Heritage

Sash windows: repair, don't replace

Most rotten sashes can be saved for a fraction of the cost of new ones.

Written by

Sam Pryor

A joiner splicing new oak into a rotten sash window sill

Original sashes are made from slow-grown timber that lasts far longer than modern softwood. Rot is usually in the bottom rail and sill, and can be cut out and spliced. With new putty, cords and paint, they will last another hundred years.

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