Exterior window and door edging on 1904 house

[jg622847]

Hello,

First time poster, hoping someone can give me some advice.

I have a late Victorian / early Edwardian house (1904) built in red brick.

At the front we have a front door (obviously) and a bay window. The wooden frames of these are surrounded by what appears to be a concrete edging, about 1 inch wide and 1/4inch deep. This edging is painted, green on the windows and white around the front door.

In most areas it's starting to come away from the brickwork, leaving a gap, and in some places it's fallen out completely. Pics below.

My questions are:

- Could I remove the edging, while cleaning up and painting the wooden frames, and replace the concrete edging with some modern sealant?
- Should I have the edging repaired / replaced by a tradesman who specialises in this era of property and type of window edging? Does such a service even exist?

We're about to have the front door replaced (but not the frame) and were wondering if we should get the joiner to clean up and remove the concrete edging.


Thanks in advance!

 

[JohnD]

I think it will originally have had wooden architrave, which has rotted and been patched up with mortar.

Wood will rot when it gets wet, especially at the bottom near the doorstep or ground.

If you replace it, treat the new timber with wood preservative generously, and stand the ends in a pot of it overnight.

If you are a vandal, you can use plastic.