Restoring Antique Windows: A Labor of Love

1 Material
4 Hours
Medium
Reclaimed (aka salvage) antique windows from an old train station + DIY prowess = PERFECT for my new-to-look-old farmhouse.
An accidental discovery of antique windows from an old train station in the Northeast led to "exactly what we need" for our new-to-look-old Finally Farmhouse.
After purchasing our huge (3x5 and 5x5) antique windows (for only $35 each!) and transporting them to our farm, I pulled out the necessary tools of the trade: thin/narrow and thick/wide putty knives, rubber mallet, pliers, thin/flat screw driver, and gloves.
No hardened glazing in these windows! These beauties were built before its use and feature tiny mitered quarter-round trim pieces to hold in the glass. Every single one needs to be carefully removed and the glass removed.
The trim fits so snugly that the first piece is tricky to get out without breaking the back side. But it's the BACK side, so it won't show when cleaned up and replaced. icon
Remove 4 quarter round pieces from each pane. Remove the glass. Remove 8 little nails from each pane. Fun fact: It takes me an average of 15 minutes per window pane. My windows have 12 and 16 panes each X LOTS of windows.
So far . . . 3 days' worth of progress (and patience)!
Five windows so far. Next stage will be sanding and painting, but lots more trim to remove before that happens. . . To see more of this project + inspiration pics for how I plan to use these beauties, click on the blog link for My Place to Yours.
Suggested materials:
  • Basic hand tools
Susan Nowell @ My Place to Yours
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Comments
Join the conversation
Next