Steel frame window restoration

[perda]

Hi All,

We have been trying to get a window restoration company, glazier, carpenter, builder etc to help us repair our steel frame windows. The main issue is that there is rust which is pushing out the old putty and allowing rain water to enter the house.. as well as cracking some of the glass. Due to not having any luck getting a trade in to restore the frames, can anyone advise the best mthod to get the frame suitable so we can then get a glazier in to put new thicker glass in?
I also have concern over the debris thats behind the glass that needs cleaning out too along with the rust... ideally do not want to take glass out to do this as its a long wiating period to get a glazier in to repair... 

Any help or recommendation would be great

Location: Melbourne Northern Suburbs

Cheers

[jaga]

Hi @perda 

I'm not sure if this is a helpful comment or not... But my recommendation would be that the best outcome for you is to replace the window entirely.. Or at least investigate the cost comparison.

In my opinion, the rust you are experiencing will continue to be a problem, and I don't think you will be able to ever fully overcome it.. Additionally, with old windows, condensation will always be an issue, which is likely the cause of the rust. (To fully restore the metal, you would need to rust-treat every single surface, including down in all the pockets, nooks and crannies... and then properly re-coat the metal)

Even if you eventually find someone to repair the window, it will likely cost more than replacing the window entirely. 

From the photos of the cracking, the glass appears to be "float glass" (single pane of glass, likely 3mm thick) - If you do replace the glass only, my suggestion is that you replace the glass with laminated glass - for safety (ie: won't shatter if broken), and also performs better thermally and acoustically. (There are also lots of different types of laminated glass, some perform better than others).

From my own experience, I tried to have older windows serviced and repaired, but in the end I replaced all the windows in my house with new aluminium.. 

Hope this helps.

jaga.

[perda]

Thanks So much for your reply Jaga! really appreciate your insight ... 

We had a few quotes on new aluminium window installs for the house which would be about $30k which is well beyond what we can afford unfortunately.. this is really why we are trying to work out a way to keep the frames and get the new glass installed like you mention above.. Its a very challenging aspect of the house maintenance ...

from what you mention above, the current glass would need to be removed to get into every section of the frame, correct?

Cheers,

[jaga]

Hi @perda 

Yes, I agree that the whole exercise can become very expensive, no matter which way you go about it..!!

Yes, the glass would need to be removed to get to every section of the frame - but please note that getting to every surface means every single square millimetre of metal - otherwise if water can touch any part of the metal, then rust will re-occur.

To properly coat metal, there are certain techniques and products that are used by professionals - such as electrostatic painting - This is a painting technique that uses "magnetic" particles in the paint, to adhere to the metal - effectively it "seeks out" the metal and you get adequate coverage.. - But this is expensive, and I doubt its very very common for refurbishing residential windows... - (here is a short youtube video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_jPSUsiu3o)

Still, my recommendation stands regarding glass replacement - ie: laminated glass, in lieu of float glass.

jaga

[EricL]

Hello @perda

Thank you for sharing your question about restoring steel frame windows.

It's great that you've received excellent advice from @jaga. Looking at the photos you posted, I agree that repairing it would be quite involved. Unfortunately due to the rust inside the steel frame, the only way to fix it is to remove the old putty in front of the window, slide the glass out and use a Josco 3 Piece Drill Brush Kit to remove all the rust. 

However, if the damage is very severe no amount of rust removal will work. Your other option is to do a window by window replacement. Replacing the most damaged windows first will fix the immediate problem. When the budget allows, you can then proceed to fix the next window. 

Putting any sealant inside your window will only accelerate the rust as moisture will get trapped between the inside of the frame and the sealant. Please keep us updated.

Let me tag our experienced members @ProjectPete and @JDE for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Greg124]

I’m currently in same situation, I have a very large steel bay style window (approx 6mx1.9m) that consists of 30 panes of glass, which includes 4 casement doors, 8 panes are broken and most are original 2-3mm glass (dangerous) and the window needs a paint and repoint, rust appearing. I have already refurbished the internal side and finished it in gloss white, it came up fantastic (took about 5days) I too got quotes to overhaul and upgrade to double glazing, the price came in at $6K. I have since had quotes around $3k for supply and install of double glazed glass units, with myself doing the prep. I’ve already prepped 4 panes (of metal frames) for glass elsewhere in the house (removal of glass/putty etc, wire wheel, metho wipe down clean and then Dulux metalshield steel primer (spray paint), I did about 5 coats. I found it was fairly quick and easy (tape cardboard on the inside before removing glass and doing work greatly reduces cleanup and gives you a spray paint masking surface at the end. If your replacing the glass in steel windows it’s worth considering installing double glazed panes instead of single panes as this will greatly improve thermal efficiency, remove internal glass condensation, and reduce UV damage to furniture. The difference between air gap and thermal performance is really not worth stressing over so you can go 6, 8, 10 or 12mm depending on your available recess. See difference below noting that single glazing has a U factor around 6 W/m2-K.

I found the following site was helpful and inspirational if you want to do it cheap. http://www.asiteaboutnothing.net/cr_double-glazing-retrofit-steel.html

For my windows I’m not planning to finish it the same as shown in the link above. I’m going with a 6mm air gap (14mm overall) double glazed unit to still have the pointed look, hence putty or some equivalent will be used. For me the reasoning for overhauling the existing window was that:

1. I preferred the look and openness that the old steel windows provide, not bulky.

2. I’m unlikely to do the rest of the house and new aluminium windows would not match the rest.
3. I like the old casement windows.

I guess it really depends on the final look your after, the condition of the steel and either how much time you have or how much your prepared to spend. The steel in mine were in fairly good condition, no holes, some pits but minimal rust flaking. Another consideration is the lead paint, although so far I’ve found that once the putty is removed there isn’t much paint on the steel under it, but minimise power tools with it and still wear the PPE and collect the debris.

Hope this was helpful.

[EricL]

Hi @Greg124

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your suggestion of double glazing.

I've seen double glazing at work and agree with you on all counts. Not only is it thermally efficient but greatly reduces noise pollution. Let me tag @perda to make them aware of your suggestion. Unfortunately, it is the window steel framework that is in question. If the glazing is removed will there be enough steel to repair and reglaze the window? I'm afraid the only way to find out is to remove all the glass and inspect the steel frame. 

Again, thank you so much for sharing your window restoration project.

Eric