Repair or replace timber sash windows? A Melbourne guide

Timber sash windows are a big part of what gives older Melbourne homes their character. When they start sticking, rattling or letting in rain, it is tempting to assume they need replacing. In most cases they do not. This guide explains how to tell the difference, what a proper repair involves, and what it typically costs.

Signs your sash windows can be repaired

Most problems we see on timber windows are repairable:

• Paint peeling and bare timber on the sill or bottom rail
• Cracked or missing putty around the glass
• Sashes that stick, rattle or will not stay open
• Broken sash cords
• Soft spots in the sill that a screwdriver sinks into, but only in patches

If the frame is square, the jambs are solid and the rot is local, repair is usually the better value.

When replacement makes sense

Replacement is worth considering when:

• Rot has spread into the structural frame, not just the sill or sash
• The same repair keeps failing on the same window
• A repair quote comes in at more than about half the cost of a new window
• You want a different style or double glazing that the old sashes cannot carry

What a proper repair involves

1. Cut out the rot. Decayed timber is removed back to sound wood, so the repair has something solid to bond to.
2. Splice in new hardwood. A matching hardwood section is shaped, glued and fixed in, following the original profile.
3. Reglaze. Old, cracked putty is removed and the glass is bedded and sealed with fresh putty.
4. Prime and paint. Every exposed surface is primed and painted so water cannot get back into the timber.

Where needed we also replace sash cords, ease sticking sashes and adjust catches so the window opens and locks properly.

Typical costs in Melbourne

Why repair is often the better choice

• It keeps the character. Original frames, glass and proportions are hard to reproduce.
• It costs less. A repair is usually a fraction of a new window.
• It is less disruptive. No new openings, no plastering, less mess.
• Good timber lasts. Old-growth hardwood in many older windows is more stable than much of the timber available today.

One of our customers put it simply in a Google review: "One of the best wooden window repair in Melbourne."

The short version

If the frame is sound and the rot is local, repair your sash windows. Cut out the rot, splice in hardwood, reglaze and paint, and they will work for years. If rot has reached the frame, or a repair costs more than half a new window, talk to us about replacement.