I’m finished with the double-hung front windows sashes and have them temporarily in place, I still need to add the weather stripping. They open and close with one finger. For the bottom window* the trick is getting the ropes even and the right length (not so long that they has slack in them when open {they will end up jumping the pulley or they will hit the bottom of the opening and pivot around and get caught up in the other weight rope} and not too short where the window won’t go up all the way.)

If they jam side to side when you open them, one rope is broken {maybe both} or one rope is much longer than the other and there is uneven pull on the windows and it makes you think your windows or the opening is not square.

• [ Don’t buy new windows, fix the ropes! You can refinish and fix even moderately rotten windows with the products out there today. It’s a lot of work but you have something beautiful and original that will last another 100 years when you are done. You won’t walk into your house and say, “Wow, look at all those new, fake, vinyl windows.” The new faux windows may save you money if your windows are in really bad condition. But so would fixing your existing windows and weatherstripping them and you wouldn’t lose the character of the house.]

I refinished the window sashes with several coats of garnet shellac to a dark garnet color, then top coated 3 times with Waterlox original satin. It took several days to dry as the humidity is like heated fog here this past week. I used Waterlox on top because of shellac’s tendency to get sticky in hot weather. Now I can get that great color (you really can only get with shellac) and this reduces the sticky factor and can stand up to window cleaners better than shellac.

I have the window-stop trim boards finished but I’m not going to install them until I finish the woodwork around the windows and add the insulation/weatherstripping. There is a lot of white oak wood around the windows. Plus the crowns toppers. They are a bit harder to do and I have to do it all on a ladder and the radiator is in the way. I’d love to have some scaffolding so I don’t have to work with my arms over my head. It is very tiring.

*For the top window you just reverse what I said about the bottom window, the window rope should not go all the way slack when the window is up in the closed position. Tie the rope so it is at the point the rope will go slack with another 1/2 inch or so. Then the weight won’t get wedged in the side opening and it is less likely the rope will jump the pulley track and get wedged on the side of the pulley.