Maintaining Storm Windows

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To reduce heat loss in winter, storm windows are the old-fashioned way. There are two basic types of storm windows. Add-on storm windows fill the entire outside of the window and must be hung in place seasonally on hardware affixed to the exterior window frame. Combination storms remain in the window frame all year round along with a half-sized screen panel. Because storm windows must be changed seasonally, must take heavy weather and are often rather flimsily made, they need periodic maintenance.

Plan to inspect and clean your add-on storm windows each fall before you hang them. It will be well worth the effort involved. Wear gloves and handle the storm windows carefully to avoid cracking the glass or twisting the sash which could loosen the glass. If the storm has an aluminum frame, the gasket running all around the frame that holds the glass in place – the spline – may be loose in spots. Push it back into place with a screwdriver or putty knife. Aluminum frames also become spotted with oxidation deposits, a powdery-silver material which is similar to rust. Remove the oxidation with fine steel wool. On a wooden unit, pry out loose and crumbling glazing compound and redo it. Tighten hanger hardware and corner joints if necessary. And unclog weep holes at the bottom of the sash. Last, wash the window glass both inside and out.

Old wooden storms may look a bit clunky and are sometimes a hassle to take down and put back up because of their greater weight. But they have definite advantages over standard aluminum storms. Not only does wood insulate against cold transmission better but wooden units are usually sturdier and they can be repaired more easily than aluminum sashes. Most wooden storms have slotted hangers attached by screws, left and right at the top. The hangers slip onto a pair of hooks that are fixed to the window frame. In addition, the storms may have an eye hook or two at the bottom allowing you to lock the unit securely to the sill from the inside. Some also have entialtion adjusters, pivot rods, for example, that make it possible to open the bottom of the storm outward a few inches, a nice feature when the windows cloud up or the weather turns warm briefly. Some have a rubber gasket that runs around the edge where the storm meets the house, to improve insulation even further.

Wooden storms need to be covered well with paint so they won’t rot or swell. But each coat of paint adds a bit of thickness so a storm may not fit as well after it is painted. Check the fit before you paint. You may need to sand or plane away old paint before applying new. And if the corner joints wobble, correct the problem before the storm falls apart. Use small mending plates on the inside corners where they will barely show. Drill pilot holes firtst to avoid splitting the wood with the screws.