A shopping list for four old window sashes, for a garden shed being built in Atlanta · August 2026 · Written to be read on a phone in a salvage yard. No knowledge of the project needed — everything you need is on this page.
We're building a garden shed, and it needs four old wooden window sashes.
A "sash" is just the wood-and-glass part of a window — no frame around it, no hinges, no hardware, nothing that slides. Think of a picture frame with panes of glass in it. They're common in salvage yards and easy to find; the hard part is finding four that match.
| How many | Where they go | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | In the side wall | Hinged along the top edge, they swing outward so the shed can be aired out |
| 2 | In the doors — one per door | Cut into the door and fixed permanently in place, so it isn't pitch dark inside |
Budget: new ones cost about $65 each, so that's the ceiling — roughly $260 for four. Anything cheaper is a win, but a sound $50 sash beats a warped $15 one every time.
A single wooden frame holding glass — no surrounding frame, no windowsill, no weights or cords, nothing that slides. Think picture frame with panes in it. On a shed it gets hinged along the top edge and props open outward, or is fixed in place permanently.
| ✅ This is what we want | ❌ Not these |
|---|---|
| A single wooden frame with divided panes One rigid piece, nothing attached A single sash removed from a double-hung window counts — that's most of what's out there Sometimes called: barn sash · wood sash · window sash · 6-light sash · 6-pane · antique window · salvage sash | A whole double-hung window — jambs, track, two halves sliding past each other Vinyl or aluminum frames Replacement windows Insulated / double-pane glass |
Sellers routinely quote the glass size or the opening it came out of. Neither is what we need.
| What | Target | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Outside frame width | 24" | must be ≤ 24¼" — fixed by the wall framing |
| Outside frame height | 24"–35" | the opening gets framed to whatever is found, if found before ~Sept 1 |
| Panes | 6 (2 across × 3 down) | 4, 8 or 9 fine if all match |
| Frame material | Wood | wood only |
| Thickness | ~1⅜" | ¾"–1¾" |
| Glass | Single pane | not insulated / double-pane — too thick, wrong look |
| Finish | Any | getting repainted an accent color, so condition of the paint doesn't matter |
Four total is ideal, but they have two different jobs — and that changes what "good enough" means:
| Pair | Job | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| 2 for the side wall | Hinged at the top, actually open outward | The flattest and soundest two. A twisted sash will never seal |
| 2 for the doors | Set into the shop-built doors as fixed lites — never move | Rougher ones are fine here |
The wall opening's width is fixed at 24½" by framing that's already planned. Its height gets built to whatever sash turn up — provided they turn up before that wall gets covered with plywood, around Sept 1. The openings in the doors are cut to fit whatever is found — but each door is only about 30" wide, so the same ~24" width ceiling applies there too.
Lots of salvage sash have a groove running down each side edge. That means it came out of a double-hung window rather than being a purpose-made barn sash — the groove is where the sash cord or spiral balance rode. There may also be small holes or pockets where the cord knot sat.
| What comes with it | What it costs you |
|---|---|
| The groove itself | Fill with a thin wood strip and glue, or caulk. On the two door lites it doesn't matter at all — those get bedded in sealant and stopped both sides, so the groove is buried |
| Cord holes or pockets | Plug and fill. Ten minutes |
| One rail beveled a few degrees — the "meeting rail" where the two sash closed against each other | Usable. Note which edge it is: on the operable wall windows the bevel can face down, where it sheds water like a drip edge |
| Often thinner stock — about 1⅛" instead of 1⅜" | Fine, but all four should match each other |
| Higher odds of being racked | These get pried out of painted-shut frames. Check flatness harder, not less |
Upside: double-hung sash are usually taller than wide, which is exactly the 24 × 24-to-35 range we want — and a sash from a working window has generally been better maintained than one that sat in a barn.
Wall_Framing.html → Windows and weather — the rough openings, for the back dam, the end dams and the lap order; and the Atlanta-specific add-ons section of Dimensional_Lumber_and_Foundation_Addendum.html, for the climate-driven additions the Vermont-oriented plans undersell.| Source | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Architectural salvage yards | Best odds and best condition, priced accordingly |
| Habitat for Humanity ReStore | Cheap, inconsistent stock — worth repeat visits |
| Facebook Marketplace / Craigslist | Set a saved alert on the search terms below |
| Estate sales, barn sales, farm auctions | Often nearly free |
| Farm supply stores | Sometimes carry new barn sash |
| Etsy / specialty millwork | New, made to order, most expensive |
Search terms: barn sash · wood barn sash window · 6 light barn sash · 24x24 wood sash · antique wood window 6 pane · salvage window sash
A photo plus these four things is enough to decide on any candidate.
New ones run about $65 each, so that's the ceiling — anything cheaper is a win. But a sound $50 sash beats a warped $15 one every time. Total budget for four is roughly $260.