Restoring the Windows

                    BEFORE                                                                          AFTER    

I thought I'd follow up with my last post which showed the before and after (nearly after) of our old windows. It would be remiss if I didn't explain just how a window becomes restored as it does take a great deal of work. 

Luckily, we were put in touch with a local retired man who provides the service of re-glazing and painting old window sashes. Mike removed them so that they may be picked up for restoration, and then returned in perfect condition. 

Before these restored windows get put back, Mike removed all of the paint along the jambs and sills. They were a mess with layers of various paint (often lead) applied over the years. 

Here is a sill with peeling and chipped old paint. 

Mike used the silent paint remover (infrared heat gun) to remove the paint. 

He did this to each and every one of our twenty-two windows. 

Yes, twenty-two. 

He also scraped each of these twenty-two windows on the outside. This photo was taken with his cell phone, while standing on the scaffolding. When we received bids to have the house professionally painted, the cost was extremely high. Of course considering the work entailed, it is understandable but in our case, not affordable. Mike has saved us a great deal of money by painting the house himself. He also liked the idea of being in charge of the lead abatement so that he could control the level of attention paid to containment. For this effort, which took most of the summer and fall, the rest of the house (inside) has received less attention and we are running behind. But the task is nearly complete thanks to the Indian Summer we've had.