Where is KW?

millworkman, so sorry, KW is Kitchener Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.

I don't know how old your "wood windows" are, but I had a 90 year old house with wood sash windows and aluminum storms. I thought I was so much better off when I moved into my 70's vintage house with "newer" windows. WRONG! The newer windows had vinyl sills and they are peeling. The vapor barrier on one of them went bad so it is foggy and dirty looking and several of them have upper panes that droop and won't stay up. I am sure the the old windows in the other house are still doing fine and they never seemed drafty. I miss my old house--the windows and the character. If your windows are like my old windows, I would definately paint. Good luck!

Hi Mom2Boys and thanks for your reply. It does sound as if our windows are similar. I don't have drafty windows and they are about 60 years old, original to the house. They are wood with aluminum storms, as yours were. I am quite sure they will last another 60 years. My gut is telling me to get them painted because I know what I am dealing with, whereas with new windows there are often many problems just as you described. OTOH everyone thinks I should get new because they haven't had any problems with theirs. My thoughts are that there windows are indeed new - the oldest are ten years and one would not expect problems that soon.

I will probably be moving sometime in the next ten years (now retired and the house is a lot of work) so I don't need a life time warranty. New windows would not effect resale in this neighbourhood because this is a red hot market with people waiting to buy and then they have contractors in for seven months gutting the house and completely rebuilding.

I will get my last quote today and will take next week to mull it all over and make a decision. YES I think you are absolutely right and that painting is the way to go.

Thanks again.

So sorry that I haven't had the courtesy to post an update until now. It has been a busy summer here with all this house stuff. After the windows have been redoing the gardens (weeds!!) and new black mulch - now the driveway looks terrible. Does it ever end? Yes, at least for a few months when it's all covered with snow.
OK, I did get the windows painted. The painter said that the wood was in good shape. Yeah!
I hope this paint job lasts until I move.
Thanks Mom2Boys, your reply really confirmed my suspicions. Thank you, again.

I'm glad to hear that you painted your windows, cgw1. I hope that, when you sell your home, the new buyer appreciates the home's original wood windows. We had our 80+ year old wood windows restored and are so glad that we can make any needed repairs ourselves in the future for relatively little cost.

If the windows were in good shape, you did the right thing with them.

Might be worth looking into some new weatherstripping and a good storm window if you don't already have one.

Yes, the windows are in good shape and I am happy I have kept them. The one thing I did have a problem with was them sticking and sometimes hard to open or close, especially when swollen from rainy weather. The painter told me to get some spray silicone and it has worked like a charm. They move with ease now.
I so have storms, but perhaps new weatherstripping is in order. I will ask the painter, as he is an old timer and knows a lot. Also, he is not trying to sell me anything.
Thanks again for all your advice, suggestions, and most of confirming that new is not always better.