Lead Paint and Wavy Openings in Older Austin Homes

By the time the first sash is out of a Travis Heights bungalow, the job has already changed shape. The margins on a house like that are looser than the ones recorded at window installers austin healthy home mkt for newer window work, and the paint on the interior stop gets treated as lead until proven otherwise. Older homes in Austin, TX reward a slow start and punish a quick one.

Lead paint on sashes and stop

Paint laid down decades ago on a wood window often holds lead, and the dangerous spots are the friction points: where the sash rubs the jamb, where the stop meets the sill. Installers keep dust down by misting surfaces, scoring paint lines before pulling trim, and laying plastic over the floor. Dry sanding and heat guns stay in the truck. A HEPA vacuum collects what falls, and the debris leaves in sealed bags. Homes in Hyde Park and Clarksville often carry several layers, so the care is the same on every opening in the house.

Openings that are not square

Old framing moves. A wavy opening, bowed in the middle or racked at one corner, is normal in a house that has stood through decades of dry summers and heavy spring rain. The installer checks plumb with a level, sights down the jamb, and measures the diagonals. A frame that is out of plumb gets shimmed in stages, and the sash is tested in its track before the foam goes in, because a double hung unit forced into a twisted frame will stick forever.

Rotted sills and hidden damage

The sill is the first place water shows up. Pressing a screwdriver into the wood tells the story: firm wood stays, soft wood gets cut out and replaced. Sometimes the damage runs under the siding, and the repair grows from a window job into carpentry. A decision is made on the spot: patch with an epoxy filler, or cut back to sound lumber. Neither is a guess, and the client sees the damage before it is covered.

Choosing the replacement

Old openings are often unusual sizes, so a custom replacement window is common. Wood window frames match the house best, a vinyl window needs the least upkeep, and a composite frame sits between the two. Insulated glass with a low e coating helps with the long Texas afternoons, and an argon fill is an optional extra in the unit. Interior trim is salvaged where it can be, because original casing in a Clarksville cottage is hard to replace.

The walk-through

At the end, the crew wipes surfaces, vacuums again, and walks every room with the homeowner. Sashes move, locks catch, and the trim lines are straight.