Old casement windows are a charming and classic feature in many historic homes. Over time, however, they can become worn, drafty, and difficult to operate. Instead of replacing them with modern alternatives, consider restoring your old casement windows to preserve their beauty and improve their functionality. In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of refurbishing your old casement windows, from assessing their condition to applying the finishing touches.
Before diving into the restoration process, it's essential to evaluate the condition of your windows. Look for signs of wear, such as peeling paint, cracked or missing glazing putty, and loose or damaged hardware. Check for drafts by holding a lit candle or incense stick near the window seams. If the flame or smoke wavers, you may have gaps that need sealing.
To restore your casement windows, you'll need the following tools and materials:
Screwdriver
Putty knife
Utility knife
Sandpaper (various grits)
Wood filler or epoxy
Glazing putty
Paint stripper
Primer and paint
Replacement hardware (if necessary)
Weatherstripping
First, remove the casement window from its frame. Use a screwdriver to unscrew the hinges and carefully lift the window out of the frame. Place it on a flat, sturdy surface, such as a workbench or table.
To remove old paint and prepare the wood for refinishing, you'll need to strip and sand the window. Apply a paint stripper according to the manufacturer's instructions and allow it to sit for the recommended time. Use a putty knife to gently scrape away the softened paint.
Once the paint is removed, sand the window with progressively finer grits of sandpaper, starting with 80-grit and working your way up to 220-grit. Be sure to sand with the grain of the wood to avoid scratches.
Inspect the window for any damaged or rotted wood. If you find small areas of damage, you can use wood filler or epoxy to repair them. Apply the filler according to the manufacturer's instructions and allow it to dry. Once dry, sand the repaired area smooth.
For more extensive damage, you may need to replace sections of the wood or consult with a professional.
If the glazing putty around the window panes is cracked or missing, you'll need to replace it. Use a utility knife to remove the old putty, being careful not to damage the glass. Apply a thin layer of new glazing putty around the edges of the pane, pressing it firmly into place. Smooth the putty with a putty knife, creating a clean, even line.
Before painting the window, apply a coat of primer to ensure proper adhesion of the paint. Allow the primer to dry according to the manufacturer's instructions. Once dry, apply two coats of paint, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next.
If the hardware on your casement window is damaged or outdated, consider replacing it with new, matching hardware. This can improve the functionality of your window and give it a fresh, updated look.
With the window restored, it's time to reinstall it in the frame. Carefully lift the window and align it with the hinges. Use a screwdriver to secure the hinges in place.
To improve the energy efficiency of your casement window, you may need to add weatherstripping. There are various types of weatherstripping available, including adhesive-backed foam tape, V-strip, and door sweeps. Choose the type that best suits your window and follow the manufacturer's instructions for installation.
With your casement window now restored, you can enjoy the charm and character it brings to your historic home. Regular maintenance, such as cleaning and inspecting the window for damage, will help ensure its longevity and continued functionality. So, take pride in your beautifully refurbished casement windows and the timeless elegance they provide.
Casement windows are the most common style of window. They feature hinged panels that swing open and closed. Casement windows are available in single panels or multiple panels. The direction a door swings, either to the right or the left, is called the handing. In addition to handing, window are identified as either inswing or outswing depending on whether they open into the house or towards the outside.
Our team of experts will work with you to develop a bespoke plan that fits your needs. We take a holistic approach to the planning process, combining our technical expertise with our knowledge of customer requirements and project constraints.
This newly built private house is in Sydney, Australia. The area occupied by the fenestration system in our scheduled design drawings was up to more than 110 square meters. A wide range of design details made the perfect mix of modern aesthetics and traditional sophistication, the simulated vertical hung windows with tilt & turn opening systems in this home are absolutely breathtaking. SDLS (Simulated Divided Lites with Spacer Bar) brings some historical vintage feeling to the whole building without losing any energy saving performance. Long narrow fixed windows creating larger-than-life expenses, coupled with German high-end systems made this project stand out from the rest.
The client's idea was to maintain a certain vintage feel, and our aim was to meet the energy efficiency needs and standards of modern houses as much as possible while maintaining a retro design. Doorwin’s 61S simulated hung windows with tilt & turn openings is a respectful modernization of a classic architectural masterwork.
Why choose the tilt and turn opening method?
