Window Sills

Window Sills Our commercial sill products are available in standard or custom sizes to fit your needs. We offer them in three color options, which include; #150 – Classic White, #74 – Standard White and #72 – Solid Biscuit. Standard sizes include 3/8', 1/2' and 3/4' thicknesses in the following dimensions. A windowsill is the piece of wood that runs from inside the window to outside the window. The inside can be called a windowsill or a stool. Today, modern waterproof materials are often used on exterior windowsills to prevent rot problems.

Written by Wade Shaddy; Updated December 10, 2018

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Window sill damage is common. Even if the window doesn't leak, water condensation takes a toll on the sill. It can cause it to rot, warp or crack. Sun damage is also common. Even the best finishing products won't protect it indefinitely, and the sun will bleach the sill or cause it to expand and contract, making it fit poorly, or effect the way the window closes or opens. If your sill is giving you problems, you can remove and replace it in about an hour.

  1. Open the window. Insert the tip of a utility knife between the sill and the trim. Depending on how the sill was installed, there will likely be a 1/4-inch by 1/2-inch piece of profiled wooden trim around the perimeter of the sill. Use the tip of the utility knife to cut any caulk, paint or glue that may be holding the trim to the sill.

  2. Insert the tip of a putty knife behind the trim underneath, on both sides, in front, at the back or wherever the trim is installed. Carefully pry the trim away from the sill in pieces. If they are stubborn and won't come off, pry them off with a chisel. Pull the nails out of the trim, using diagonal pliers. Place them in order so you can put them back on in the correct order.

  3. Tap the tip of a flat pry bar under the sill from the bottom. Pry upward to loosen the sill as much as possible. Insert the tip of the pry bar behind the sill on top and pry it toward your body. If the pry bar won't fit, use a screwdriver. Pry from both sides to continue loosening the sill as the nails begin to pull free.

  4. Pound on the sill from all directions with a rubber mallet to finish loosening the nails. When you can get your fingers under the sill, rock it upward and downward and pull it free of the window sash and framing.

  5. Scrape any old glue, caulk or debris from the sash or framing where the sill was removed. Pull out any nails that may have remained, using the diagonal pliers.

  6. Measure and cut a new sill, using a piece of wood that is the same thickness as the original sill. Use a table saw to cut the sill the same size as the old sill. Do not cut out any notching yet.

  7. Place the new sill on the sash where the old sill came off. Tap it backward into place as far as it will go, using the rubber mallet. When it stops, use a pencil and a tape measure to draw or trace any notching that you need to do.

  8. Cut the notches in the sill, using a jigsaw. Tap the sill in place. Recut or trim the notches until the sill fits tightly onto the sash or framing, if necessary.

  9. Sand the sill smooth and round the corners, using a hand block and 100-grit sandpaper. Finish the sill to match existing woodwork, or paint the sill. Tap the sill in place with the mallet.

  10. Drill holes through the sill around the perimeter on top. Drill the holes 3/4 inch from the edge, spaced 4 inches apart, using a cordless drill and 1/16-inch bit. Angle the holes downward at 30 degrees. Place 2-inch nails into the holes and drive them in, using a hammer. Set the nails below the surface, using a nailset.

  11. Nail the trim pieces back on in the order they came off, using 1-inch finish nails. Putty all the holes, using a color-matched putty crayon.

    12. Things You Will Need

    • Utility knife

    • Putty knife

    • Chisel

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    • Diagonal pliers

    • Pry bar

    • Rubber mallet

    • Table saw

    • Jigsaw

    • Sandpaper, 100-grit

    • Lacquer, stain or paint

    • Cordless drill

    • Drill bit, 1/16-inch

    • Finish nails, 2-inch

    • Claw hammer

    • Nailset

    • Finish nails, 1-inch

    • Putty crayon

    Tip

    If you can't get the sill to loosen or come off no matter what you do, you may be able to cut off the nails with the tip of a reciprocating saw. If that fails, you can cut the sill in half lengthwise, using a circular saw, and remove it in pieces.

    Warning

    Be careful when prying on a sill. Don't break anything that may be in the way such as other trim pieces around the window. If they are in the way, remove them.

    Always wear safety glasses when working with wood.

About the Author

Specializing in hardwood furniture, trim carpentry, cabinets, home improvement and architectural millwork, Wade Shaddy has worked in homebuilding since 1972. Shaddy has also worked as a newspaper reporter and writer, and as a contributing writer for Bicycling Magazine. Shaddy began publishing in various magazines in 1992, and published a novel, “Dark Canyon,” in 2008.