Wood Window Restoration. Keep the Windows Your House Was Built With.
Worn, drafty, stuck or rotting wood windows can be brought back to full function and original appearance — for a fraction of what replacement costs, with a 3-year warranty on the wood we rebuild.
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- All window types & brands
- Fully insured
- Price match
When an Old Wood Window Is Worth Restoring
Most old wood windows that look "shot" are one to three repairs away from working like new. The wood is usually better than anything available today — it just needs its problem areas rebuilt.
Restoration means bringing the whole window back, not patching one spot. We cut out rotted wood and replace it with matched wood shaped to the original profile, free and rebalance sashes that stick or drop, reglaze loose glass, restore sills so they shed water again, and refinish everything to blend with the rest of the house.
It's the right choice when the frame is structurally sound, the window's style matters to the house, and you'd rather keep old-growth wood than install a vinyl insert. It's also the most sustainable option: nothing goes to a landfill.
What we restore — and what we don't
We restore the working parts of wood windows: sashes, sills, frames, glazing, balances and hardware. We don't do museum-grade conservation of ornate carved millwork, curved or special profiles, or historic art glass — for those we'll refer you to a specialist conservator.
Old window restoration is for homeowners who want to keep their original windows — the wood, the proportions and often the old wavy glass. Whether your windows are century-old antique sashes or mid-century vintage wood windows, restoring them means rebuilding what has failed instead of throwing away old-growth wood that simply can't be bought today.
Not sure this is your problem? Use our window triage guide — pick the symptom and see the likely cause and cost. Related reading: Window problems by home age · Window brand identification guide
Stuck, painted shut or drops down
The sash can almost always be freed and rebalanced.
Soft or rotted spots
Rot is cut out and rebuilt with matched wood.
Loose or rattling glass
Old glazing putty replaced so the glass seals again.
Drafty all around
Weatherstripping added and joints tightened.
What Wood Window Restoration Involves
Assess every part
We check the frame, sashes, sill, glass, glazing and hardware, and tell you what each needs.
Rebuild the wood
Rot is removed, matched wood spliced in and shaped to the original profile.
Restore the function
Sashes freed and rebalanced, glass reglazed, weatherstripping and hardware fixed.
Refinish & seal
Primed, caulked and painted to blend with the rest of the house.
- Find the rot — soft, dark wood — usually at a sill, a corner or the bottom of a sash.
- Cut back to sound wood — every bit of soft wood is removed, so the rot can't keep spreading under the repair.
- Splice in new wood — matched wood is fitted, shaped to the original profile, then primed and painted to blend.
The rest of the window — and its original wood — stays in place.
Window Restoration Cost vs. Replacement
Typical prices
Per window · typical local prices| Sash repair & restoration | $400 – $700 |
| Sill repair or rebuild | $200 – $700 |
| Glass replacement — standard shapes | $300 – $800 |
A replacement wood window costs $800–$2,500+ installed, and "full-frame" replacements often mean new interior trim, drywall repair and painting on top. Restoring an existing window usually costs a fraction of that, because the frame, trim and most of the wood stay in place.
Restored windows also keep your home's proportions and sight lines — a detail that matters on older homes in Crystal Lake, Woodstock and Cary, and one that replacement units rarely match.
McHenry County's old windows are worth saving
Crystal Lake's older neighborhoods, Woodstock's historic streets, and the pre-war homes in Carpentersville and Cary were built with dense old-growth wood that simply isn't sold anymore. Those windows have already lasted 80–100 years. With the rotted areas rebuilt and the sashes working again, they can last decades more.
Caring for Old Wood Windows Yourself
Safe to do yourself
- Keep exterior paint intact — repaint wood windows before paint starts to peel.
- Clean sash tracks and use a dry silicone spray so sashes slide easily.
- Add removable interior storm panels or window film for winter drafts.
- Photograph each window and note which ones stick, rattle or leak.
Call a pro
- Stripping old paint — homes built before 1978 may have lead paint that needs safe handling.
- Removing sashes from weight-and-cord windows — the weights can fall inside the wall.
- Replacing large sections of rotted wood — the joinery holds the window together.
- Reglazing large or upper-floor sashes — broken glass is a real injury risk.
3-Year Warranty on Restored Wood
Parts we don't make (cranks, balances, locks) carry only their supplier's warranty. Leaks from roofs, flashing or siding aren't window defects. Full warranty terms → · Read our reviews
Got a quote to replace these windows?
Send it to us before you sign. We'll tell you — free — whether a repair would solve it for less.
Window Restoration Questions
Window Restoration in these towns and more
Based in Lake in the Hills, serving homes within about 40 miles.
Fix the Window. Keep the Money.
Call, text, or send a photo. You'll know what's wrong and roughly what it costs — before anyone comes out.
★★★★★ 4.9 from 145+ reviews · 20-year glass warranty · Price match