What wood for replacement window sashes?

[Michael Prisbylla]

So I have a customer that wants me to build some replacement sashes for a pair of double hung windows. What wood would you use for this? The originals seem to be old-growth pine.

[Todd Burch]

Cypress .

[Brian Groetsch]

While Cypress is an excellent wood for exterior applications, it is not very stable for a window sash. I use Vertical grain Fir for my sash.

[Dick Strauss]

I wonder how ipe would work given that it is a durable deck material with no finish? I'm clueless when it comes to how well paint sticks to ipe though.

[dennis thompson]

I have some rotten wood on my outside trim. The carpenter I hired strongly recommends Azek as a replacement, expensive he said, but permanent.
Dennis

[Frank Drew]

White pine is used a lot; it's usually widely available and machines well. I'm assuming the sash will be painted.

It's soft, and it has very little weather resistance, so the location might matter.

I've used redwood when I was worried about rain exposure.

[Peter Quinn]

I use African mahogany, seems to work out well. I like the IPE suggestion except that it doesn't hold paint at all, and it weights so much you would need garage door springs on each window to hold them up! Old pine was great, new white pine only lasts as long as the paint.

[Philip Duffy]

Anyone have a handyman guide on pulling out the old rotten outside sash and replacing it? It has been years since my last effort and I recall it was not that hard. I have too many rotten windows on a 15yr old house! Phil

[Jerome Hanby]

I heard that! And the ones that they had to "fix" before we closed were just "window dressing" if you'll pardon the pun. Going to have to rip them all out and replace them. Also hate the windows, so I've been waiting until I can do the whole job...

Anyone have a handyman guide on pulling out the old rotten outside sash and replacing it? It has been years since my last effort and I recall it was not that hard. I have too many rotten windows on a 15yr old house! Phil

[David DeCristoforo]

Pine and fir are the most commonly used woods for windows, especially if they are to be painted. But there are plenty of pine windows that are left unpainted, at least on the inside. If they are to be unpainted on the outside, redwood or mahogany work well. But there is no reason not to make your windows out of any "stable" wood you prefer. I have built windows out of oak, cherry, mahogany, redwood, pine, you name it.

[Lee Schierer]

For my money I would buy a 100% vinyl replacement window unit from Great Lakes or other reputable manufacturer. That way I would get zero maintenance, low E glass and a thermo pane.

As far as making replacement parts for existing windows, I'veused shop dried treated lumber to make sash and frame parts. Just be sure that you treated lumber is bone dry before you start cutting it. It holds the paint well too.
As others have indicated, IPE would weigh a ton and is awfully hard on tools.

The key to a long lasting window is to keep the glass properly glazed and the wood painted. Once the paint or glazing fails the wood will start failing.

[Logan William]

I would lean towards buying replacement sashes from one of the many window companies that offer replacement sashes. Depending on what brand and how old you might be able to find factory drop in replacements that will be far easier, likely cheaper by the time you figure labor, and will perform much better as with factory you'll be able to get argon filled IG units with LowE coating(s). Or you could use pocket replacement windows that takes alot of the work out of doing a window replacement. And you can now pick from many difference species of wood when ordering from many of the manufacturers, standard is pine but you've also got, Doug Fir, Mahog, White Oak or maple just to name a few

[Tom Hargrove]

I think that both you and your customer will be happier if you purchase a replacement sash set with jamb liners. They can be made to fit any opening, have new opening hardware, and will be energy efficient. The inside can be made from anykind of wood, and the outsides will be zero maintenance.

[Michael Prisbylla]

Yeah, I thought about having the sashes made. The rub is that the upper sash is curved so it's a custom job no matter how you slice it. I owe this guy about a hundred favors, so I'm cutting him a pretty nice price on my labor, but I'll still make a bit on the job. I did talk him into aluminum clad wooden units for the rectangular openings. There's no sense using the old pulley and chain system in those.

Azek is a neat idea. I worked with it pretty extensively in my last job. I'm not so sure that it would be appropriate for a window; I don't know exactly how it expands and contracts with temperature changes. This client is adamant that he wants to see wood on the insides of the window, so wood it is.

[Steven J Corpstein]

So I have a customer that wants me to build some replacement sashes for a pair of double hung windows. What wood would you use for this? The originals seem to be old-growth pine.

I just did that on a flood house repair here in Iowa. I used 5/4 poplar, it machines well for the glass rebates and paints up very nice. I used tenon joints to keep them structurally stable.