Sometimes, there are no easy fixes for old windows

Q. I need advice as to what I can do with my windows without having to replace them. They are 28-year-old Lincoln windows, and of the crank-out type.

The windows are foggy and moisture is forming between the glass panes. I was told their seals are broken.

I heard there is a procedure whereby holes are drilled to reseal the window. Have you heard of this and is it successful?

Please give me any information you have and any advice as to what else I can do without breaking the bank.

A. I have heard of this procedure, but it is largely based on ballyhoo; a money-wasting scheme with no guaranteed success or long-lasting effects.

Most authorities will recommend replacing the glazing, which can often be done without having to replace the entire window, depending on the age and condition of the window sashes and frames.

In cases like yours, the usual recommendation is to call the local window dealer of your brand of windows to find out if they can replace the failed glazing in the existing window sashes or frames. However, this would not be a good idea with these Lincoln windows.

In the first place, their warranty is for only 10 years. I have found a number of complaints from homeowners with similar problems within the warranty period who were offered glazing replacement, but the installation was left up to homeowners. There have also been other complaints against Lincoln windows, questioning their quality and the company's response to claims.

Your best option at this point is to see if a local glass shop can do the replacement in the existing sashes. If not, you need to decide whether you want to replace all the windows with a different brand with a better service record.

Q. Thank you for responding about my leaky window question, and yes, I should free the primary window sashes. The house is almost 60 years old, but the wood windows are in good condition. A few of the windows have been painted but the others are original. What is the best way to free the sashes? It's quite difficult to raise them, and then they only open partially and not all the way up. I'd like them to operate freely but it's always a struggle.

A. Your original question was about the initial installation of storm windows, which were drafty and allowed spiders to get between the storms and primary windows, and the difficulty of fully moving the primary sashes.

There is a tool for freeing paint-stuck sashes, which you can buy in hardware stores. The thin metal blade is shaped like a pear and has serrated teeth. You insert it between the sash and the frame and wiggle it up and down until the paint bond is broken. It may also work to free the sashes of the windows left natural.

More holiday gift suggestions: Dear readers, I ran out of space in last week's column to suggest more worthwhile tools to consider, so here is an addition to my list of great shop and garden tools to give your special person, or yourself.

• Power washers: They come gas-powered or electric. Gas-powered models are generally more powerful than electric ones, but the latter cost less and may be sufficient for most jobs. However, they are tied to a cord - somewhat inconvenient. I use a gas-powered Briggs & Stratton for cleaning our deck every spring and our concrete driveway and exposed aggregate walks of leaf discoloration and other pollutants in the fall. A power washer is also great for cleaning exterior doormats, siding and retaining walls. It should not be used to clean roofing shingles.

• And here is a recently available tool I found quite handy: The new Porter-Cable corded 7.5 amp ½-inch drive Impact Wrench.

Impact wrenches are broadly used in industry - automotive shops, heavy equipment maintenance and major construction. They are mostly powered by compressed air, but relatively few 120-volt current and cordless models are in use in home shops and smaller construction firms.

I didn't own an impact wrench, and I was not interested in the compressed air models. However, when I got wind of this new Porter-Cable impact wrench for standard sockets, I got interested.

Instead of struggling with hand wrenches to rotate automobile tires, remove a lawn mower blade for sharpening or drive hex head lag screws in building decks' framework and railings, etc., an impact wrench not only makes the job easy, but it ensures the nuts are properly tightened when reinstalling the car wheels or lawn mower blade. No one wants a loose wheel nut on a car, as I once experienced, or a flying lawn mower blade.

At a list price of $119, Porter-Cable's model PCE210 Impact Wrench with a ½-inch drive is well worth having in any DIY shop. Porter-Cable also makes a ¼-inch drive model.

I have not used this tool enough to know if it will withstand hard construction usage, but for a DIY shop, it is very handy.

