: they significantly increase the thermal conductivity of wooden parts.

Additionally, depending on the design of the window, you may need a stain of the desired tone and acrylic clear varnish. If you can use an industrial hair dryer, kerosene and a large plastic bag will not be needed. Having stocked up on the above, you can start overhaul old windows.

Working conditions

For windows it is better to take in a dry warm, even hot weather: permissible air humidity is not more than 65%, and preferably 40%. In case of bad weather, we cover the window openings for the period of repair with a film on a temporary frame made of waste lumber: slab, waste, old pickets, etc.

Correct and incorrect dowel fit

Disassembly and revision

The most important element of the window design is the wooden dowel pins (“chops”) that fasten it at the corners. Sufficient attention will be paid to the description of how to work with them, and window repair begins precisely with the inspection and revision of the dowels.

First of all, we remove the sashes, remove the glazing beads or carefully pick out the putty with a chisel and take out the glass. Then we completely remove the fittings (it will still need a new one); we carefully remove the wooden ebbs (teardrops) from the outer wings: they are on nails, which are probably rusted. We also take out all the other nails, remove the steel squares - for further work, only wood should remain in the frame and sashes.

Next, the frame and then the sashes are laid one by one on the shield and leveled to rectangularity, measuring the diagonals: they should be of equal length. We especially carefully measure and level the sashes of the window: they are small and the price of a mistake is high. 1 mm divergence of the diagonals along the length gives a gap of 0.6-0.7 mm.

Example: on the sash, we made a mistake of 3 mm, and by the same amount in the opposite direction on the frame. You will get a gap about 4 mm wide, clearly visible, and pulling from it will also be noticeable.

We fix the aligned part of the window with nails, carefully driving them into the shield close to the sash, and check the old dowels. If everyone is sitting as expected, approximately in the middle of the corner, carefully drill them with a drill of a larger diameter, but not more than 0.6 of the width of a rectangular one, excluding grooves, quarters and bevels of solid wood (see fig. Bottom part). If there is a “left”, which is not uncommon, see the figure above, we work like this:

• We dig the old one along the contour with 3-4 drops of superglue, this is necessary so that it does not fall out during drilling and the hole does not go away.
• We are waiting for 5-10 minutes for the glue to grab firmly in the depths, it flows far.
• Drill the correct hole.
• With a saw band, inserting it into the gap between the mustache of the connection, we saw through the old dowel.

After the mounting holes are drilled in all the details of the window, we disassemble the frames into parts and clean them of old paint.

Paint cleaning

There are two ways to remove old paint from windows: thermal and chemical. An industrial hair dryer is used for heat treatment cleaning. Do not try to make it domestic: it will not give 200-250 degrees. And do not set the temperature on the hair dryer to more than 250 - you will get a low-temperature, without charring, wood burn, and it will lose its qualities. The same thing happens if you heat with a blowtorch or propane torch.

The part to be cleaned is placed on the priest and heated in sections of 25-30 cm. When the paint begins to bubble, it is cleaned off like plasticine with a shoe knife or a palette knife. A spatula with a straight blade, even a sharpened one, will either cut into the wood or slip through the paint.

Video: thermal paint removal

“Chemistry” paint is removed using a plastic bag and kerosene (solvent or nitro solvents are not suitable, they will ruin the tree):

• Each piece of wood is wrapped in rags.
• The whole bunch, how much will fit into the neck of the bag, is thrust into it; there should be a margin for tying the bag.
• Wrapped pieces of wood are watered with 0.5 liters of kerosene.
• The bag is tied tightly, left for a day or more, until the paint softens.
• They take out the parts one by one and clean off the paint with the same tool.

Notes:

1. Chemical softening of paint is a smelly and fire hazardous operation. It should be carried out on the balcony or on the street.
2. If you pull out the entire beam from the bag at once, the kerosene will quickly evaporate and the paint will harden again.

In both cases, if the window is supposed to be painted with paint, it is not necessary to pick out small particles of paint in the recesses: it will only be easier to putty and sand. If the window goes under the stain with varnish, then you will have to work on them.

