Restoration Register

Heritage window and sash restoration in Ontario

The replacement window industry has convinced most Ontario homeowners that an old wood window is a liability. It is not. A drafty double-hung sash usually needs putty, cords and weatherstripping, and once restored will outlast the sealed unit that was going to replace it by fifty years.

Standard sash restoration is a defined scope: strip and reglaze with linseed oil putty, replace cords and rebalance the weights, consolidate rot in the lower rail and sill with epoxy rather than replacing whole sashes, free painted-shut sashes and re-fit them to the frame, and weatherstrip. Storm windows, interior or exterior, do the rest of the thermal work. Original cylinder and wavy glass is irreplaceable and a good restorer prices around keeping it. Coverage in Ontario is better than most trades and, unusually, Southwestern Ontario is well served with six specialists, second only to the GTA. Much of the work outside the cities is done in the shop, with sashes removed and reinstalled.

What to ask before you hire

  1. Will you repair the existing sashes or build new ones? Ask for a repair-first quote, and ask what specifically makes a sash unrepairable if they say it is.
  2. How will you handle original glass? Wavy and cylinder glass cannot be replaced, and a careful restorer plans the work around saving it.
  3. Shop work or on site, and how long will the openings be closed? Shop restoration is normal outside the cities, but the timeline belongs in the contract.
Grant funding

Window restoration is eligible under essentially every municipal program, and several municipalities will fund restoration while refusing replacement, which is one more reason to price the repair first. Confirm eligibility before ordering anything.

Across Ontario

Region pages

Related heritage trades

Get quotes for your project

Tell us about the job and we will pass it to up to three listed heritage trades who work in your area. It is free and there is no obligation.

All heritage service pages · Grants by municipality