Can old wood windows be repaired instead of replaced?

Most of the time, yes. Putty can be replaced, cords rehung, stuck sash freed and soft corners patched. What decides it is how far rot has spread through the sash, sill and frame. A pro can tell you which windows are worth restoring and which aren't.

Do I need a heritage permit to replace windows in Crescentwood or Armstrong's Point?

You may. Both are Heritage Conservation Districts, and the City says alterations to character-defining elements there can need a heritage permit. Windows are often among them. Check with the City's heritage staff before ordering anything, and tell the pro you're in a district. The heritage section above links the City's pages.

What is a sash window?

The sash is the part of a window that holds the glass and moves. In a sash window, usually a double-hung, one or both sashes slide up and down, balanced by cords and weights hidden in the walls or by springs. Many older Winnipeg houses were built with them, and plenty still work.

Is plastic film every winter better than restoring the sash?

Film is cheap and cuts drafts for a season. But it goes up every fall and does nothing for loose putty, rattling sash or rot. Restoring the sash and fitting a tight storm deals with the causes and stays done. Plenty of people use film for one more winter while they plan the restoration.

Wood windows · Winnipeg

Keeping original wood windows working

A wood double-hung that rattles, sticks or was painted shut years ago isn't necessarily finished. Old sash can usually be freed, reglazed and paired with a good storm window for winter. We connect you with an independent local pro who restores wood windows, and who'll tell you straight when a sash is beyond saving.

Restore the sash, keep the character
Paired with storm windows for winter
Heritage districts: check with the City first

Get a free quote 204-200-8407

An original wood double-hung, with the storm outside doing its winter job.

Older districts

Where Winnipeg's wood windows are (and why so many survive)

Most Winnipeg homes were built before the 1980s, and nearly a third date from 1960 or earlier. The oldest wood windows cluster in character districts such as Wolseley and River Heights, where most houses predate 1960.

They survive because they were built to be fixed: putty can be replaced, stops come off, and cords and weights hang behind a removable panel. Many have also spent decades behind a storm window, which takes the weather.

What can be fixed

What can be repaired: sashes, sills, glazing putty, cords and weights

Restoration is a set of small repairs, priced one by one so you choose what gets done. For casement cranks, see window hardware repair.

Glazing putty

Dried, cracked putty lets water sit against the wood. It's raked out and replaced, then the sash is primed and painted.

Cords and weights

A sash that won't stay up usually has a broken cord. The pocket panel comes off and the weight is rehung.

Painted-shut sash

Careful cutting frees it, and new stops or parting beads help it slide again.

Sills and joints

Rot at a corner or along part of a sill can be cut out and patched with new wood or epoxy.

Weatherstripping

Discreet strips in the jambs and meeting rail cut drafts without changing the look.

Winter

Pairing restored sashes with storm windows for winter

Frost on the room side of old single glazing is expected in a Winnipeg January. Warm, humid room air meets glass close to the outdoor temperature, and the moisture freezes. It doesn't mean the window has failed.

A good storm holds still air outside the sash, so the inner glass stays warmer and frosts less. The inner sash should be the tighter of the two: if moist air leaks past it, frost forms on the storm instead.

So restoration and storms go together: new putty, weatherstripped sash, and a fitted storm with small weep openings. Storms are still made for older openings; see storm windows.

Heritage

Heritage districts and listed buildings: check before you change anything

Winnipeg has two Heritage Conservation Districts, Armstrong's Point and Crescentwood-Enderton Park, and buildings on the City's List of Historical Resources are covered too. If your house is in a district or on the list, a heritage permit may be required before you change windows. The City reviews window work against the national Standards and Guidelines and its own guideline on windows in heritage buildings.

Check with the City's heritage staff before you sign anything, and tell the pro you're in a district.

Beyond saving

When a wood window really is beyond saving

Rot decides it. A soft corner at the bottom of a sash is routine; rot across the sill or into the frame is another matter. Even then, a new wood sash can sometimes be made for the old frame. Our repair or replace guide walks through the trade-offs.

Two wood windows side by side: one with a small patch of rot at a lower corner, the other with damage running across the sash and sill — Rot in one corner is usually repairable. Damage across the sash and sill is where a new sash or window starts to make sense.

What affects the quote

What shapes a restoration quote

Old windows are quoted one by one. These move the price:

How many sashes, and whether they go to the shop
How far rot has spread in the sash, sill and frame
Paint layers, and how the old paint has to be removed
Broken cords, missing weights or cracked glass

Photos of each sash and a close-up of any soft spots help a pro scope the job.

Get a restoration quote

Free quotes from independent local pros.

Wood or vinyl

Wood vs vinyl replacement: an honest comparison

Neither is automatically better. In the cold, the glass and the install matter most.

	Wood or wood-clad	Vinyl
Look in an older house	Matches original trim and proportions	Thicker frames change the sightlines
Upkeep	Paint or finish on a schedule	Little beyond cleaning
Heritage districts	Closer to original materials; still check with the City	Check with the City before choosing

New wood windows for older openings

New wood or wood-clad windows can be made for the original openings. In a house settled on clay, openings are rarely square, so each is measured on its own; that's the pro's job. Complete ENERGY STAR triple-pane windows may qualify for the Efficiency Manitoba rebate; our rebate guide explains what counts.

Questions

Wood window questions

Explore your options

Pros who restore wood windows work across the city's older neighbourhoods, including Wolseley, River Heights, St. Boniface and Osborne Village.

Send photos of the sash, sill and any soft spots

Photos of each window, the worst corner up close, and a note if you're in a heritage district. We'll pass them to a local pro who restores wood windows.