as-new condition. That means removing interior and exterior paint; removing and repairing the sash, which often includes reglazing; repairing the frame; weatherstripping; then reinstalling the sash and repainting.
An ounce of prevention: If you suspect you have lead-based paint in your house, check the guidelines at 1-800-424-5323 or www.epa.gov/lead before beginning.
Operating manual: The sash (the part of the window that goes up and down) is made up of rails, the pieces of wood that surround the glass panes. These are held together by mortise-and-tenon joints made very tight, which prevents the seams from being seen. But the joints can weaken because the bottom sashes sit on the windowsill with the end grains exposed. In the summer, when storm windows are open and rain gets in, the end grains can soak up moisture into the adjacent joint.
Be sure to ask: Does the wood show signs of rot at the end grains? This can often be repaired with a wood epoxy, available at hardware stores.
Step-by-step: To repaint and/or repair windows, remove them from the frame, which also allows you to replace sash cords that can fray and make windows loose in the frame. Tight is the goal here.
To remove the sash, carefully remove the inside stop, the strip of wood that holds the sash in place. Use a putty-knife blade to slowly pry the stop at several points, so you won't split the stop. The sash will remain connected to the cords; when you remove those cords, use small nails to hold them to the sides of the frame or they will slip behind jambs, which may then require disassembling.
