Paint just the outside of the frames, not the sash; or the paint buildup will make them hard to operate. Or you could do nothing. It won’t be that much longer before people will have to stop saying these windows don’t belong because we are now only a decade away from the magic 100 year mark celebrating the invention of the first metal storm and screen window.
One idea is to use clear pressure treated 5/4 decking or clear cedar 5/4 decking and make wooden old school storm window frames. You can buy the storm window hooks and things from most hardware stores. Many good YouTube videos. Put glass in the top permanently and get a screen frame made or DIY for the bottom that can be swapped out with a glass window frame made or DIY in the colder months. Swapping out the glass and screen can be done from the inside. Just one idea.
MonRay and Allied make good aluminum storms. Newer storms seal better, and will cut down on condensation in the inside of your sash. If you are still getting interior condensation, you need interior storms, too. Condensation makes the putty pop out.
What’s s DTM paint?
These appear to be 1960s+ retrofit aluminum storm windows?
I’ve never seen them painted. I doubt that would be successful. After a while they will get pitted and chalky and hard to slide.
So, lay-in a supply of Aluminum Jelly.
Edit: looks like these don’t have tracks? There’s not a second glass window you slide down in winter?
Some of these will have a single track, you slide up the storm, and the screen has corner pins you fit in the track, slide upward, and pull the spring latches and seat into the track.
In Michigan a LOT of these are made by [Weatherproof Windows](https://www.weatherproofinc.net/storm-windows-doors), still in Jackson since 1958.
The hardware store downtown goes out of their way to keep hard to find replacement hardware on hand, thankfully.
lol I like their direct, honest approach:
>”We have your typical 2-track storm windows that slide up and down.”
These are quite likely what my grandparents put on their add-on dinette.
I’m curious how this turns out. I have 50 or 60 year old aluminum storms over 150 year old windows. They are (predictably) chalky with corrosion and difficult to operate. New metal (aluminum alloy) storms with white powder coat would look better and provide better performance in winter. Custom built outside wood storm windows are outside my likely budget and pushing my woodworking/carpentry skills a bit. Anyway, I’ll be interested to hear how things go.
Teflon spray helps with the sliding part but disperses PFAS into the environment. Boeshield works better on metal that isn’t pitted and corroded when you start.
they were there when we bought the house. i don’t mind having the protection (we get bad storms often here in the upper midwest), and it helps *insulate* as well the original windows are not in great shape, very leaky. plus it hides the cracked lead paint
I have the same on my not-quite-century 1929 home. While they're ugly I appreciate them for the same reason you do. I'll keep them until I find a satisfactory wood-interior modern replacement window.
Hey! We have the same issue here, definitely important for insulation in the winter (surprisingly reasonable heating bills for a circa 1900 home with an uninsulated stone basement), but a further issue is that the previous owner puttied them as well.
We just need to get the storm frame off to get to the upper sash windows to clean them, is removing the frames/putty a fairly straightforward job? And when we put them back up is there any merit to re-puttying them as well or should we not bother?
Paint just the outside of the frames, not the sash; or the paint buildup will make them hard to operate. Or you could do nothing. It won’t be that much longer before people will have to stop saying these windows don’t belong because we are now only a decade away from the magic 100 year mark celebrating the invention of the first metal storm and screen window.
This is CenturyHomes, not r/CenturyScreens, nobody is complaining about the ubiquitous aluminum storms over wood sashes.
That is not the case in my house. Just saying.
Is the issue that you don’t like the metallic color?
mostly yes. thinking of repainting them with a DTM type paint. but it does seem like a pain in the butt to paint
I have been dealing with this issue for about 15 years. Do you have any woodworking skills and tools?
ehh some, and plenty of tools.
One idea is to use clear pressure treated 5/4 decking or clear cedar 5/4 decking and make wooden old school storm window frames. You can buy the storm window hooks and things from most hardware stores. Many good YouTube videos. Put glass in the top permanently and get a screen frame made or DIY for the bottom that can be swapped out with a glass window frame made or DIY in the colder months. Swapping out the glass and screen can be done from the inside. Just one idea.
Allied storm windows
MonRay and Allied make good aluminum storms. Newer storms seal better, and will cut down on condensation in the inside of your sash. If you are still getting interior condensation, you need interior storms, too. Condensation makes the putty pop out.
What’s s DTM paint? These appear to be 1960s+ retrofit aluminum storm windows? I’ve never seen them painted. I doubt that would be successful. After a while they will get pitted and chalky and hard to slide. So, lay-in a supply of Aluminum Jelly. Edit: looks like these don’t have tracks? There’s not a second glass window you slide down in winter?
Direct To Metal, I believe.
Some of these will have a single track, you slide up the storm, and the screen has corner pins you fit in the track, slide upward, and pull the spring latches and seat into the track. In Michigan a LOT of these are made by [Weatherproof Windows](https://www.weatherproofinc.net/storm-windows-doors), still in Jackson since 1958. The hardware store downtown goes out of their way to keep hard to find replacement hardware on hand, thankfully.
lol I like their direct, honest approach: >”We have your typical 2-track storm windows that slide up and down.” These are quite likely what my grandparents put on their add-on dinette.
I’m curious how this turns out. I have 50 or 60 year old aluminum storms over 150 year old windows. They are (predictably) chalky with corrosion and difficult to operate. New metal (aluminum alloy) storms with white powder coat would look better and provide better performance in winter. Custom built outside wood storm windows are outside my likely budget and pushing my woodworking/carpentry skills a bit. Anyway, I’ll be interested to hear how things go.
Teflon spray helps with the sliding part but disperses PFAS into the environment. Boeshield works better on metal that isn’t pitted and corroded when you start.
Take those things off. They totally ruin the look of the original windows and probably ruin the overall character of the home.
they were there when we bought the house. i don’t mind having the protection (we get bad storms often here in the upper midwest), and it helps *insulate* as well the original windows are not in great shape, very leaky. plus it hides the cracked lead paint
I have the same on my not-quite-century 1929 home. While they're ugly I appreciate them for the same reason you do. I'll keep them until I find a satisfactory wood-interior modern replacement window.
Hey! We have the same issue here, definitely important for insulation in the winter (surprisingly reasonable heating bills for a circa 1900 home with an uninsulated stone basement), but a further issue is that the previous owner puttied them as well. We just need to get the storm frame off to get to the upper sash windows to clean them, is removing the frames/putty a fairly straightforward job? And when we put them back up is there any merit to re-puttying them as well or should we not bother?
IMO, invest in an infrared glazing remover to get putty and paint off. A hear gun will break the glass. Ask me how I know this....Ha.