Window glazing and sash repair
Wood window glazing and sash repair in Atlanta
Old wood windows were built to be maintained, not replaced. Fresh glazing, sound sills and paint in the right places keep them working and weathertight for decades more.
Calls answered 24/7. Crews staged from the Atlanta service office.
- Answered 24/7
- Original windows kept
- Lead-safe prep in older homes
Quick answer
Window glazing and sash repair in Atlanta means removing cracked or missing glazing putty, repairing soft wood in the sash and sill, reglazing with a new bead of putty, and repainting with the paint lapped slightly onto the glass to seal the joint. In homes built before 1978, old window paint is treated as possible lead paint and removed with lead-safe methods.
Updated September 2026
The job
Why repair wood windows instead of replacing them
Wood windows in older houses were made from dense, old-growth lumber and designed to be taken apart and fixed. Most problems come from failed putty and paint, not from the window itself, and those are repairable.
Glazing putty dries, cracks and falls out over the years, letting water reach the wood and rattle the glass. Replacing it, fixing soft spots and repainting correctly brings the window back without losing the original sash.
What moves the price
What moves the price of window repair
- Number of windows
Each sash is prepared, glazed and painted by hand.
- Putty condition
Full reglazing takes longer than spot repairs.
- Rot in sash or sill
Epoxy or splice repairs add carpentry time.
- Painted-shut windows
Freeing and easing sashes adds work.
- Lead-safe setup
Pre-1978 windows need containment and careful cleanup.
- Height and access
Upper-story windows need ladders or staging.
What we handle
Window repairs we make
Glazing putty replacement
Cracked, loose or missing putty is the most common window problem. We remove the failed putty carefully so the glass isn't cracked, clean the rabbet, prime the bare wood so the new putty doesn't dry out too fast, and set new glazier's points where old ones have rusted away. A fresh bead of glazing compound is tooled to a clean bevel, left to skin over, then painted with the paint lapped a sixteenth of an inch onto the glass. That small overlap is what seals the joint against rain.
Sash and sill repair
The bottom rail of a sash and the outer edge of a sill take the most water, and that's where rot starts. We probe for soft wood, dig out small areas and rebuild them with epoxy shaped to the original profile, or splice in new wood where damage is deeper. Loose joints at the sash corners are reglued. Repaired areas are primed on every surface before painting, since unsealed end grain soaks up water and rots again quickly. Weatherstripping is checked while the sash is out.
Stuck and painted-shut windows
Many older windows have been painted shut for years, which traps heat in summer and blocks a way out in an emergency. We cut the paint seal along the stops and sash, free the window without splitting the wood, clean paint from the channels and ease the sash so it slides. Broken sash cords can be replaced so double-hung windows stay open. Friction points are finished so the window doesn't stick again, and they're a key place for lead-safe care in older homes.
Wood window painting
Window painting is slow, detailed brush work: muntins, sash, stops, casings and sills, each painted in the right order so the window still opens. We remove loose paint, sand, prime bare wood and apply two coats of exterior enamel. The paint line on the glass is cut precisely, both for looks and to seal the putty. Interior sides are painted to match your trim. Windows are left cracked open while drying so they don't seal themselves shut again. Hardware is cleaned and put back.
Your options
Repair or replace old windows
Two ways to deal with tired wood windows in an older house.
| Repair and reglaze | Replace | |
|---|---|---|
| Original character | Kept | Lost |
| Wood quality | Dense old-growth lumber kept | New materials |
| Maintenance | Paint and putty every so often | Varies by product |
| When it fits | Sound frames, repairable rot | Frames rotted through |
Around Atlanta
Original windows in Atlanta's historic homes
The larger historic houses around the edge of Grant Park are some of the most valuable in the neighborhood, and much of their character sits in original wood windows with wavy glass and slim muntins. Replacing them loses that for good. In houses like these we treat window work as restoration: putty, sills and sash repaired in place, lead-safe prep on old paint, and paint applied so the windows still open.
Step by step
How a window repair job runs
- 1
Inspect every window
Putty, rot, broken glass and stuck sashes noted.
- 2
Contain and remove
Lead-safe setup, loose paint and failed putty removed.
- 3
Repair wood
Epoxy or new wood where the sash or sill is soft.
- 4
Reglaze
Prime, set points, new putty tooled and left to skin.
- 5
Paint
Two coats, paint lapped onto the glass, windows left free.
Warning signs
Signs your windows need attention
- Cracked or missing putty
Glass rattles and water reaches the wood.
- Soft sill or bottom rail
Rot starting where water sits.
- Window won't open
Painted shut or swollen in the frame.
- Peeling paint on sash
Wood exposed to sun and rain.
- Drafts around the glass
Glazing no longer sealing the pane.
- Broken sash cords
Double-hung windows won't stay open.
- Rusted glazier's points
Glass no longer held firmly.
Questions
Window glazing questions
Usually. Most problems are putty and paint, which are repairable, and original sash keeps the house's character.
It depends on sun and weather exposure; well-painted putty lasts much longer than bare putty.
Yes, a cracked pane can be replaced during reglazing.
Yes. We cut the paint seal and free the sash without splitting the wood.
In pre-1978 homes it may contain lead, so we remove it with lead-safe methods.
Also in Repair & Restoration
Related work from the same crews
- Deck repair in Atlanta
- Soot cleanup before paint
- Hole and dent patching
- Plaster crack repair
- Skim coat and smooth finish
Before you book, read lead-safe painting prep.
Keep the original windows working
Tell us how many windows and what state they're in, and we'll set up an inspection.
Call (470) 887-8741Answered 24/7 from 565 Tift St SW Ste b, Atlanta.
Where we start from