Window quandry

[KenN]

Here is another variation on the boarding up idea from John Leek that may give some flexibility and reuse across different window sizes, and maybe a bit of feeling secure:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOslX1LtSX0

We had wooden screens built last year, and the first one built came out a bit wrong with the placement of the horizontal bar in the middle, but I reused this screen frame as a temp covering when we started on fixing the sashes. We hung it on the screen hooks, and filled the screen space with thin plywood painted white. Didn’t look great but didn’t look too bad. Not really secure, but neither is an old wooden window. I wouldn’t want it up in the winter without some gap filling and insulation.

[MJ1987]

I was lucky enough to have good storm windows on mine, so I was able to remove each window without having to put plywood up. Would it help to invest in one storm window in each size that you could install temporarily as you pull a window out to restore? I know they're not cheap, but it might be worth it to keep down the neighborhood talk and complaints. And it wouldn't be much more work than painting and putting in the plywood.

I'm with Bonnie on this one. One of the WORST parts about having modern storms on the house is the horrible glare they project from the street. It's so bad, in fact, that my restored sash are essentially invisible to the passer-by. However, in your case, it may be the BEST thing about them. As long as you can find one like this....

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Comfort-Bilt-S ... n/50385068

....that will fit your common-sized windows (15 out of 20 of my non-basement windows and ALL of my front windows are a common size) you'd be in good shape. I restored all of the first-storey windows at the same time with nothing more than storms over the frames. I'm in a secure suburb, but it would still be less-than-ideal for an intruder to screw-gun them off the trim (because they cannot be opened from the outside). Have you considered this option yet? The neighborhood coterie o' ne'er-do-wells might not even notice the sash are out. Boom--beat them at their own game