Ask a Handy Femme: Old Walls, Old Windows, and New Paint

by L M

I have old-fashioned sash windows. I also live near a non-EPA-compliant factory, which makes a lot of noise. While I am pursuing complaints with the EPA (and getting nowhere fast, but that is for another day) I need to do something about getting some sleep without earplugs in.

I think a big part of the problem is that my windows are old and not well maintained. A couple of weeks ago the factory was doing some crazy shit which rattled everything, after which everything was louder. By which I infer that the seal on my windows is not what it once was. I figure that if I can reseal them, the noise levels will improve. Also, dust and heat/cold. I’ve just done a big reno which was expensive (by my impoverished standards), so paying someone else to do it is not an option. I own the place, so I can’t make it anyone else’s problem, either. My DIY skills are generally more housewifely, e.g. sewing slipcovers and making soap. Although I do own some lovely powertools and I enjoy using them — I am building up that skillset and knowledge slowly.

So I did some preliminary Googling, and everything is either way simple or way complex. Basically my question is this. I can work out resealing/caulking the panes of glass myself. But given the fact that my window rattles, I figure that the entire window is a bit… loose? Ill fitting? Something? So, what might be wrong with it? And how do I fix it? Do I need to take the whole thing apart? What pieces do I need to buy? It seems like the panes do not have any seals against each other, if that makes sense — as in, the sliding pane just rests in the frame, and the bit where it covers the fixed pane has no seal there. Does it need to? Do I need any fancy fiddly bits for the interior?

FUCKING WINDOWS! HOW DO THEY WORK?

I used to have rattly sash windows too! It was a nightmare. I mean, they opened really easily, which was nice, but the rattles! And the gale force winds! Horrible and costly.

You’ve started your research, and it sounds like you’re on the right track. Definitely seal those windows, either with window caulk or glaze/putty. I’m the type of person who goes about this kind of thing with the sash still in the frame, partly because I’m lazy, and partly because I don’t own any of my victims home projects. Should you decide to take it down and glaze/re-glaze, though, instructions are here.

Now here’s the bad news: These sound like they’ll need to be replaced. It’s hard to diagnose without seeing, but the combination of time, humidity, dryness, heat, cold, and your factory have probably done enough damage to the sash and frame that the natural seal of the wood is nil. The good news is that, since you live near a noisy factory and in all likelihood keep them closed most of the time, a cheap, solid, temporary fix is possible, until you have enough cash to replace them. This might even be enough on its own that you don’t have to invest time and (a little) money in re-glazing them yourself.

Get some self-adhesive weather seal strip or tape. The self-adhesive type is perfect for this, as it tends to be thinner than the alternative. Put it everywhere: between the top and bottom sashes, along the outside and inside of the sash, where it meets the frame, everywhere. Staple it in place with a staple gun if you have to, to get it to stay when you close the windows after installing it. This isn’t great if you open and close your windows a lot, but your priority is probably not fresh, factory-polluted air as much as it is getting a decent night’s sleep. Wedge the tape in wherever you can. It might show a little at first, but the tighter/more of it you jam between every seal, the less you’ll see. Also, you can get it in white nowadays, which will probably help make it less visible. And then you’ll get some sleep!

I am a renter who has the good luck of having a landlord that is not only going to let me paint my walls, but he also offered to pay for any materials that I need to do so. I even have amazing friends who have offered to help. Here is the problem — I’m sort of overwhelmed as to where to start. I’ve painted walls before but it was in a brand new house. My current apartment is … refined with age. There are some holes from nails, a stain here or there, place where the paint has peeled a bit, etc. Where do I start? Do I clean the walls? Do I fill holes? Sand walls? Do I need a primer? What kind of painting tools do I need? There is SO much that I’m not sure about.

Mmm. Paint. You have the hardest part done already, which is getting volunteers to help. The rest is easy peasy. Start by washing your walls to remove all the debris and dust. Nothing too elaborate — a big sponge and some warm water with a little dish soap should get you set. Next, fill in any holes with some spackle, smoothing it over with a putty knife. So far, so easy.

While those patches are drying, use your putty knife to scrape off any loose paint or bubbles. Use a fine sandpaper — 100- to 120-grit, preferably — and sand away any uneven or patchy bits, so that the surface is smooth. Wipe it clean with a tack cloth or cheesecloth: You want it entirely dust-free. Do the same to your patches, once they’re dry.

This should have everything more or less ready for you to tape all your edges and get started. To reiterate:

• sponge
• warm water
• spackle
• putty knife
• fine sandpaper
• tack cloth/cheesecloth

If you’re putting a dark/light color over a light color, I’d skip the primer and pay for a quality paint instead, one that will give good coverage for your buck. Lighter paint over a darker color? Alas, primer will be a requirement. Remember to edge your walls first — edging just refers to painting the borders — so that you don’t have to fuss as much about coloring over the lines, as it were. Use either an edging brush or, and this is one of my favorite things ever, an edger! Easy, fun, foolproof, and gratifying. All good things.

Another important priming step: Determine whether the existing paint is oil- or water-based. If it’s an old place that hasn’t been painted recently, there’s a good chance it’s oil. You can test by putting some denatured alcohol on a clean rag and rubbing it on the paint. If it comes off or smudges, it’s water-based. If it doesn’t budge, it’s oil, and you need to prime, light or dark paint colors be damned. Most formulas available on the market today can more than handle the transition from oil to water.

And now you should be all set to paint!

Also, any tips on choosing paint colors? Any guidance would be appreciated!

Full disclosure: This was part of the last question, but I feel it requires its own answer.

Paint color is a very personal thing, but since you’re asking, here are my general rules of thumb:

1. Only use dark colors if you have plenty of natural light

2. Balance your furniture and paint against one another. Dark wood? Light paint. Light wood? Dark paint.

3. If you go with a dark color, keep it contemporary by adding accents of white or neon here and there.

4. Accent walls are good, but shouldn’t be totally random. A teal wall in your living room playing against white trim, accessories, and honey-colored wood? Good. A teal wall in your kitchen that serves no real design purpose? Bad.

5. When all else fails, go gray.

6. Get a couple gallons of the same strong color. Paint one accent wall in this color, and then use white paint to get different tonal versions of that color for the rest of the room/furniture.

7. Use samples and actually put large patches of a color on your wall if you’re not EXACTLY sure that it’s what you envision. My room in my parents’ house still has a green wall as a testament to this. A green that was supposed to be Granny Smith but ended up more like Alien Invasion.

Suggestions? Thoughts? Opinions on colors? I know you have ’em, so go forth and comment!

Previously: Couture Hacks.

Lucia Martinez reads too many old poems and tries to be a lady.