Laura's Wood Window Repair

Laura's Wood Window Repair Specializes in restoring pre-1950's windows and repairs as needed. Broken glass, sash cords, glazing, frame repairs, sill and trim work.

For those of you that use staples instead of nails for spring bronze, what are your pros and cons? Thinking of switchin...
04/27/2026

For those of you that use staples instead of nails for spring bronze, what are your pros and cons? Thinking of switching up because bent nails are getting old.

Edit: I used a very pointed punch to get through the weatherstripping. It is in the wood that the nails start to bend.

One of the repairs we handle on occasion is sash locks and making sure they work properly. In this case, the upper sash...
04/22/2026

One of the repairs we handle on occasion is sash locks and making sure they work properly. In this case, the upper sash meeting rail had dropped over the years. It was solidly in place by previous repairs and the homeowner had decided at the time, not to fix the upper sash itself.

So, we create a shim for the catch/keeper part of the lock. The shim is raised up so the lock sweep (turning part) connects with the catch. Leftover pieces of parting stop are often just the right size.

04/06/2026

Kinda cool to watch myself do some glazing.
Don’t mind my video editing skills :(
or my focused face

Alright hive mind, I need some input.I was looking at some 1947 windows recently that have a wire-based balance system. ...
03/23/2026

Alright hive mind, I need some input.

I was looking at some 1947 windows recently that have a wire-based balance system. The sashes don't open very well so I wasn't able to gauge the performance of the system itself. Most wire systems are unused due to painted shut sashes and seemingly intact but there are a few missing/disconnected that I may have to source if they cannot be fixed or use an alternative method.

I'm wondering how to see the internal mechanics. Here is what I suspect:
- the wire (circled) connects to a screw or some other holding method on the sash, likely where the sash knot hole normally is.
- the jamb plate has 2 nails centered at the top and bottom that will have to be removed.
- the jamb plate appears to have tabs (squared) that need to be pried back to fully loosen the plate.
- the parting stops appear to be custom cut for the edge of the jamb plate (second picture). Or maybe it was just this one? This window was the least painted of all so it could be that layers of paint on other windows was not making this very obvious.

Has anyone come across this before and what was your experience?
When/if I lift the plate tabs will a tightly coiled wire lash out at me? I'm relating this to previous tape balance trauma.
Any ideas on where I could find replacements for 3-4 potentially broken balances?

Apprentice Adam completed his first dutchman repair repair recently! Metal sash pins or nails had collected just a bit ...
03/20/2026

Apprentice Adam completed his first dutchman repair repair recently! Metal sash pins or nails had collected just a bit of water and started getting in to the joints. We removed the metal and rotted wood until the surrounding area was solid. Luckily, the repair was just about the same width as a spare piece of parting stop and able to use that along with wood dowels to pin the corners. A little wood filler to even it out and good to go!
Now that the repair confidence is there, a future attempt will be to try it chisels and a hand planer instead of the oscillating saw.

An early January install of another purple window, this time in the bathroom. Homeowner did an **amazing** job strippin...
03/13/2026

An early January install of another purple window, this time in the bathroom. Homeowner did an **amazing** job stripping the white paint from the trim and interior side of the sashes. We added reed style privacy glass. Oh, and just a little bathroom makeover in the meantime.....

02/28/2026

8 days of work over the last 2 1/2 weeks plus wrist surgery for me. This progress couldn’t have been done without the amazing glazing work by cb_restoration

42 panes glazed. 266 more to go.With my left wrist out of commission (aka putty warming hand, scooper, remnant catcher)...
02/14/2026

42 panes glazed. 266 more to go.
With my left wrist out of commission (aka putty warming hand, scooper, remnant catcher), I’ve had to make a few accommodations.

Bucket o’putty is nestled in a heating pad inside a 2 gallon bucket for gentle warming. The straight edge metal container makes it easy to do a quick knife clean off when too much accumulates.

The universe is asking me to slow down. A slip and fall on some wet plywood resulted in a broken left wrist and one-han...
02/06/2026

The universe is asking me to slow down. A slip and fall on some wet plywood resulted in a broken left wrist and one-handed work for the next 6-8 weeks. Thankfully I can still paint and glaze with my dominant hand, while my wonderful apprentices Adam and westside.tori can handle the rest.

A big thank you to my already scheduled clients with timeframe adjustments. ❤️

Edit: this happened on personal time helping my son, not working. My decades of walking on MN ice did not prepare me for algae covered wood!

It’s an absolutely beautiful day in the North Beach neighborhood of Seattle. Chilly, but the sun is shining so who car...
01/23/2026

It’s an absolutely beautiful day in the North Beach neighborhood of Seattle. Chilly, but the sun is shining so who cares about the cold!

The homeowner’s goal here was to have all 5 of the second floor windows done by spring. The exterior refurbishing is the main concern to address peeling paint and any signs of rot as this house is very close to Puget Sound. We’re doing one window at a time to contain the cold in each room as much as possible.

I am taking on this project as a learning opportunity. These are wood windows from the 1980’s possibly, with double pane insulated glass and a side compression system. I’m having to adjust many of my processes and it’s helping me to be very mindful of why I have my current tools and order of operations.

Address

Issaquah, WA
98027

Telephone

+16124600673

Website

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