Damaged wood or just dry?

[awomanwithahammer]

I'm wondering if this wood is damaged or just dry. Can anyone venture an opinion based on these pics?
https://goo.gl/photos/aYoYPPg4KGziRway9
https://goo.gl/photos/QvvrC48dJPxkD8Lb6
In order to strip and repaint it I need to remove the storms, but you can see how tight the space is to get at the hex screws. Any suggestions?

[heartwood]

from the photos it appears the wood is dry and a bit rough...my suggestion is to sand it down with 80 grit then 120 grit...apply a generous coat of blopentine (50/50 boiled linseed oil/turpentine...I use a disposable 'chip' brush that has natural bristles and a wood handle (the brush can be used over and over again without wrapping it)...brush it on and watch it wick into the wood...one it stops wicking (a couple of swipes with the brush), wipe off the excess with a rag...DISPOSE OF THE RAG PROPERLY...soak the rag in water (put it in a plastic container of water and throw it out with the rubbish) or burn it in an outdoor pit...wait 24 hours and apply an oil primer...wait at least 24 hours sand with 120 grit then apply oil or water based finish paint...

you know those '10 in one' screwdrivers? they have a hex opening that holds the bits and the hex may fit over your hex screw head...

good luck!
...jade

[Mick_VT]

To save the clicking...

[awomanwithahammer]

Sorry! I cannot for the life of me figure out how to insert pictures in my posts. I need to sit down with one of my computer geek friends and have them help me. My computer won't let me copy and paste into the body of the post, even from the .jpg file. I click copy and come over to my post and I can't paste the file. Can't drag it either. It's aggravating!

[Olson185]

I'd assume the opposite of @heartwood, lol. I'm curious, now, which it is. (hoping @heartwood is correct).

What I see, that makes me think the wood might be in *early* stages of rot:
- damaged fiber ends are more "curled" than "jagged" (dry wood)
- gouges are both deep and 'stepped' along the cell fibers
- both gray-black and reddish staining (both which could be a touch o' mold)
- a few randomly placed pin holes (thinking: powder post beetle larvae; which prefer/need moist wood)
- wood sits on concrete wall (if 'at grade' could be source of moisture)
- the wood along the concrete looks friable
- * contradicting my assumption is the "grain split" nearest the window (which would tend to indicate overly dry wood)

I'd want to take a slotted screwdriver (turned perpendicular...not parallel... to the grain) and see how far into the wood it would travel with light to moderate pressure.

[1918ColonialRevival]

Hard to say from the picture. I don't see any overt signs of rot, but I agree with Olson185. Give it the poke test with a screwdriver or awl to see if there is any internal rot that you may not be able to see.

[awomanwithahammer]

I tested it with my fingernail, and it might have been a little soft, but I'll try the screwdriver. It's not a ground level window; it sits on a brick sill. What you're seeing as pink might be the wood filler I started putting in, or the remnants of the red paint it was originally painted. The weather hasn't been dry enough to work on it, so I haven't sanded that part down yet. I also can't get in to do anything to it until I get the storm window off. Another thing that makes it difficult to get at are the projections of the "clinker" brick that surrounds it.

Thanks for the suggestions, all! Leaving Sunday for a two-week vacation in Seattle, taking the train west, so won't have a chance to check it out till I get back.

[GibsonGM]

Doesn't look TOO punked up, but might be a good idea to use some wood hardener...check w/screwdriver as suggested, I'd day...

[phil]

in the first pic I thought "maybe" but then if you look at the second pick the top surface looks pretty punky. It might be a bit of work to change, plus if you'll notice this isn't 2x lumber it's thicker so you have to source wood. you could try to impregnate it with epoxy, better if you can change it but depends how you feel. removing the storms isnt' bad but removing and replacing the sill is probably matter of course for a good carpenter and a bit daunting for the average homeowner. I'd suggest replacing it if it's within your reach technically and if not then use epoxy.

I guess you could also think of taking about 3/4" off with a router an capping it with new wood right in place to avoid pulling it out. Not quite as good as replacement but possible. as pointed out if it is wicking from the masonary then it might be more rotted underneath than just from weather , in other words right through!

sometimes I spot those big plastic mud flaps that fall off trucks, they are a good material as a spacer and they are sort of corrugated one side. something like that between might stop the wicking if you do replace. I get them free just by watching for them on roadsides and like them for things that make ground contact or contact with cement.

I think what is happening is the rot made an indent in the top surface and after that it started acting like a little pool that collected even more and then things went from bad to worse. I'd stab that area with a screwdriver and see what happens. If this isn't something you can take on yourself and a contractor is out of reach financially any sort of epoxy repair might help for now. It's probably something where you might look at the budget and decide if you can afford to do it right or do a patch for now. even nailing a little flashing down to shed the water might be of help but a new sill would be nicer. you can get membrane materials if you ask a roofer he should have scraps of the stuff. the sill has about a 4 degree slant to shed water. it isnt' simply a flat board. it will require access to a tablesaw or other suitable tools to make a replacement.

[awomanwithahammer]

Thanks, Phil! I'm going to have to get the storm off to see what is going on underneath before I do anything. This window was in an enclosed porch and wasn't cladded with aluminum when they did the rest of them, so it was just ignored. I took down the porch because it was one of the crappy Champion-type porches--you know, made of styrofoam and aluminum. Leaked like a sieve and looked awful. So anyway, I think the window had been neglected before the porch went up and they never bothered to fix it.