Impregnation

The next stage of work is impregnation with drying oil. The purpose is to prevent the germs of rot, killed by heat or chemistry, from developing again, and to restore, as far as possible, the structure of dilapidated wood. On the hastily, for several years until the next repair, impregnate the parts with a brush from all sides 3-4 times; the next - after the complete absorption of the previous one. Before subsequent impregnation, the surface of the part should not be taken to the touch.

For centuries, they are impregnated in a special device: a piece brewed from one end steel pipe 100-120 mm. It is installed obliquely at about 30 degrees; it is advisable to use a welded kozelchik from the corner so that the pipe does not roll. The operation is performed only in the open air away from residential buildings: in the yard, in the country. On hand, you must definitely have a felt bag made of burlap or fiberglass: drying oil can flare up. You need to know this in advance, and not be scared, but immediately throw a felt mat over the neck of the pipe. It goes out - you can continue.

Drying oil is poured into the pipe by 3/4 and heated from below with a hairdryer or a stream of hot air from an electric stove. As the drying oil heats up, it will begin to bubble: it is moisture that evaporates from it and air comes out. If the smell of drying oil suddenly intensified sharply, we move the heater aside, wait a bit and continue heating. When there are no bubbles, impregnation can begin.

Warning: in no case do not look directly into the neck of the pipe and do not lean over it! You need to follow the drying oil sideways.

For impregnation, you will need a 5-6 mm steel wire hook with a pointed end. The item is placed in a pipe and melted with a hook for 3-5 minutes, then it, hooked with a point, is taken out and laid on a table to dry. Do not grab the parts with your hands, even in mittens: hot drying oil with a temperature of over 130 degrees will drain from them.

Parts treated in this way from the most ordinary pine serve in the open air for 150 years or more, and painted with oil paint require repainting no more than once every 15 years.

Windows restoration

Nagels and wedges

Before actually taking on the restoration of wooden windows, you need to prepare new dowels and wedges for them. The pins are drilled with a core drill from any straight-layer business wood. You need to drill Across the fibers, as shown in the figure. Hastily planed "chops" will not hold the frames for a long time. For each pin, it is necessary to prepare in advance a wedge with a length of its diameter, a width of 5-7 mm and a thickness of 1-1.5 mm. The best wedges are oak and rowan. The dowel diameter is 0.5-0.7 mm larger than the diameter of the mounting hole for it.

Outside Alignment

The frame to be leveled is assembled, while not fixing it with anything, on a shield-stock; it needs to be covered in advance plastic film. They are aligned diagonally, as before, and also fixed with nails driven in from the sides. The fixing holes are drilled again.

Next, the frame is disassembled, the mustache and grooves of the joints are smeared with liquid nails, quickly (the glue hardens in a few minutes) they are assembled in a slipway, they are also quickly checked with diagonals and, if necessary, trimmed. When the glue grabs, proceed to fixing with dowels. It is impossible to put it off for another day: in order for the dowels to hold the frame properly, the adhesive joint during their installation must still be sufficiently plastic.

Nagels are lightly lubricated with liquid nails and hammered into holes with a mallet. THE NAGEL FIBERS MUST BE LOCATED Across THE WOOD FIBERS! This is an indispensable condition for the reliability of the connection, see fig. Finally, the dowels are fixed with wedges on both sides, driving them ALONG THE FIBER of the dowel, also see the figure.

The question may arise: what about the response detail? Nagel fibers will go along its fibers.

The fact is that the counterpart, after driving the wedges into the dowels, will fall on the “waist” of the dowel and will not split. And a wedge driven into the dowel before the glue has completely hardened will give, in addition to the lateral, some vertical force, so that the entire joint will shrink and the glue will gain strength under pressure. After 3 days of exposure at +25 degrees, such a frame, dropped at an angle from a height of a meter, remains rectangular.

Frame and sash adjustment

The squareness along the outer edge does not guarantee the straightness of the mounting openings: the tree may dry out unevenly. That's why next stage work - alignment of the inner quarters.

