The Historic District

The title pretty much says it; when you remove a window for restoration, what method/materials do you use to close off the opening? A sheet of plastic? Plywood? I have several windows the same size and wonder if it's worthwhile to make friction-fit frame(s) to occupy the spot(s) while windows are being restored. Security (theft) will not be an issue.

I use plywood slid into the space where the sashes go and held in by a few strips of wood. Having storms helps enormously for weathertightness

Yea plywood is definitely the way to go. You may laugh but once I used what I thought was stiff cardboard - in the attic thankfully, it blew out in the wind fairly quickly..

Have been using pink insulation foam 3" thick for one window. Ifyou have storm windows then Ive found that just taping around all the edges of the glass pane seals the drafts nicely.

I forgot to add - amuse your neighbors by drawing grinning faces etc. on whatever you use

Manalto wrote:The title pretty much says it; when you remove a window for restoration, what method/materials do you use to close off the opening? A sheet of plastic? Plywood? I have several windows the same size and wonder if it's worthwhile to make friction-fit frame(s) to occupy the spot(s) while windows are being restored. Security (theft) will not be an issue.

I was wondering the same thing, as I have to do this with six attic windows over the next few months. I saw a house while out on a run where they had painted a sky with clouds on the wood covering a former window opening.

a piece of acrylic is easy to cut on the tablesaw and you can scew it to some strips of wood around to attach it. , if you want it for longer term or if you have a bunch the same size. The stuff isn't free but it's great for that. It's good to do that if you have lets say side lights beside your door , doesn't look different from outside but if they break your glass to try to get to the backside of the doorknob they have something tough to tangle with , you cant; smash it very easy. I put some behind a stained glass window. Just cut the rebate deeper and then used foam tape between that glass window and frame on the inside. You can hardly tell it's there. I just drilled a couple little holes between and it never fogs or anything. you might not want that on your main windows but maybe in basement windows that are susceptible.. but you can't exit that way in a fire then.

I cut a couple of pieces of that pink rigid foam for my bedroom windows. because of traffic if I want to sleep in the daytime sometimes I stick them in to block the light and traffic noise. than just close the curtains over them if I'm working night shifts. I thought of making fabric covers so they aren't so ugly. cheap solution, works ok.

nhguy wrote:I saw a house while out on a run where they had painted a sky with clouds on the wood covering a former window opening.

Sweet, but I think they got the view backwards. I think I'll paint a crazy cousin gripping on to the bars in the window.

lol yea or use beer cases with a little piece of pipe sticking out that looks like the business end of a shotgun

I cut 1.5x1.5 strips about the length of the opening. Then screw them where the inside stops were. Then plywood on the inside.

This allows you full access to the entire jamb from the outside and you never need to uncover the windows until you reassemble the window.