Bath · Loyalist Township
Bath's historic homes: keeping old windows working
Bath, on the lakeshore west of Kingston, Ontario, was settled by Loyalists in 1784 and is counted among the oldest communities in the province. Houses that old often still have wood sash, and most of it can keep working with new putty, a freed-up sash and a sound storm window in front. We connect you with independent local pros who restore older windows as well as replace them. Bath is outside the city, so we check by postal code whether one covers your street.
At a glance
- Settled
- 1784, by Loyalists; joined Loyalist Township in 1998
- Housing
- Old village houses; Township-wide, a good share of homes predate 1961
- Usual jobs
- Sash repair, reglazing, storm windows, cracked panes
- Permits
- Loyalist Township, not the City of Kingston
Bath: a Loyalist village from 1784
Bath was a village of its own until 1998, when it joined Amherst Island and Ernestown townships to form Loyalist Township. There is no age data for the village alone; across the Township, a good share of homes were built in 1960 or earlier.
In an old house, openings have usually moved a little, sills have weathered, and more than one generation of window may sit side by side. Whatever is done, new or restored, has to fit the opening as it is now.
Repairing and reglazing older windows
A wood sash that sticks, rattles or leaks air is usually fixable. A restorer can replace broken sash cords, renew failed putty, set a new pane where one has cracked, re-glue loose joints and add weatherstripping, keeping the old frame. See wood window repair, or broken window glass if a pane needs making safe first.
Storm windows for lakeshore winters
On a restored sash, the storm window does the heavy lifting in winter, keeping wind and rain off the old wood and putty. Wood storms hung each fall suit a village house; combination storms stay up all year and swap glass for a window screen in summer.
If condensation forms between the storm and the sash on a cold morning, the inner sash is leaking warm air, not the storm. Our storm windows page covers fitting and upkeep.
Replacements that suit an older house
Sometimes a sash or frame is past saving: rot through the bottom rail, a crumbled sill, a frame pulled out of square. Then replacement is the honest answer. Ask the pro how the new window will meet the opening, sill and interior trim, and whether a new wood sash could go into the old frame instead.
Permits and heritage status: ask the Township
Bath is in Loyalist Township, so its building department handles permits, not the City of Kingston. We can't confirm which Bath houses carry a heritage designation. Under Ontario's heritage law, a municipality can designate a property and then require approval before its windows are changed. Before replacing windows on an older Bath house, ask the Township whether yours is designated and whether the job needs a permit.
Amherstview and Odessa are also in the Township; see our Amherstview page.
Bath questions
Can the original sash windows in a Bath house be restored?
Usually, yes. Most problems with old sash are wear rather than failure: broken cords, dried putty, paint-sealed sash and loose joints. A restorer fixes those and keeps the original glass. Rot that runs through a rail or sill is the main reason to replace a sash, and even then a new sash can often go into the old frame. See wood window repair.
Does anyone still make storm windows for a house as old as Bath's?
Yes. Wood storms are still built to measure for old openings, and combination storms in aluminium or other frames come in custom sizes too. Each opening in an old house tends to differ, so the pro measures every one. Wood storms suit the look of an older house but come down each spring; combination storms stay up and swap in a window screen. See storm windows.
Who handles permits for window work in Bath?
Loyalist Township's building department. Bath became part of the Township in 1998, so the City of Kingston's rules and heritage staff don't apply. Before ordering replacements, ask the Township whether your house is designated and whether the job needs a permit. Repairs that keep the existing windows usually raise fewer questions.
Will a pro travel to Bath from Kingston?
Some do, and we check before saying so. Send your postal code with the request. If a pro who restores or replaces older windows covers Bath, they contact you. If none does, we tell you plainly instead of leaving the request unanswered. Photos of each window help the pro decide whether the trip suits the job. Start a request.
What photos help a pro judge an old Bath window before visiting?
One of the whole window from inside and outside, then close-ups of the bottom rail and sill, any cracked or loose panes, the putty, and the storm if there is one. Add a rough age for the house and whether the sash still slides. That is usually enough for a pro to say whether it's a restoration or a replacement.