Stripping wooden windows

[trotter]

Just acquired a Vitorian property. The windows aren't in fantastic nick but then again, they could be worse. There are patches of flaking paint etc and they need re-puttying and repainting, basically

2 questions -

1) Could someone with no experience like me re-putty them? Sounds reasonably straight forward, chip out the old putty, apply linseed oil to any bare wood and apply new?

2) I'm thinking about heat gun for stripping them, but am torn between this and using chemical stripper. Worried about lead and breaking the glass with the heat gun. Worried Chemical stripper might be arduous as I expect to encounter a few coats

Any thoughts before I set sail for DIY hell?

Much appreciated

 

[breezer]

i would suggest heat gun and scrapper to stip the windows to bare wood

just dont point it at the glass

 

[biffvernon]

Strippers of Sudbury is the firm with really helpful advice.

 

[trotter]

Thank you very much for the replies

 

[oilman]

If you are going to take out the old putty, you could try Setting up a router to do it, just skimming the wood. If you have bare wood where the putty will go, you need to paint on a coat of shellac to stop the oil being dragged out og the putty.

Are you going to use linseed oil paint?

 

[trotter]

If you are going to take out the old putty, you could try Setting up a router to do it, just skimming the wood. If you have bare wood where the putty will go, you need to paint on a coat of shellac to stop the oil being dragged out og the putty.

Are you going to use linseed oil paint?

I might well do, would you recommend it?

Would you use linseed oil AND shellac on the bare wood before puttying / painting? Or is it a case of choosing one for the job?

And does this affect the paint I should use?

 

[philrosenberg]

Slightly different but we've recently been stripping doorframes of umpteen layers of gloss. After many long days using chemicals, we actually found that the easiest way to do it was to scrape it with a chissel, Hold the chisel bevelled face up with the handle a bit lower than the edge and scrape downwards - a bit like when you used a scissor blade to curl paper or ribbon in craft classes at school (if you remembe back that far )
I guess be carefull with the glass and leading though

 

[oilman]

I like linseed oil paint.

You only need shellac before putty.

Alkyd paints are too hard for wood, linseed paint is softer so moves with the wood.

 

[trotter]

I've had a sand of the windows, there is probably only one layer of paint and they sand back fairly easily to wood

I want to repaint them white

Would it be ok to sand them so they are smooth (existing paint is awful, chipped and very bad brush strokes)

Then re-paint after painting primer over all bare wood?

What I'm really saying is: do I need to get back to wood everywhere or can I sand them smooth and prime where wood is exposed...but where wood isn't exposed, simply repaint after I've primed the bare stuff?

 

[joe-90]

Just sand them smooth and then apply a coat of primer - then undercoat. Undercoat is the secret to a good job. Undercoat and sand lightly. Then topcoat.

 

[noseall]

1) Could someone with no experience like me re-putty them? Sounds reasonably straight forward, chip out the old putty, apply linseed oil to any bare wood and apply new?


Any thoughts before I set sail for DIY hell?

Much appreciated

beware the little sprigs or brads that will be pinning the glass in place. strike one of these whilst removing the old putty and you may crack the glass.

 

[trotter]

Again, thanks for the replies...very, very grateful...

 

[trotter]

Just sand them smooth and then apply a coat of primer - then undercoat. Undercoat is the secret to a good job. Undercoat and sand lightly. Then topcoat.

Joe (or anyone)

I've bought Dulux primer and undercoat, the Dulux gloss though takes 16 hours to dry - too long I'm afraid, especially in this weather.

The quick drying gloss says it needs no undercoat - but I assume you CAN undercoat and it's better to do so?

Any advice warmly welcomed !!

 

[Thermo]

dulux do a trade exterior system. the undercoat is latex and then the top coat. lasts very well and gives a good finish

 

[JohnD]

This is the wrong time of year for painting external joinery.

I suppose you could take the casements (or sashes) off and bring them inside to dry out for painting... you will be able to paint the frames better that way too