Wooden Window Work - maintanence.

[Mr. Tickle]

Hello Board!

We live in a 7 year old house with wooden window frames + double glazing.

They need some attention - bringing them back to top condition really.

Some of the parts just need sanding down, priming and painting. I am going to replace the draught excluding foam that is stuck around the frames. Our clever pre-owners painted over it. It needs pulling off, cleaning up of the goo and then sanding etc.

Some of the frames have bits of wood that look really bad and will need replacing. I've not done window work before - i've kind of been building up DIY jobs and this is the biggest i've done i think so far - so i'm trying to plan through and need some advice.

The sealant and putty stuff that's between the window frame and glass - it's all black, should i cut/scrape it out and replace?

Where is a good place to get the replacement wood strips from and what sort of wood do I need? Will i have to make this profile myself?

Is it safe to pull them out - how is the glass held in?

What sort of filler do i need - will just any outdoor wood stuff do?

What primer is the best to use? I've seen some plastic feeling stuff on half-done windows i passed in the street - what is that stuff?? Is it worth using?

Can i use any outdoor wood paint or is there a difference (a worthwhile one) between brands?

Thanks for any help you can give, any advice you might have on the above.

I have the small kitchen window to do first and then the bedroom windows which are bigger and higher - so i'd like to get this done first.

Cheers.

Mr. T.

 

[Mr. Tickle]

hi board,

Some advice on the paint would be great!

 

[JohnD]

You have a sackful of questions there. I'll comment on a few:

Don't use the foam draft excluder. After you've scraped and sanded it off and repainted, give the paint a few days to dry then apply the extruded synthetic soft rubber stuff. "E" section is good. Available usually in white or brown. Lasts much longer. If you apply it while the paint is still soft it will stick extremely well.

Sort out your wood first. I think you are talking about beading. A timber merchant will have it. Try to take a sample of your old stuff. Get hardwood where you can, it will last longer.

personally I always give all timber a couple of wet coats of Cuprinol Clear and let it dry before painting. It prevents future decay.

Sand off all cracked, peeling or blobby paint back to the wood.

Aluminium wood primers are good for weather resistance but try to stick to a single brand for your primer/undercoat/topcoat.

Water-based acrylic primer/undercoat is quick to use internally, but not good for outdoors as you need good weather resistance.

 

[Mr. Tickle]

Brilliant!

Thanks John, will do.

Mr. T.

 

[JohnD]

have edited some more comments in - see above.

With luck someone will comment on the putty/sealer - it should not be black unless it has mildew. Putty should be painted and will crack with age, but there are more modern flexible glazing compounds available.

 

[Mr. Tickle]

Appreciate the help John.

I've got a bit of the wood surround that i can take - it's been pin nailed into the surround and has split at the point the nail was driven in.

There isn't any putty in the windows at all - not like 'regular' windows, where a big bead of putty runs around the glass part to hold it in. These are what the wood runners/beading is for - as you suggest.

Do i need to specify a hard wood or will the merchant pick the best one for the application? Will any hardwood do?

Thank you for the tip on Cuprinol Clear - it's the 'low odour wood preserver' stuff, yes?

I don't have a webspace to upload images to, or it would be easier to describe it!

Am i best off trying to source this from a local paint shop or will B&Q be a good bet? I've not heard of Aluminium paint before.

So, you suggest i...

Prep, Cuprinol Preserve, Cuprinol Primer, C. Undercoat, C. Topcoat?

or would that be.. Prep, Preserve, Undercoat, Topcoat?

Thanks again!

 

[JohnD]

Once the Cuprinol preserver is dry you can use any paint brand. Start with primer.

A big timber merchant will have a vast variety, tell him you'd prefer hardwood beading but if you get a wrinkly and experienced old buffer he will probably have good advice for you. Use a thicker one if it will fit neatly - you don't have to worry about saving a few pence.

To avoid thin sections splitting, either drill a pilot hole; or blunt the nails by banging them on a piece of steel first.

Edited:
You can upload your own pics to http://photobucket.com/[/i]

Edit again:
You might get better response if you submit a single question with the heading "Window Beading and Glazing Compound" about the best stuff to use, and how best to apply it. I'm no expert. And a separate one about paint systems for wooden window frames.

 

[Mr. Tickle]

Hi!

Here's the image i have so far.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k285/MrTickleBucket/KitchenWinOutTop.jpg

The red cross i marked shows the nail head - the wooden beading above it has been pulled out. It was already broken, i assume it was done at the point of installation. I can use this piece to show a timber merchant.

Thanks for your input John, much appreciated.