Repair Broken Window Ledge

Scribbler100

Most of our house dates from the 1930's and there is one window-ledge which is falling apart (photo attached). Modern windows tend to have a sloping ledge so rain can run off. This one is flat. Any advice on how to repair it? There is a little movement in the front section if you push hard on it. We don't want that part to fall off and smash - it is pretty heavy. We are not very experienced at DIY and our budget is tight. Have got great advice on this forum before, any insight on how we could fill/support it?

J.R.

carefully break out the whole sill and construct a new one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuHFmS7xp4o

Scribbler100

Looks fantastic thanks J.R., but I'm pretty sure that workmanship would be well beyond our primitive DIY skills! Might see if we could find someone to do it for us and get some quotes.

antiskeptic

Scribbler100 wrote: »

Most of our house dates from the 1930's and there is one window-ledge which is falling apart (photo attached). Modern windows tend to have a sloping ledge so rain can run off. This one is flat. Any advice on how to repair it? There is a little movement in the front section if you push hard on it. We don't want that part to fall off and smash - it is pretty heavy. We are not very experienced at DIY and our budget is tight. Have got great advice on this forum before, any insight on how we could fill/support it?

Get a cartridge gun and a cartridge of chemical anchor - ask for it in Chadwicks or other builders providers. It's an injectable epoxy product.

Fill the cracks, starting as deep as you can, right up to the surface.

The epoxy will bond to the material and hold the whole thing together.

You do need to be able to get the epoxy right down into the crack - say 3/4 of the way through the cill - and fill it well. You can poke it down with a thin stick. Bear in mind, the epoxy will harden in the tube so it's one shot thing. Do all the filling in one go. If not able to fill the crack then..

Lay fibreglass over it using a repair kit (again Chadwicks). Cut the fibreglass cloth to size - just shy of the reveals and window frame and long enough to run down the front of the cill. Brush on the resin to wet the cloth - but not too much or it falls apart. More resin on the cill, cloth laid on and down the front of the cill then more resin to ensure good coverage.

You can do a second layer on top of that if you like. Paint it if you like when dry.

Scribbler100

This may be an approach we could attempt ourselves, thanks Antiskeptic. Am guessing the fibreglass cloth and resin would provide a waterproof layer, would it also help to support the window sill? Would the epoxy/chemical anchor be strong enough to hold the old concrete together? I think we can try this solution and in case we make a hames of it, we still have the possibility of getting a more experienced DIY-er to construct a new sill. Thanks guys.