The Historic District

Hello all,

I am curious and I can't find anything online about this. Are storm windows supposed to be painted on all sides? Every storm window I've come across, be it salvage or the few I have in the attic have all sides painted including the very top. I was under the impression - at least for sash windows the sides and top/bottom are left bare because it allows the window to dry if the wood becomes wet. So are storm windows the same or are they supposed to have the sides painted?

Thanks,

Im not sure about storms , but like drawers, the slides and sides of drawers are not traditionally finished with anything, they are left bare wood, maybe a bit of wax is used. this is because they slide better that way. To me it seems like it would be the same for double hung windows. Paint just causes things to stick, if they slide don't paint them.. But storms dont' slide.

Interesting about the wood being able to dry. That could hold some weight?

The wood won't get wet if it's painted though.

Gothichome storms are not painted on the sides, even the bottom rail. Although the bottom rails have a slight bevel that only allows minimal contact with the sill.

typically, all wood that is exposed to the weather should be painted...I am assuming you are referring to wood storm windows...are they applied over the trim or within the trim? either way, if they were my storms, I would paint all surfaces...
often we work on bottom sash that were never painted on the bottom rail where they sit on the sill...sometimes, especially at the end grain of the stiles, the wood is very dry and often beginning to show signs of degradation (it's not uncommon to find considerable rot)...some people choose to leave them bare...I apply blopentine, one coat of oil primer and two coats of oil finish paint...different folks have different views and corresponding methods...

......jade

Jade our storms fit into the frame. I wonder if the non painted storms is just a painters preference or regional thing. Our storms originally were stained and shellacked to match the interior sash as seen from the inside. Out side was painted.

Yes I am referring to traditional wooden storms. Just wanted to be sure that was the correct course of action, since I have one storm in my attic that fits where the Queen Anne window goes and I need to repaint it before using it since winter is coming. Didn't want to paint on all sides if that was wrong. Thanks again. I'm referring to over the trim storm windows that sit flush with the casing once installed.

hi gothic....nonpainted sides would be a painter's choice...I think it is a good idea to have them painted because water can be wind driven into the small space between the storm and the blind stop...

And the answer is: traditional storm windows are painted on all sides (if one cares about water wicking and causing the exterior, painted side to peel or accelerated rotting of the wood along the unpainted side...especially along the joints of the stile and rail).

The confusion about unpainted sides might stem from not painting the sides of any sash that *travels* along the sash channel. Traditional storm windows are one-piece sash that covers the entire window opening and, therefore, there's no concern about a painted side getting stuck in the sash channel that would hinder opening it (there's no "sash channel" for a storm and "opening" a storm = removing the entire storm sash).

Someone mentioned the bottom of their storm sash bottom rail being angled so that is barely touches the sill. This is incorrect/misunderstood. The bottom of a storm sash is beveled so that it makes *full contact* (along the entire depth of the angled rail) with a sill that is similarly angled downward (toward the exterior). If the bottom rail of a storm window sash isn't making full contact with the sill...what's carrying the weight of the storm window? Maybe I misunderstood the comment? Maybe something else is happening (ie. those storms attached to the window frame via hinges at the top rail of storms that have shrunk over time?).