Wooden windows renovation – step by step
How to renew and paint old wooden windows?
Peeling paint, fraying and cracked surface on old wooden windows not only looks unsightly, but also threaten the wood in which water can penetrate. As a result, leaks develop and window frames are warped. Wooden windows have the advantage over plastic windows that they can be renovated.
How do you remove the old paint?
A flaky or cracked coat of paint is not a good foundation for a new layer, so the first step is to remove it. The easiest way that we can do on our own is to tear off the old shell. This requires the use of specialized paint strippers. Preparations for removing paint can be found in every store with construction chemicals or a DIY store. These are usually substances that are not dripping due to the gel formula, which are applied with the brush on the renewed surface to a thickness of 2-3 mm. When choosing a remover to remove old coatings, pay attention to the label. The preparation must not contain acids that react with wood – it is supposed to remove the paint, but not to harm the raw material. The agent is left on the surface from a few to 30 minutes, depending on the number of layers of the old coating removed. After a short time you can already see the action of the substance – the coating will start to thicken and heavily flake. After the required time, the softened layer of the preparation is easily removed with a spatula. Another way to remove the old coating is to use a heat gun with properly selected tips. They will allow you to direct the hot air only to the element from which you remove the paint. It is mainly about protecting the glass from heating up, which could lead to its cracking. When the bubbles appear on the window frame, we can collect the paint with a spatula.
What if there are cavities?
Old windows may have deeper scratches, defects or even damage on the frame. Before painting, it is necessary to fill them with a wood putty. Apply the putty on a clean and dust-free substrate with ordinary putty or a special trowel, with a side cut, which can be used to collect the excess of the preparation immediately. We compress the mass strongly – one layer should not be thicker than 4 mm. Therefore, if the defects are bigger, sometimes more layers will be needed, which are applied after the previous one has been hardened.
Surface grinding
The next step is to obtain a smooth surface for painting. We use sandpaper for surface grinding, and in the corners when the frame and glass are connected – an abrasive sponge that reaches all nooks and crannies. When the surface is smooth, carefully remove it, wash and let it dry.
What paint to paint window frames?
To save the wood grains, it is worth using a varnish. It is available in many colors of natural wood, and the surface gives a delicate shine. Old wooden windows should be better covered with covering paint, which masks the imperfections of the surface. Wood emulsions are available in many – not only wood-like – colors. It is worth remembering that when painting putty and frames, the paint should cover about 1 mm of glass. In this way, a protective layer will be created to prevent the penetration of water between the glass and the putty.
