Restore or Replace Your Timber Windows? A Brisbane Homeowner's Guide

If your timber windows are sticking, rattling or showing signs of rot, someone has probably told you to replace them with aluminium. In most cases you don't need to.

We hear from Brisbane homeowners every week who've been given big quotes for full replacement, and most of those windows can be repaired and restored for far less. You also keep the character that made you buy the house in the first place.

Why restoration is usually the better option

It costs less. Replacing a window means removing the frame and often patching the cladding, plaster and trims around it. Restoration works with what's already there, so there's less demolition and less making good. On most jobs we don't need scaffolding either.

Old timber is better timber. Many Brisbane homes built before the 1960s have windows made from slow-grown hardwoods that are denser and more stable than a lot of what's available today. Once rot is cut out and repaired, that timber can last decades more.

You keep the look of the house. In suburbs full of Queenslanders, workers' cottages and interwar homes, aluminium windows stand out for the wrong reasons. Original timber windows add to the street appeal and value of a period home.

Heritage and character rules. Parts of Brisbane are covered by character or heritage overlays. Changing original windows can need approval. Restoring them usually doesn't. Check with Brisbane City Council if you're unsure.

When replacement makes sense

We'll always tell you straight. Replacement is worth considering when:

• most of the frame is rotted through, not just the sill or bottom rail
• the window has been badly modified and there's little original left
• you want a completely different style or opening type

Even then, we can often build new timber sashes or windows to match the originals, so the house still looks right.

What restoration involves

Every job is different, but a typical timber window restoration can include:

• cutting out and repairing rot in sills, frames and sashes
• replacing broken sash cords or converting to spiral balances
• reglazing and putty pointing
• fixing sticky, swollen or rattling windows
• new locks, handles, hinges, stays and chain winders
• preparing and painting so the timber is protected

The result is a window that opens and closes properly, seals better and looks the way it did when the house was built.

Restoration for strata and body corporates

We also restore windows across whole unit blocks. Body corporates often assume old timber windows have to be replaced building-wide. Restoration for strata buildings is usually faster, cheaper and less disruptive for owners and tenants.

Get a straight answer on your windows

Before you sign a replacement quote, get a second opinion. Window Wizard restores timber windows across Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. We'll tell you what can be saved and what can't.

Call 1300 896 148 or contact us for a tailored quote.