Repairing window sill

[sandspider]

I've got an old wooden window sill with some rot. I was going to cut out the rot, fill it, sand it and paint it, but on looking at it, there's quite a lot of rot, and it really needs a new bit of wood, which I think is beyond me. It will also happen again in a few years I imagine.

So, I was wondering (possibly foolishly), could I fit a length of plastic sheet over the top of the sill (with spacers to keep if from touching the wood directly, to let the wood dry out if it does get damp), overhanging the sill by a couple of cms to push drips away from the wood, to keep the (worst) of the rain off it and slow down the decay? Or is this a waste of time?

Thanks.

 

[ph5172]

You can get a plastic cover for window sills with end caps as well. 

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, a rotten window sill should not be difficult to replace if the window is ok, just cut the old one off and i am sure you can buy lengths of ready machined timber sills, i did a couple for my sons house, Georgian sash windows, positon new one with long screws set in and sealer, fill screw holes and a few coats of decent wood undercoat  , not that stuff you wash brush in water, then a waterproof top coat, 

[figgy]

As above cut off and replace.

Treat the wood and all should be well for years.

[sandspider]

Thanks gents.

 

But it's not just the overhang that's rotten, it's the whole sill, almost back to the windows. And the sill sits under the bricks on either side, so I'm not sure how I'd cut out the affected bit?

[oldypigeonpopper]

32 minutes ago, sandspider said:

Thanks gents.

 

But it's not just the overhang that's rotten, it's the whole sill, almost back to the windows. And the sill sits under the bricks on either side, so I'm not sure how I'd cut out the affected bit?

hello, ok well a little more care need without breaking the side brickwork, my sons were just normal sills so i used a sharp chisel and cut to the front and along the length, cleaned it up and screwed and glued in a new sill, repaint and jobs a goodun

[J.R.]

 

[team tractor]

SS where abouts are you ? I’m always between Tamworth and Somerset if I can help. I require bacon sandwiches and tea . 

[Saltings]

if confident with power tools I use an arbore Tec blade in an angle grinder to remove old stock rather than chisel and mallet less damage to glass / putty / framework etc, grind back  to frame stock replace with new profile screwed and glued a little bite time consuming but not difficult  

[sandspider]

Thanks all. I'm sure I could make a start, but I fear that once I get stuck in I'll find something else wrong and will make matters worse!

TT, thanks for the kind offer, I'm just outside Chepstow, so not a million miles out of your way perhaps. Can certainly find bacon sandwiches and tea! Maybe even coffee if you're lucky

[Guest]

Would it be easier to put a new window in.they are not hard to do .by the time you cut all the rot off it would be better and last longer than a repair to replace

Edited July 30, 2019 by Guest

[team tractor]

1 hour ago, sandspider said:

Thanks all. I'm sure I could make a start, but I fear that once I get stuck in I'll find something else wrong and will make matters worse!

TT, thanks for the kind offer, I'm just outside Chepstow, so not a million miles out of your way perhaps. Can certainly find bacon sandwiches and tea! Maybe even coffee if you're lucky

Pm me a postcode and I’ll see 👍😎 I go monthly in the summer to our holiday home. 

[sandspider]

1 hour ago, Swinton said:

Would it be easier to put a new window in.they are not hard to do .by the time you cut all the rot off it would be better and last longer than a repair to replace

Not for me!

[figgy]

It's not rocket science, just get cutting till back to good wood. If all rotten new window.

[oldypigeonpopper]

On 29/07/2019 at 20:25, oldypigeonpopper said:

hello, ok well a little more care need without breaking the side brickwork, my sons were just normal sills so i used a sharp chisel and cut to the front and along the length, cleaned it up and screwed and glued in a new sill, repaint and jobs a goodun

hello, my description sounds rather heath robinson, i did cut the old sill in sections carefull not to damage anything and it was easy to top off with chisel and wood mallet

[marsh man]

We replaced the soft wood window sills on an old rectory with Oak ones ( 12 ) , we found it easier to chop out the course of bricks below the old sills and then then drop the old ones down and replace the new ones in the same way , wedge the new sill up and then replace the course of bricks , these were soft Red bricks with mortar joints , might be harder with a hard modern brick

[Dellbert]

When i first moved into my house we were skint and some windows were bodged up badly  . So i dug out the rot let the wood dry out and filled the holes with p40 fibreglass filler  then p38 filler to finish (not isopon but same stuff ) then painted normally ,  lasted about 6 years till it started to blow out then replaced windows .

 

[sandspider]

Thanks all.

Waiting for a chippy from here to have a look as it happens. It's an old stone house, so nothing is level, even or square! I don't dare take any stones out, the whole thing might collapse!