How To Repair Dry Rot Window Sill

Here in the scenic Northeast, nosotros are normally blessed with an abundant supply of precipitation. Sometimes, it's even a tad TOO abundant, resulting in overflowing gutters. We'll show you how to remedy that unhappy situation, by adding a downspout, in an upcoming post. Meanwhile, we'll show you how to fix ane of the consequences of those flood gutters, as nosotros item how to fix a rotted windowsill.

The sill we're using as our test bailiwick has been the victim of several years of water cascading down on information technology from a gutter above it. While I'm thrilled we live in an surface area where water is plentiful, that water can cause an amazing amount of impairment when information technology finds its manner into your house. And it'due south VERY good at finding its manner in. Looking at our sill, there was apparently simply a small rotted area.

fix a rotted windowsill — From a distance, the windowsill didn't look THAT bad…

When I started pulling things apart, I found all-encompassing impairment to the sill. The siding behind it was too wet and rotted, as well every bit the apron trim nether the sill. There was also a small expanse of rot at the bottom of the side casing. Unpleasant surprises are the norm when you decide to gear up a rotted windowsill. Don't permit it intimidate yous, though; information technology's not all that hard to deal with. Grab your tools, and let's get it done, before it rains once more!

Tools You Demand To Fix A Rotted Windowsill

Fortunately, the tools and techniques needed to set up a rotted windowsill are pretty key. Yous'll need a pry bar, a claw hammer, a utility knife, a tape measure, a circular saw, and either a sharp chisel or an oscillating multitool to cut out the rotted stuff you lot're certain to observe backside the trim. If y'all accept access to a tabular array saw, it volition make it much easier to cut the angle on the new sill. If not, it can be done with a circular saw and a steady hand. Yous'll also need some sandpaper, primer and a paint brush.

I Don't Mean To Pry…

Before you lot go shopping for materials to fix a rotted windowsill, yous demand to know how extensive the damage is. Note: Before you start your demo, brand a annotation of how long your sill and apron are, too as any other rotted trim yous'll exist pulling off. At present allow's get cranking!

Start at the bottom, with the frock trim, and work your way upwardly. To avoid peeling pigment off of siding and trim that volition be staying, utilise a utility knife to score the paint and caulk where they meet.

Go your pry bar behind the apron by gently borer it with your hammer, and slowly work your style from i terminate to the other, prying slowly and beingness careful non to scuff or paring your siding.

Once the apron is off, repeat the process with the sill. Again, make certain y'all score any areas where information technology contacts trim that won't be removed. If there are nails left behind when the trim is off, make sure you pull them out. Brand sure you lot save a piece of the sill, then you can use it to match the angle when it's time to cut the new sill.

If the rot extends vary far into your vertical trim, you may accept to pull it off and replace it every bit well. If information technology's non extensive, there's another option: cut out the rotted expanse, and utilise epoxy wood filler to make full in the gap. It'southward not too expensive, and when mixed and installed properly, it's actually stronger than wood, and information technology can be shaped, sanded, nailed, screwed and painted. That'due south what I use to set small areas of rot on any trim when I fix a rotted windowsill.

In one case the damaged stuff is off, take a good look at what was behind it. If the sill was pretty rotted, there'due south a good chance that water worked its way in behind it, and rotted siding, and possibly even framing members. Employ your chisel or multitool, and get rid of whatsoever wood that's rotted, crumbling or punky.

I had to cut out a piece of the siding that had been backside the apron, and some of the sheathing behind information technology was damp but not rotted. If y'all have any wood that's solid merely damp, brand sure you let information technology dry out completely before you put everything back together. I left it open for a couple of days of sunny atmospheric condition, and finished the h2o banishment by using a heat gun for a couple of hours. If y'all get that road, don't keep the gun close to the wood for long; some rut guns get hot enough to start a fire. I had mine a couple of feet away, propped upwards and aimed at the clammy area.

Getting The Materials Yous Need To Ready A Rotted Windowsill

It's easy to effigy out what you demand to set up a rotted windowsill one time the bad parts are out. In that location are many sizes and styles of windows, of course, and yous want to friction match what was there as closely as possible. Many window sills, including ours, are ane-ane/2" thick. This makes replacement elementary, as the new sill can be cut from a standard 2×4 or 2×6. Measure the thickness and length of your sill, and add information technology to your list.

If you had damaged siding behind the frock or sill, yous demand to replace that too. If it volition be completely covered when you install the new frock, yous're in luck – you tin use any material that's the same thickness as the sometime siding. If office of information technology will show, accept a piece of the material you cut out to your home heart or lumberyard, and get the closest match you can.

