In today's installment of Adventures in Loft Living our focus turns to our window sills that have seen better days. You take the good with the bad in a space like this, but it doesn't mean you can't do anything about it. Click through the jump to give your thoughts on this crumbling situation.
We have large amount of windows down the south side of our loft space (the amazing views of the sunrise and sunset are both something to be jealous of!). Only a few of them have 100% complete brick work. The others could use a little attention.
We have been racking our brains trying to come up with a solution to their decay. If we wanted to preserve the architectural integrity we would slave over each sill and inlay the brick back in. That process seems a bit laborious so we've been looking at other alternatives.
Here's what we came up with, tell us which one you like, or an idea of your own below!
The next idea was to make a bean-bag-ish type mass filled with.... um, something that might hold it's shape relatively well. It would mold to each sill and could provide color or pattern, but we can't help but think they would look like... well... bean bags in windows.
The last idea on our minds is one that involves a bit of structure. By using 2 pieces of wood (1 to front face the sill and another for a top) and a pair of custom made stilts (different heights for different sills to level each one out) we could achieve a level look. Even though the sills might be rough, the windows themselves are indeed level. We think this could be a great way to personalize the space... even if it will be far more work than the other two!
(Photos by Sarahrae, who because she still doesn't have internet up and running is operating from the local coffee shop and isn't the best at photoshopping her ideas on a laptop!)
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
The last is certinally the nicest, an alternative to "stilts" would be to mount part of your new sill to the brown/unfinished wood part of your windows.
view DahliaCactus's profile
I'm thinking window seat.
view Lisa Hunter (Montreal)'s profile
I'm thinking these are going to be VERY COLD windows without the sealing action of complete brick work/window sills. If you own, just get them repaired. If you rent, the bean bag idea may help to reduce air infiltration in the windy city.
view Alice's profile
I'm thinking that calling in a licensed brick mason to come repair the sills properly is the best solution of all...
view bepsf's profile
I agree with bepsf, get the brick repaired.
view Vanessa in New York's profile
If you rent, the landlord should have repaired this long ago!
view sissy's profile
yeah, fixing the brick would be best
view littlejex's profile
fix with brick.
view amt230's profile
If you have the spare bricks laying around, definitely fix it. If you're at all handy, doing so yourself wouldn't be all that difficult and wouldn't take any more time/level of skill than option 3 that you've proposed, which is the most appealing of the 3 options.
view Daily Nuance's profile
Exactly. Why not call a mason to repair/level/seal the sills? You'll have a nice level surface to put your plants and beanbags on and rain and wind won't penetrate the space.
view Bolder's profile
Fix the brick!
view gswiszcza's profile
fix the brick
view phaedrus's profile
Are you people nuts? This is Apartment Therapy! There's no problem that isn't solved by decorating!
Seriously, fix the brick. ;-)
view nashdp's profile
fix the brick. there are no other options. and its super easy.
view nordicfreak's profile
fix the brick! it'll only get worse...and more expensive...with time
view Enamorada's profile
Fix the brick, and have a mason do it. I can see someone tried to fix the problem using the wrong mortar (portland cement, the dark gray mortar in the pic). Using the wrong mortar can damage the surrounding bricks and mortar worse, as it is a different hardness and expands and contracts differently in the heat/cold.
A mason will be able to match the mortar color and content to your house, making the fix look seamless. Here in Baltimore there are even masons that use crushed oyster shells in their mortar as this is what was originally used in mortars in this area. A normal homeowner will most likely not know how to match and find the materials, let alone do a good job themselves.
view baltimorerowhouse's profile
In the long run, fix the brick, and have the Maison do it. If you just slap on some bricks and mortar, the wall will fail. The wall expands and contracts, and unless the brick and the mortar have similar amounts of lime and sand, they will expand and contract at different rates, falling apart.
In the short run, I like the 3rd idea with the box. You could put in some extra insulation too, under it if it is cold or drafty near the window.
view chaseunchase's profile
Make sure you get that foam sealant covered quickly, UV light deteriorates it and makes it look even worse.
I don't think it'll matter much temperature wise whatever you choose to do, since you've already got exposed brick, which, frankly, isn't great thermally.
view dn's profile
Getting good construction bricks in Michigan might not be as easy as it would first seem. I was fairly new to the market, so I jumped in thinking that I could make a couple phone calls and line something up for my masonry project. I never realized the large number of choices that would be presented to me when trying to install a simple stone fireplace. After talking to Lincoln Brick and Supply (http://www.lincolnbrick.com), I realized that it takes some thought and energy when making decisions about this particular building supply. Needless to say, Lincoln Brick was able to take their time and help me make choices for my custom building project. They were a great help, and I look forward to working with them in the future.
view asdf3001's profile