This casement sash had its bottom rail filled up with an epoxy resin repair. You can see from the tell-tale unevenness of the plank under the paintwork.
In the second photo you can see the resin itself which nearly ran through the entire depth of the bottom rail. Unfortunately, the epoxy repair and the thick layers of paint had only served to prevent the timber from drying and allowed the rot to thrive, signing the windows death warrant.
Being Grade 2 listed, replacing the window was going to be an administrative burden, as well a significant financial investment. Repairing the sash solved these two problems as well as being preferable to the local Conservation Officer whose top concern is preserving a buildings heritage. With that in mind, we set to work carefully machining the rot away whilst leaving as much of the original frame intact as possible. This included the original tenons and crucially the inside moulding which gave the window much of its character.
The rotten timber was replaced in Accoya, carefully jointed into the original timber, leaving a window that’s as good as new whilst maintaining the visual appeal and craftsmanship of the original (minus the lumpy epoxy resin).
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