Charming period property with Victorian sash windows off Mill Road in Cambridge required some repair work. Many years ago, we helped homeowners with some exterior painting. We were thrilled to hear from them after so many years. Clients wanted us to repair sash windows and re-decorate them.
Most of the traditional sash windows were showing signs of timber frame decay. The surfaces became uneven, with soft patches of rotten wooden frames here and there.
The first step of the preparation was to sand down and scrape off the old paint. It helped uncover decaying wood and prepare new solid timber.
We did this project many years ago. Since then we have improved and redeveloped our window restoration method a number of times.
Please follow the link for the most recent sash window repair method.
Almost every time we repair wooden windows, we must deal with loose and broken putty. While many companies stick to the traditional putty made of finely ground chalk and linseed oil, we replace it with resin epoxy wood filler.
It is flexible (which means it will follow the wood expanding and shrinking with the change of seasons), dries within a few hours and is perfect for creating beautiful angles between glass and window panes.
Epoxy filler, if applied correctly, will not crack, unlike traditional putty. Therefore it will protect the wood from moisture getting in. We find it miles better than traditional glazing putty.
Once the decayed wood has been cut out, the affected areas are treated with wood hardener and repaired with epoxy filler and the super durable Accoya wood; we start masking the areas surrounding the windows to spray paint them.
Thanks to paint spraying, the whole job is done faster than it would have been done if painting with brushes.
And that’s with highly meticulous preparation and full attention to tiny details like straight lines of the paint edges, smooth surfaces of the painted wood, no splashes on the surrounding areas, and no dust or mess left around the house.
The original sash window is restored, the surfaces are properly sanded with powerful orbital sanders, and the windows are skillfully painted with paint sprayers. The job is done, and the clients are pleased with the results.
