Repair casement windows?

[mpbro]

I'll be selling my house soon and I want to fix the trim on my aluminum-frame 1952 casement windows. As you can see from the attachments, the trim was originally some type of cement, which has been painted repeatedly over the years. I'd like to strip this crap with a putty knife, then re-do the grout (for lack of a better word) as if I was drywalling. Any advice on materials, methods, etc.? Much appreciated.

[musicman]

i believe that was putty that hardened over the years. i've seen that quite a bit.

[Dan the Man]

The "grout" that you refer to is called glazing putty. You can still find it at most hardware stores. I've heard that a heat gun is a great way to soften the putty, and you can remove it with a putty knife. (I've never tried this myself, because I don't own a heat gun.) After the putty has been removed, you will want to remove any corrosion from the metal frame with a wire brush or heavy grade steel wool. Make sure not to accidentally remove and lose any of the wire springs that are holding the glass in place.

Once you have cleaned up the metal frames, you can re-apply the glazing putty with a putty knife. Scoop a piece of putty out of the can, roll it into a 1/8" thick "snake" or "rope" with your hands. Press this "snake/rope" around the edge of the glass, firmly flattening the rope. Get more putty and make a thicker "snake/rope" (about 3/8"). Press this "snake/rope" against the glass, over the previous rope. Use your putty knife to smooth out the putty, such that it angles away from the glass. Be sure to keep your knife clean, while doing this. After each swipe of the knife, wipe it off with a rag soaked in mineral spirits.

Warning: this is much harder than it sounds! The putty has a frustrating tendency to stick to the putty knife and fall out when you attempt to smooth it. Make sure to keep the knife blade damp with mineral spirits. This will prevent the putty from sticking to the knife. It will take you several tries to get the hang of this.

After the putty has cured (check label on can) you can paint over it to match the color of the window. Overlap the glazing 1/16" with paint, to prevent moisture from creeping behind the putty.

Hope this helps. You can probably find a better explanation of the process with illustrations somewhere on the net.

[mpbro]

The "grout" that you refer to is called glazing putty. You can still find it at most hardware stores. I've heard that a heat gun is a great way to soften the putty, and you can remove it with a putty knife.

Hmm, thanks for the info. I found something on the web from This Old House. It shows him pulling the old stuff out, and it looks like old caulk. The stuff I've got is brittle, with the consistency of and texture of cement. But who knows, maybe it's REALLY old. Probably wouldn't hurt if I used glazing putty.

[PapillionWyngs]

Hmm, thanks for the info. I found something on the web from This Old House. It shows him pulling the old stuff out, and it looks like old caulk. The stuff I've got is brittle, with the consistency of and texture of cement. But who knows, maybe it's REALLY old. Probably wouldn't hurt if I used glazing putty.

I PROMISE you, casement windows, glazing putty!

PROMISE!

[flipper]

after 50 years, that stuff is literally as hard as concrete. I've used everything from a hammer and chisel to an electric angle grinder to take it out. There will be no subsitute for elbow grease here.

Don't even think about using the glazing compound in the container to re-do them. It will be a messy nightmare.

You really can't work glazing very well. Just do your best the first try and step away from it.

Luckily, DAP makes this:

Glazing in a caulk tube.

It's got an angled square tip on it that makes re-applying the glazing a breeze. It still takes a little practice but it's not hard.

The trick is to figure out what angle to hold the tip at. You've got to apply the glazing with the caulk tube perpendicular to the bead you are running. For example, glazing the bottom of a sash, you'll have the caulk tube facing up and down. You just get the bead going, and glide the gun across.

They sell the DAP glazing compound in a tube at Sherwin Williams and Home Depot and Lowes. It's hard to find, but it's there.

flipper