First, we adjust the window frame and the vents in the corresponding sash: we put the frame on the priest and check the quarters in turn with a plumb line. If there is at least one exactly perpendicular, we take it as a base. If not, you will have to suffer with a square and a T-square until we find the most "left" corner. From it, then from other corners with a pencil along the T-square we beat off the lines of the new opening and with a zenzubel, and in the corners with a chisel we select the excess (in the figure - on the left).

Next, in the same way, we check and equalize the sash OUTSIDE. Then the sashes are laid next to each other and aligned in height and width, as shown in the figure on the right. Quarters under the glass can not be touched: both for the appearance and for the reliability of the window, their slight distortion is insignificant. But if you get a taste and want to align them, it won't hurt.

After the described operations, the sash together will be less than the landing opening of the frame. To fit into the frame (exactly into it, otherwise the window will not close later!) We put strips of plywood in a quarter on liquid nails. After the glue hardens, we bring it to accuracy with a zenzubel and a chisel, we select recesses for fittings. Next, we grab after 15-25 cm with small carnations, drowning their hats with a chisel. Then we impregnate the lining with drying oil with a 40 mm flute

Putty and sanding

Putty for small recesses can be prepared independently by mixing sawdust on liquid nails in a ratio of 3: 1 by volume. You need to knead quickly, in small portions, and just as quickly putty: the glue sets in a few minutes. Finally, we sand the frame with sandpaper.

Reminder: before puttying, do not forget to put the ebbs in place, on liquid nails and then on ordinary ones.

Painting

For decades, wooden windows have been painted with oil paint. Most the best option: buy thickly grated paint and mix it yourself in linseed or “wooden” (walnut) oil, as artists do. "Natural" ready-made oil paints on sale are most often based on synthetic or mineral oil thinners, which are much inferior to traditional ones in terms of durability. Glyphthalic and pentaphthalic enamels do not fit well: after 5 years, the window will require repainting, and extra layers of paint spoil the look.

When purchasing a thicker paint, make sure that the pigment is mineral and not synthetic. White can be checked by rubbing a pinch between the fingers: there should be no "slippery" feeling, and the powder should stick to the fingers. Synthetic pigment almost completely flies off when shaken off.

Advice: the main parts of the paint are pigment, filler (dry) and thinner. If you want windows to shine for a very long time, choose paint with marble flour (microcarbonate) filler.

Oil paint is kneaded in a wide flat dish: they are poured in a pile, a hole is made at its top, oil is poured into it and kneaded. Oil is added in small portions to the desired density. For windows, you need the consistency of liquid sour cream.

Video: an example of painting a wooden window

Finishing

Finishing "under nature" in the described technology is made with stains. Stains change the tone of the wood and emphasize its texture: an ordinary business pine, after being treated with a suitable stain, can be almost indistinguishable in appearance from bog oak, pandan or mahogany. It is advisable to experiment on old chocks before decorating: choose the tone and degree of dilution.

Finishing with stains has and additional benefits: the coloring composition penetrates deeply, coloring the wood in bulk, so that after sanding in case of repair it is not necessary to repaint. In addition, wood stain increases the resistance of wood to decay and ultraviolet rays.

Completes decorative trim windows its lacquering transparent or tinted acrylic varnish, installation of accessories and glasses. Acrylic's competitor in quality is only Japanese tung lacquer, but it is not available to every oligarch.

Glazing

Before installing the glasses in the inner corners of the quarters, we squeeze out a thin sausage of aquarium silicone glue under them. After fixing the glasses with carnations, we remove the silicone drips with a cloth moistened with vinegar. Carnations do not need to be wiped dry from silicone: it will protect them from corrosion. After the silicone hardens (2 mm / day), we seal the glass with putty, as usual: chalk mixed with drying oil. If the glass will be fastened with glazing beads, they must be processed in advance, like other wooden parts, and painted.

Outcome

Ancient technology of wooden window restoration, supplemented modern materials, works wonders. A completely shabby window, which has been in the hands of a skilled and accurate craftsman, looks no worse than a plastic one, and retains everything beneficial features tree.

Video: an example of work on basic repair and insulation of windows