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Repair a rotted window sill

Older wooden windows can commonly develop rotted or softened areas as outside moisture infiltrates the wood through cracks, roof leaks, or cracked glazing around window glass.  Over time, this moisture softens and degrades the wood, causing it to shrink further.  This can cause voids between the wood and paint finish which only accelerates the rotting process.  This can lead to an expensive window replacement, but if caught early, you can save the window by treating and sealing the rotted wood.

Several new expoxy-based compounds are available specifically designed to penetrate soft wood, harden, and stabilize the fibers.  The best materials will return the wood to structural integrity that is often better than the original material.

However, if you want to prevent the problem from spreading, you first want to repair the problem that allowed moisture to penetrate in the first place.  That will often entail rebuilding exterior sills, installing flashing, or re-glazing window panes.  Once those repairs are completed, this course will show you how to repair any interior damage and return the window to its former self.

Steps: 

First, make sure that all outside sources of moisture have been properly sealed and that the wood has had time to dry completely.  Place dropclothes undet the window opening inside to catch debris and assemble all the tools and supplies.  Examine the damaged wood, probing with a nail to determine the soft wood areas.  Some severely damaged wood will have to be replaced as in this example.

Using a putty knife and sandpaper, carefully remove all the old paint and loose wood from the area to be treated.  Be careful not to press too hard or gouge out the soft wood.  The existing soft wood structure will act as a scaffold for the epoxy wood treatment. This entire area will need to be treated to prevent the spread of additional rotting.

Along the upper edge of the rotted area, drill a series of shallow, 1/4" holes.  These will be used for injecting the liquid wood treatment.  Because the damaged wood can be very soft use caution when drilling the holes so that you don't penetrate too far or damage the window pane.

Mix together the two solutions of PC Rot Terminator in equal amounts, using the included squeeze bottle.  Carefully inject the thin solution into each predrilled hole, allowing the solution time to penetrate the wood thoroughly.  Don't overfill or allow the solution to spill out of the window frame.  If it does, quickly clean it up with paper towels.  Check to make sure that all soft wood has been throughly saturated with solution.

The solution will cure within an hour, but allow for 24 hours for a complete cure.  Make sure to clean up tools and the mixing container during this first hour before the liquid has time to harden.

After the expoxy solution has thoroughly cured, cut out and patch any part of the window that requires new wood.  It is best to cut out the opening after the epoxy had been applied to prevent any additional damage to the soft wood.  A flush cutoff saw works best for this purpose.  Install the fresh wood and glue into place with 5 minute epoxy.

Apply Rock Hard Putty to all voids, drilled holes, and cracks around patched areas and wait 24 hours for a thorough cure.

Carefully sand the putty flush with the rest of the window trim.  If any low areas remain, you may need to apply another layer of putty and sand again.  Thoroughly vacuum away debris and dust, and then wipe the surface with a slightly damp cloth to remove all residual dust.  Make sure surrounding painted wood is also lightly sanded and thoroughly cleaned.

Apply two coats of interior semigloss paint.  In order to obtain a perfect match, you may need to repaint the entire window, however, if you are painting with existing paint trim, you may be able to feather the paint between the previously painted surface and the newly patched area.  Your job is now complete.  If patched properly, the expoxy treated wood should last as long or longer that the original wood.

Deck: 
Repair damaged windows with epoxy based wood conditioners to extend the life of existing windows.