Q. I read your column each week in the Daily Herald. I know you have covered the topic of gutter protection, but I cannot find the columns. I have seen two products that are similar - one is the Leaf Filter and the other is Spring Rock Gutter Guards. I was wondering if you have heard of either of these products and if so, what are your thoughts on them? Both products claim that they are no-clog and will install on existing gutters. Is there a product you would recommend?

A. I have no experience with either Leaf Filter or Spring Rock Gutter Guards. There are so many gutter guards on the market - some that can be installed by the homeowner and others that can only be professionally installed, which is the case with the two guards you are mentioning. Every gutter guard on the market claims to be the best.

Over the years, I have tried a number of homeowner-installed gutter guards and ended up having to remove them because they failed. The only one I still have on is the DCI Flo-Free Leaf Guard with which I have had mixed results and have needed to make some alterations.

I have also worked with homeowners who had various professionally installed guards and were unhappy with them. But I have also read that some people have had success with the same products. Sorry I can't be of better help.

Q. A couple of years ago, I read in your column about a furniture cleaner that you highly recommend. You stated that it was not sold in stores, that it can only be purchased online. What is the name of this product? I would love to buy it. Thank you.

A. This miracle cleaner is Milsek. You can buy it online at www.milsek.com, but if you click on Store Locator, you can scroll down to your state and see if a store near you carries it.

It is now widely available in Ace hardware stores, where I buy it in half-gallon containers, as we use it for so many things. I have not found anything better for cleaning and polishing furniture, leather and stainless steel.

Milsek comes in several formula options; choose the one that appeals to you most.

Q. I read your recent column about bathroom vent fans with some dismay. Our upstairs bathrooms are tucked under the western corner of our second story. There are no houses behind us and we live in the Chicago suburbs, home of the highest gas prices and the polar vortex. The prevailing winds, which regularly exceed 30 mph, hit that western wall head on. For that reason I had vented the bathrooms via an existing roof vent. Since you do not recommend using louvered caps for vents and our prevailing winds would force them closed anyway, I was wondering what your recommendation would be for our situation.

A. Could you use a hooded jack? They have a flap that opens up when the fan is turned on and they are far less prone to problems than louvered jacks. I have seen so many plastic louvered jacks with missing flaps, which leave holes for insects, mice and birds to get into the vent.

If you have an accessible attic, can the vent be directed toward another exposure? I always recommend using Schedule 20 drainpipe. Its bell end should face toward the fan and, if possible, a slight downward slant toward the outside is desirable. This can be provided by setting two small blocks of wood of diminishing depth under each section of 10-foot pipe to allow any condensation to drain to the outside instead of lingering in the pipe.

To insulate the pipe, wrap 4-inch thick fiberglass baths on each side and on top of the pipe. Cellulose is another choice if you plan on having some blown in.

Great suggestion: Here is a good one from a reader responding to a question and my answer about how to find the places where mice come into his/her house: "In order to locate the place(s) where critters enter the house … after the first light snowfall, walk around (the) perimeter of the house and look for footprints. Like so many other readers, I enjoy your informative column."

More advice: Dear readers, the Chittenden County, Vermont, chapter of a wonderful organization, the Visiting Nurse Association, has issued the following advice to make sure we have a safe winter: "Prepare your home's heat for the winter. Help prevent house fires and carbon monoxide poisoning by taking a few precautions: Have chimneys and furnaces inspected. Make sure smoke detectors are on all levels of the home and the batteries are good. Make sure there are carbon monoxide detectors in the house. If you must use a space heater, make sure to keep anything that could burn at least 3 feet from the unit. Keep a fire extinguisher ready and know how to use it."

Please heed these recommendations; they can be lifesavers.

• Henri de Marne was a remodeling contractor in Washington, D.C., for many years, and is now a consultant. His book, "About the House," is available at www.upperaccess.com. His website is www.henridemarne.com. Email him at henridemarne@gmavt.net.

© 2014, United Feature Syndicate Inc.