Painting old wooden windows

[Tiggsy]

My front bay window is the only one in the house not double glazed (and will be DG within a year or so)...but for now the 30 year old paint is flaking off.

My plan was.....scrape of the old paint, bit of putty round the windows where bits have fallen out. Undercoat, gloss...job done.

Should it be as simple as that?

[B17NNS]

Yep, if all you are after is a quick tidy up before replacement.

[Tiggsy]

Perfect - just needs to last till next spring...but looking a bit tatty right now.

[Simpo Two]

DG it now and save the trouble...

[Tiggsy]

spare cash going on car deposit...windows can wait

[Merlot]

Similar to the OP, but I want it to last a few years:

All windows are wooden sash. There are some areas of rot on the windows. Paint job when last done by previous owner was very poor and the windows are looking a bit sorry for themselves.

I would like to have a go at some restoration work myself.

Based on my research, and coupled with what I've been told to do I've come up with the following:

1/ Sand down the windows to remove as much old paint as possible.
2/ Remove areas of rotten wood using screwdriver/Dremel tool.
3/ Treat the areas where wood-rot has occured and been removed.
4/ Use wood-filler/epoxy to fill in the removed rotten areas.
5/ Sand down once dry to leave a surface ready for priming.
6/ Use a good quality primer/undercoat (The brand 'International' has been mentioned more than once)
7/ Use a good quality topcoat - take a lot of time and don't rush.

If anyone can add or comment on the above I'd be grateful, I'd like to do a good job!

I have four very large sash windows, a large non-opening window and two small windows to do. Good job I have 6 weeks off in the summer !

[Simpo Two]

Looks good to me, but would add:

Merlot said:

1/ Sand down the windows to remove as much old paint as possible.

If possible, slide a knife under it and if the wood is rotten underneath it will just lift off. Much easier than sanding. Then use sandpaper once you get to sound areas to feather the paint edge and provide a key for the next coat of paint.

Merlot said:

2/ Remove areas of rotten wood using screwdriver/Dremel tool.

Or chop them back to good wood with a hammer and small chisel.

Merlot said:

I have four very large sash windows, a large non-opening window and two small windows to do.

Rather you than me matey!

[Merlot]

Simpo Two said:

Looks good to me, but would add:

Merlot said:

1/ Sand down the windows to remove as much old paint as possible.

If possible, slide a knife under it and if the wood is rotten underneath it will just lift off. Much easier than sanding. Then use sandpaper once you get to sound areas to feather the paint edge and provide a key for the next coat of paint.

Merlot said:

2/ Remove areas of rotten wood using screwdriver/Dremel tool.

Or chop them back to good wood with a hammer and small chisel.

Merlot said:

I have four very large sash windows, a large non-opening window and two small windows to do.

Rather you than me matey!

Thanks Simpo, great advice. I am not doing all the windows at once, going to work on the smallest and work up. I have two weeks at easter, a week in June and six weeks over the summer so have time on my side!

Do you have any recommendations for products to use? I was going to use Ronseal Wood Hardener to prep the cut area for filling and use Ronseal Wood Filler to er.. fill. Not sure if there are better products on the market though?

[Simpo Two]

Merlot said:

Do you have any recommendations for products to use? I was going to use Ronseal Wood Hardener to prep the cut area for filling and use Ronseal Wood Filler to er.. fill. Not sure if there are better products on the market though?

I've only had to fix rotten window frames once but found Ronseal wood hardener very effective - it's watery and blue in colour, but works. Then I'd suggest you stay with the same brand for the filler because it's designed to stick to the first product. Or for large areas, you could consider letting in a new piece of wood.

On my current house the original windows had a stained softwood frame and the panes were held in with a large fillet of putty. After a very few years this cracked up and let water get down the back. It was a simple and cheap repair to replace the putty with a hardwood moulding, fixed with sealant. Mind you the rest of the window structure was so crap that I've now replaced all but two with PVC DG units. I love wood but have to say that for outdoors, plastic makes much more sense.

[Wings]

Merlot said:

Simpo Two said:

Looks good to me, but would add:

Merlot said:

1/ Sand down the windows to remove as much old paint as possible.

If possible, slide a knife under it and if the wood is rotten underneath it will just lift off. Much easier than sanding. Then use sandpaper once you get to sound areas to feather the paint edge and provide a key for the next coat of paint.

Merlot said:

2/ Remove areas of rotten wood using screwdriver/Dremel tool.

Or chop them back to good wood with a hammer and small chisel.

Merlot said:

I have four very large sash windows, a large non-opening window and two small windows to do.

Rather you than me matey!

Thanks Simpo, great advice. I am not doing all the windows at once, going to work on the smallest and work up. I have two weeks at easter, a week in June and six weeks over the summer so have time on my side!

Do you have any recommendations for products to use? I was going to use Ronseal Wood Hardener to prep the cut area for filling and use Ronseal Wood Filler to er.. fill. Not sure if there are better products on the market though?

I rather like car filler, well you never see it fall off cars do you?

If directly facing sun, then prime with aluminium primer.

[Simpo Two]

Wings said:

I rather like car filler, well you never see it fall off cars do you?

Indeed, a miserly friend of mine has most of his house held together with car body filler!

The only drawback I can think of is that it sets very hard, so might be difficult to sand flat if you have wood on either side. But if you shape it correctly before it sets (a licked butter knife is one of my favourite tools), a good alternative IMHO.

[Wings]

Simpo Two said:

Wings said:

I rather like car filler, well you never see it fall off cars do you?

Indeed, a miserly friend of mine has most of his house held together with car body filler!

The only drawback I can think of is that it sets very hard, so might be difficult to sand flat if you have wood on either side. But if you shape it correctly before it sets (a licked butter knife is one of my favourite tools), a good alternative IMHO.

Agree, so what I do with all fillers, is just before the filler sets, I smooth over the surface with a damp sponge or trowel.

[Four Cofffee]

Merlot said:

Similar to the OP, but I want it to last a few years:

All windows are wooden sash. There are some areas of rot on the windows. Paint job when last done by previous owner was very poor and the windows are looking a bit sorry for themselves.

I would like to have a go at some restoration work myself.

Based on my research, and coupled with what I've been told to do I've come up with the following:

1/ Sand down the windows to remove as much old paint as possible.
2/ Remove areas of rotten wood using screwdriver/Dremel tool.
3/ Treat the areas where wood-rot has occured and been removed.
4/ Use wood-filler/epoxy to fill in the removed rotten areas.
5/ Sand down once dry to leave a surface ready for priming.
6/ Use a good quality primer/undercoat (The brand 'International' has been mentioned more than once)
7/ Use a good quality topcoat - take a lot of time and don't rush.

If anyone can add or comment on the above I'd be grateful, I'd like to do a good job!

I have four very large sash windows, a large non-opening window and two small windows to do. Good job I have 6 weeks off in the summer !

I did the old sash windows in the last house. I stripped the horizontal surfaces back to the bare wood, soaked several times over a week in a timber treatment, drilled and popped in the timber treatment pellets and then primed and painted. Some of the sills were completely shot with rot so I chiselled it out, treated and filled it then put a new sill on top (again treated, primed and top coated). I drove passed the other day (8 years on) and they looked in fine fettle.