Refreshing Original Wood Windows and Sills in Riverside

Facade of residential house with bright orange wall with small glass glass windows in daylight in street in city outside

On a west-facing window in Riverside, CA, the paint on the sill can crack within a few summers because the wood bakes every afternoon, and the steps (the same ones riverside painting contractor cadsf keeps returning to) begin with the sill, not the sash. Original wood windows are worth keeping, and the painting work on them is slow but straightforward. The paint on that sill is almost always the first part to fail, followed by the glazing around the glass.

Heat checking on the sill

A painted exterior wall with a tree in front of it.

Sun and the dry Inland Empire air shrink the wood, and the surface opens into a fine pattern of cracks that lets water in during the few rainy weeks. Sills are scraped to sound wood, any soft areas are probed, and rot is dug out and filled before primer goes on.

Glazing putty that has let go

Brick houses with white trim and painted red and white doors.

Old putty dries out, shrinks away from the glass and falls off in chunks. Loose putty is cut out with a stiff knife, the rabbet is brushed with oil based primer so the wood does not suck the oil out of the new putty, and fresh glazing compound is pressed in and tooled to a clean bevel. A thin skin forms in a few days, and the paint is brought slightly onto the glass to seal the edge.

Stuck sashes

Paint builds up in the channels over decades and glues the sash shut. A utility knife scores the paint line, and a putty knife or a thin flat bar breaks it free without gouging the stops. Wax on the clean runners keeps the window moving after painting. Layers in the channel are scraped out before the next coat goes on.

Priming bare wood

Any bare spot takes primer the same day, because exposed wood in the afternoon heat absorbs moisture and dust quickly. Light sanding and a scuff sand between coats keep the finish smooth. Caulk goes only in the fixed joints, such as where the casing meets the wall, and the moving parts stay free.

Finish coats

An acrylic latex semi gloss or satin enamel is the usual choice for windows because it wipes clean and the sheen resists dirt. A small brush is used to cut in at the glass, and a narrow roller with a short nap covers flat casing faces. Two coats give the right coverage, and the sash is left cracked open slightly while it dries so it does not stick.

Why keep the originals

Old wood windows from the early decades of the century in Riverside have tight joinery and old-growth framing that newer replacements rarely match. A repaint and new glazing often adds many more years to them.