Because it generally has better air seals than sliding, single hung, or double hung window frames. Tilt and turn windows form a complete seal when fully closed, this means they are less prone to water leakage, and cold draughts and you’ll keep more of your heating indoors where it belongs. They can be opened in the upper tilt way to ventilate at a minimum opening status and are easy to clean outside of the glass; when there’s a good day, they can be opened as normal inward casement windows.
Our well-crafted bespoke systems enhance the functionality and panoramic view of this modern house.
Huge, fixed glass walls up to seven meters long and two meters high bring great lighting and open views, making it really refreshing to the mind. Five meters high long narrow windows give the whole building a contemporary aesthetic.
Every window’s placement and shape not only add to the uniqueness of this home but also provide a more energy-saving ability for the owners.
Doorwin energy-efficient integrated glazing units feature double-pane glass, warm-edge spacers, argon gas fill, Low-E coatings, and fully tempered glass, they can not only create a comfortable and natural indoor environment but also save electricity bills and heating bills of more than 100 USD for the owner, it’s a real bargain compared to choosing a regular glazing set.
Aluminum Door offered an air of uniqueness and elegance to a home. With their luxurious patterns and beautiful finishes, it provides this house with a bounty of aesthetics and security. Aluminum entry doors allow you to resist any weather extremes, corrosion, and pests. So aluminum is one of the most resilient and durable materials you can select for front doors considering the price/performance ratio.
With pieces of double panes, and Low-E tempered glass. The door provides a good insulation performance.
Divided lite windows and doors offer unique architectural solutions for buildings without compromising energy efficiency or aesthetics. Doorwin provides multiple muntin and glass options to customize your divided lite windows and doors. Further customization is available with a variety of colors and materials, creating an infinite number of design combinations to best suit your style.
In this project, we use SDLS (simulated divided lites with spacer bars), these bars permanently adhere to both sides of the glass, and spacer bars are installed between the glass, this is the most energy-efficient way to create the look of classical décor grilles. The windows in the bathroom bedroom and study have an Arch Transom Design, making these rooms, which are often used by the owner, have some traditional aesthetics.
BTW, Doorwin offers free design assistance, so if you need a custom design like this one, contact us right away and we will provide you with the most aesthetically and functionally pleasing design solution.
For windows and doors, hardware is as important as the engine is to the car. The continuous technological innovation of the European hardware industry has strongly promoted the performance improvement and functional innovation of windows and doors. In this project, Doorwin uses Hoppe™ multi-point locks, hinges, and handles from Germany.
Multi-point lock systems provide not only the burglar-resistance but also a tighter compression seam, making the window keeps good energy-efficient performance. Together with Technoform Bautec’s insulation edge bond and sealant strips, these make up our products' top insulation and energy-saving performance.
We have several international patents to reduce clients’ labor costs, such as our unique flanges and assembly type tubular design, which is different from the other products on the market. What sets us apart among Chinese counterpart is that all our products are equipped with nail fin structures for quick and easy installation. Labor costs during installation may exceed of the window and door price, therefore, our exclusive patent allows users to not only get a significant increase in installation efficiency, but also greatly reduce the labor cost of window and door installation. A cost that may bring you unexpected savings that far exceed the price difference you may care about now.
With our own expertise, we provided the no-cost design development and contract documentation with CAD & BIM drawings, including elevation, details about the project, and installation help.
Before production, we will provide accurate sample drawings, which will clearly show the cross-sectional pattern, size, opening method and direction, pattern of the warm spacer, and the installation nodes. We will not go into production until you have signed off on the drawing to ensure that you receive a final product that meets the exact requirements of your project.
Doorwin's professional packing system guarantees all products are delivered safely and without any damage. We apply a four-point packing system. Firstly, adhesive plastic film is applied on interior wood frames and exterior aluminum frames to avoid scratches on the surface. Then, a paper board is applied after we apply air bubble film surrounding the whole windows/ doors to avoid any destruction or clash. Lastly, we place them into a durable non-fumigation plywood crate to avoid any possible damage during transportation.
With years of experience shipping our products worldwide, we could guarantee to ship our products to their final destinations intact and without any damage.
Doorwin is one of the most professional window & door manufacturers are known for its great customized products. In Doorwin, a variety of colors, styles, and sizes of products are available to meet the client’s unique requirements. We own three ISO9000-certified modern factories in China. With a factory area of 20,000 m2 and a production capacity of 100,000 m2 per year. Doorwin Group has the scale to ensure timely delivery and the flexibility to reduce manufacturing lead times to as short as 18 days.