Cabinets & Woodwork Naperville, IL
Window sash and frame painting in Naperville
Wood window sashes reglazed and painted, interior frames refinished, and painted-shut windows freed so they open again.
- Calls answered 24/7
- Glazing putty replaced
- Painted-shut windows freed
Quick answer
Window sash painting in Naperville is precise work: failed glazing putty is removed and replaced, bare wood is primed, and the sash is painted with a thin line of paint lapped onto the glass to seal the joint. Inside, frames are sanded and painted and painted-shut windows are cut free. It matters most on older homes with original wood windows. Call to book.
What the job involves
Windows are the most detailed paint job in the house
A wood window has more edges, joints and moving parts than any other painted surface: muntins, meeting rails, sills, stops and the putty that holds the glass. Water gets in wherever the glazing has cracked or the paint has lifted, and the bottom rail of the sash rots first.
Doing it properly means working slowly: removing failed putty, priming the wood, reglazing, letting the putty skin over, then painting with a line lapped onto the glass so rain cannot reach the joint.
Updated September 2026
Types of work on this page
The 3 versions of this job we get asked for
Wood sash and glazing putty
On older wood windows, cracked and missing glazing putty is the most common cause of rot. We remove loose putty without breaking the glass, prime the exposed wood rabbet, bed and reset any loose panes, and apply fresh glazing compound. Once it has skinned over, the sash is primed and painted with the paint lapped about a sixteenth of an inch onto the glass to seal the joint. Bottom rails with soft wood are repaired with epoxy or a dutchman patch before painting.
Interior window frames
Inside, window casings, stools, aprons and sashes often carry many coats of paint and water staining from condensation. We clean and scuff, sand drips and ridges, fill cracks, seal stains with a blocking primer, and apply two coats of a hard trim enamel. Sash tracks and parting stops are kept free of paint so the windows still slide. On oak-stained windows in newer homes, the same oak-to-white approach as other trim applies, with a stain-blocking primer first so the tannin in the oak does not bleed through the white.
Stuck and painted-shut windows
Windows painted shut by a previous painter are cut free with a window zipper and putty knife along every joint, inside and out, without splitting the sash or stops. Sash cords, weights or balances are checked. Tracks are cleaned, and paint build-up on the edges is scraped so the sash moves freely. After painting, windows are opened and closed as the paint cures so they do not seal again. Broken sash cords can be replaced as part of the job on double-hung windows.
What moves the price
What decides the cost of this job
Pricing comes from a walkthrough of the actual surfaces.
- Number of windows and panes. Divided-light sashes take far longer than single panes.
- Glazing condition. Full reglazing versus touch-up.
- Interior, exterior or both. Each side is priced separately.
- Rot repair. Epoxy or wood repairs on sills and bottom rails.
- Painted-shut windows. Freeing and adjusting adds time per window.
- Lead-safe setup. Pre-1978 homes need containment and clean-up.
Local conditions
Window Sash & Frame Painting around Naperville
Original wood windows are most common in the Naperville Historic District and the older streets around downtown, where houses date from the 1870s to the 1960s. Most of those homes were built before 1978 and their window paint layers are likely to contain lead, which is why window work there, with its scraping and sanding right at the sash, is always done with lead-safe containment and clean-up.
Step by step
How the job runs from the first call to the last coat
Inspect
Glazing, rot, painted-shut sashes, house age.
Protect
Containment where old paint will be disturbed.
Free and remove
Stuck sashes cut free; loose putty removed.
Repair and prime
Rot repaired, bare wood primed.
Reglaze
Fresh glazing compound, left to skin over.
Paint
Sashes, frames and sills, lapped onto glass.
Operate
Windows opened and closed as paint cures.
Do it yourself or call us
Reglazing and painting windows yourself versus hiring it out
Window work is slow and fiddly. The risk is in breaking glass and disturbing old paint.
| Factor | Doing it yourself | Hiring us |
|---|---|---|
| Glazing | Putty removal can crack glass | Removed carefully, reset and reglazed |
| Old paint | Dry scraping spreads lead dust | Containment and lead-safe cleanup |
| Painted-shut sashes | Pried open, splitting the stops | Cut free along every joint |
| Finish | Paint on the glass or gaps at the edge | Lapped onto glass to seal the joint |
Brands we apply
FAQ
Questions about window sash & frame painting in Naperville
Often, yes. Old-growth wood windows can last a long time with glazing and paint maintenance.
Glazing compound needs to skin over first, typically days to a couple of weeks depending on the product and weather.
Yes, by cutting the paint seal along each joint and cleaning the tracks.
Only with vinyl-safe paint and colors, and it is rarely recommended.
In pre-1978 homes, old window paint may contain lead, so we use lead-safe containment and cleanup.
Yes, on double-hung wood windows, as part of the job.
Book window sash & frame painting in Naperville
One number, both offices, answered around the clock. The estimate is a walkthrough, not a guess.
Call (630) 389-8505Calls answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.