For the apron trim, and the side casing if needed, mensurate the width, length and thickness of the quondam piece. If you lot're lucky (again!), it may exist a standard dimensional piece, like a one×4 (really three-1/2" broad) or a ane×6 (5-1/2" broad). If it'southward an oddball size – ours was 4-1/ii" – get the next size upwardly, and rip it to the width you lot need with a table saw or circular saw.

Something yous may want to consider when yous're shopping for replacement parts to set up a rotted windowsill: Many trim parts made of PVC are bachelor. They can exist cut and nailed but like wood trim, and they DON'T ROT! They are a fair bit more expensive; the 1x6x8' piece of PVC trim I bought was $xx, clear pine would have been around $8. If you're planning on staying put awhile, I recall it's money well spent. At least side by side time you have to replace a rotted windowsill, information technology shouldn't be that 1.

While y'all're shopping, grab a tube of proficient paintable acrylic caulk, and some galvanized nails. You'll desire some 8-penny finish nails for the frock, and xvi-penny sinkers for the sill. Don't skimp and use regular "bright" nails; they'll rust and eventually disintegrate if they become at all damp.

Fix A Rotted Windowsill – And Help Prevent A Relapse

Once you've retrieved all your parts, it'due south time to start putting everything back together. First, cut the angle on your sill. Virtually sills are designed with a few degrees of downward slope, to help them shed h2o. Some water, anyhow. If yous take a tabular array saw, ready the bending on the blade to match the angle on that chip piece of sill you saved. Then gear up the cutting width to match the width of the sill, and just run information technology through.

If you're using a circular saw, set the angle of the bract to lucifer the old sill, and mark a cutting line on top of the piece of work piece. Brand your angled cut in the centre of the slice. Go along the saw every bit steady and straight as you can; use a guide if one is bachelor.

Once your angle is cut, the hardest part is washed. Now cut your piece to length, and give the edges, and any surfaces that volition be exposed, a good sanding. This will help them take paint better, and they'll look much improve when you're finished. Paint ALL surfaces – even the areas that volition exist hidden – with a coat of good primer. Do the same with your frock trim, and whatever other trim pieces or siding yous're replacing. This will also help delay the adjacent occasion you'll take to fix a rotted windowsill.

Work your style from the inside out. Brand certain everything is completely dry inside, and replace whatsoever sheathing and siding, attaching everything with galvanized nails. Caulk any seams. Next goes the sill. Ordinarily the sill extends a curt distance beyond the side casing trim on each side; brand certain the sill is centered, with an equal overhang on each side.

Push the sill upward snug to the bottom of any vertical trim, and nail it in place using your 16D galvanized nails, making sure the nails are positioned to become into the framing members (studs or window framing). Now attach the apron. Normally the frock is shorter than the sill, and sized to line upward with the outside edges of your side casing. Push the apron upwardly snug against the sill, and nail it with 8D galvanized stop nails, once more trying to hit framing members whenever possible. Caulk any seams.

If you lot accept vertical trim to supplant, cutting it to fit, keeping in heed that the surface that rests on the sill should accept a slight angle cut, to friction match the gradient of the sill. Brand sure to match any reveal on other areas of the window, and to line up the outer edge with the edge of the apron trim. Caulk any seams.

If you lot had a modest expanse to patch, like I did, at present's the fourth dimension. Unless the space you're filling is very small, it's a good idea to add a lilliputian "rebar" to requite the filler something extra to grab onto. I used a couple of structure-grade screws, screwed into the siding and studs, and set nigh ane/iv" below where the finished surface will be.

Mix upwards your epoxy wood filler following the directions on the container, and fill in the gaps. Use a putty knife to get the surface equally smoothen and close to the existing trim equally possible. Let it set up up according to the directions, then sand it to blend in with the residual of the trim, caulk information technology, and prime it.

Once everything is in place, the final step to prepare a rotted windowsill is to put a glaze or two of good-quality exterior paint on all your repairs. This, of course, will look all spiffy and new, whereas the rest of the trim may not have seen a paintbrush for a while. Endeavor cleaning the remaining trim, and hopefully information technology will be close plenty that it won't bother you. If you lot just tin can't stand it, repaint the rest of the trim on the window.

And that'due south it – at present y'all know how to ready a rotted windowsill! Hopefully that was the only one; if not, rinse and repeat. And if the effect was due to an overflowing gutter, check back shortly, and we'll show you how to add a downspout, then you can make the water get where Yous want it to go.