OT: window cladding

I've got some sealed window units with badly weatherchecked wood. Paint does not really seal the wood properly anymore.

So I'm wondering about applying metal cladding. I've never seen it done.

So, I'm leary of being the victim of my own ignorance.

What choices are out there, and what methods of assuring that the final result is durable and weathertight? Is there a rigid extrusion available or is this work done by a tinsmith out of the back of his truck, assisted by copious amounts of caulking compound?

Cladding is a great way of improving appearance, but I wouldn't expect weather tight. Even sealing is a question. If there is any way for moisture to enter the cladding will hold the moisture in which will in turn cause accelerated rot. Replace the windows if at all possible.

If the actual windows are in good shape they can be reused with new frames. It will save money.

Look for a product called Abatron - it's a liquid epoxy designed for just such an occasion. Scrape all the paint off, mix this stuff up and apply with a brush, will turn the most rotted wood harder than a w*'s heart in about 4 hours. If the shape of the wood is still there, you only need the liquid. If you're missing chunks, they make a "taffy" grade material as well.
I just got through with two rotting sills on my 1920's house. The wood had progressed to the "cubing" stage where you have cracks of rot running roughly 90 degrees to ea. other. No way paint was going to work, and I didn't relish pulling the whole window assy out of the house and fabricating a new sill.

This stuff is good enough that COlonial WIlliamsburg used it on a structural repair on their post windmill (a modern recreation) -
FIberglass rods are epoxied into holes in sound ends of wood, a form built, and filled with Abatron LiquidWood.

http://www.abatron.com/home002.htm

There are other brands of the same sort of stuff, I'm just familiar with this one as my local lumberyard sells it - natch, since there are so many old houses in the area.

DO NOT use bondo - it doesn't play well with wood and will pop out in short order.

I second the recommendation to NOT clad it whatever you end up doing. It'll just end up holding moisture and hiding the advancing rot till something drastic happens.

Hope this helps.

I recently re-furb'ed some roof lights that had wooden frames clad in what are sprayed aluminium covers. After 30 years +, the sealant had completely disapeared at the bottom edges of the frames (looked like burnt rope)allowing the frames to leak. The ali cladding had caused the original (plated steel) screws to rust. Also the paint finish was shot. Unless you could get the ali metal covers ready made, I would think that it would be impossible to make a neat job of it. Also the covers were screwed on at about 9" pitch (OK for a roof but. . . ) A possiblity might be UPVC house cladding profiles (if you like brilliant white) nailed on with the button headed nails with tight mitred joints with silicone sealer.
Frank

Thanks guys.

The wood is not rotten in this instance, just deep cracks. I'll look for the Abatron stuff.

A lot of remodelling contractors will do this job, it is called wrapping, or alluminum wrapped windows. It is custom bent on a J-brake or siding brake. General cost is anywhere from 40-100 dollars per window. And you might be able to do it yourself with a little research and self teaching. Basically it is started at the sill with an angle to allow the rain to drain off and fold up the side about a half inch, then the sides come down to meet the sill and cover the face and both sides and then the cap is applied all of this in a slight overlap manner to allow for shrinkage and expansion. The nail are put in from the sides and then a bead of caulk is applied at the bottom crack (sill to upright). From what I know this is the best way to protect windows other than factory applied cladding or frames. This obviously only applies to the outer frame not the sashes.
Toad

Locally it is called "customizing". I wouldn't have trim finished in any other way. Roofing and siding contractors typically do this kind of work here, I don't know the cost.

If you have access to a 10' brake it isn't very hard to do, toad's description is good. If you look at the window you can see what needs to be made.

A 3'-0" x 4'-6" window should use approximately 6 feet of 24" wide aluminum coil stock.

HTH.

Jeff

Abatron is good stuff. I have also used boat grade Fiberglass (West System) The bent alum works good to. But is more make-up than anything. But as a painting contractor have seen it done a lot.
David

You said the paint won,t adhere to the wood anymore? Are you sure silicone adhesive did not get smaered on the frame, I would use a real good stripper(Minwax) and repaint. The problem with metal cladding is it hides wood damage. And then one day when you go to open a window it will probably fall apart. I run a glass business here in Florida and the cases of metal over wood clad windows I,ve fixed is exactly what I described above. However your up in the cold great white north, so its probably different up there. And probably for a cheap average window 36 x 50 your probably looking at $150 to $200 just for the window itself.

The paint still sticks, it just doesn't look that good, even freshly painted, what with the deep weather checking. I could elect to simply replace the brickmold, which is fir, and which looks the worst. These are triple glazed sealed units, no moving parts.

If the Abatron fills the cracks, that would be what I would want to happen.