Window frame repair
Keep the existing frame and replace only the part that has failed
If the sill of a wooden frame has rotted but the timber above it is still sound, full replacement is rarely the cheapest answer. A repair cuts out the affected part, fits new hardwood or an aluminium sill in its place, and leaves the rest of the frame standing. The sash, the layout and the width of the profile stay exactly as they were.
That is why repair is often possible in a protected village conservation area (in Dutch: beschermd dorpsgezicht) where full replacement would need a permit: the appearance of the facade does not change. It is also less disruptive. No plasterwork has to be opened up on the inside, no new interior trim, and usually no scaffolding.
Have your situation assessed
Calling, sending a photo or filling in the form come to the same thing. With a photo of the current situation it is clear in advance whether this is a repair or a replacement.
When repair is cheaper
When the rot is limited to the sill and the bottom 15 cm of the stiles. That is where water stands, and it is where almost every pre-war frame in this region fails first.
When replacement is better
When the fanlight above the transom bar starts to drop, when the joints have worked loose, or when you want insulating glass and the profile is too narrow for a sealed unit. A 40 mm profile will not take a 24 mm unit.
What it changes about the house
Nothing on the outside, provided colour and profile stay the same. Inside, the trim stays in place, so there is no repainting to do in the room.
Repair sits between repainting and replacing. Paint no longer helps once the timber under it has gone soft; replacement is a job that touches the whole face of the building. The dividing line is roughly one third: if more than a third of the frame timber is affected, replacement works out cheaper over time.
We judge that with an awl and a moisture meter, not by eye. What you get is a list, frame by frame: repair, replace, or one more coat of paint. You receive that list even if you decide not to have the work done by us.
Common repairs: a new sill in hardwood or aluminium, a let-in section in the stile, new glazing beads, replacement of the ironmongery, and re-setting the existing pane in fresh sealant.
Questions about window frame repair
A hardwood sill in a properly painted frame lasts 20 to 30 years. An aluminium sill profile needs no maintenance and lasts longer, but it reads from the street as a crisp line under the window. In a protected village area (beschermd dorpsgezicht) that is usually the detail the municipality looks at.
Yes. A frame is closed up again within a day. Each opening stands open for a few hours at most, and nothing is taken apart in the rain.
Only if the rebate is deep enough. Pre-war sash timber is often 40 to 45 mm thick and will not take a 24 mm unit. Thin insulating glass of 10 to 14 mm does fit; its U-value lands around 1.6 to 2.0 rather than 1.1.
Where we do this
Also possible
- Insulated glazing and HR++: From single glazing to 1.1: what it gives you and what it costs
- Timber window frames: The one material that passes design review almost anywhere here
- uPVC window frames: Where they are the better choice, and where they are not
- Broken glass and glazing: A cracked pane, a failed sealed unit or new glazing throughout
Quotation for window frame repair
A photo, your postcode, the year the house was built and the number of frames produce a range. The quotation follows only after measuring up in the rebate: a wrong dimension is the most expensive mistake in this trade.