More on house painting - windows

In today's post relating to house painting I'll give some detail on painting timber windows or painting joinery.

This has to be the single most expensive and important part of your house when it comes to painting, maintenance, insulation, noise control. Windows are also the most common point of entry, not only for thieves, but for water as well!

If you are like me, and own a house built before the 1970's, or if you just like the look and feel of timber joinery you will be facing regular maintenance if you want to keep on top of any issues.

In your house painting schedule you may want to tackle the windows twice as often as the  rest of the house. Your joinery will need more care as they attract moisture due to condensation and due to the many angles and faces will be harder on your painting and decorating efforts.

Before you start painting

First thing to do is to check to see if there is any place where water can get in and fill using the appropriate Selleys product such as No More gaps or Permafill. Check your flashings for rust and architraves for rot. If you are unsure ask your house painter or building maintenance specialist. You can give us a call at Banks Building. Before you start painting, make sure all your opening sashes are not touching on closing as this will cause them to stick when the paint dries.

Choosing paint

Choose a light colour as darker colours will attract more heat from the sun and need more maintenance. High gloss paints are the best as they have less surface area creating a stronger chemical bond between the timber and the paint. However, when you use high gloss paint, extra preparation will be required to achieve a good looking finish on your painting and decorating project.

Repairing windows

Next get your window putty replaced by a professional if it is falling out. Then scrape and fill as per normal painting preparation. Now is the time to repair any cracked window panes and rusty hinges. If repairing windows looks a bit daunting, give us a call at Banks Building. Go the extra mile and get thicker laminated glass and stainless steel hardware, its worth the small extra expense. If you are considering any draft prevention get a quote and advice from your maintenance professional at this stage. I'll cover this area in a later post.

Final tips on painting windows

1. Remember; the extra preparation now will save you thousands of dollars in the future and will give you a longer lasting result on your painting and decorating project. 
2. Use only high quality paints and fillers such as Dulux, Resene and Selleys brands they are worth every cent in the long run.
3. To finish use oil based undercoats and acrylic enamel topcoats, lighter colours may require 3 coats.

Well that's all, till next time
Have a great weekend
Andre