Professional Sash Window Painters in London.
Sash Window Repair London

Sash windows are one of the finest examples of British heritage. They can last for a very long time if, of course, maintained regularly. Some people will attempt to do it themselves, but honestly, it’s a very responsible and time-consuming job. Maybe this is why most people will leave it to professionals like LGC, who specialise in sash window repair in London. We are Exterior Painters in London, after all. 

If a wooden a window is prepared and painted correctly, it will last over five years, maybe even ten.

Some will say that it’s not true, but we can argue…

First things first!

Sash Window Repair and Painting – Preparation:

Small, awkward bits to sash wooden windows can be tricky to reach when sanding, but effort should be made to the whole surface area without leaving the tiniest places where the water could penetrate. This is the key phase. Sometimes, it’s worth taking the beading off and removing the top and bottom parts from the frame to get the best results and make them open and close again. Sash window repair specialists and painters London should make the extra effort when removing old paint and strip the whole window frame if necessary, without leaving any flaking paint, which will cause the paint to fail much sooner than you would want. If there are any rotten parts to the wooden window, then this should be replaced or scraped out as much as possible. Rotten parts should be painted with special primer/hardener for the best results. Only then then window can be filled using two-part wood filler, or, for the best results, the window care system Dryflex. To achieve  the best finish, both parts of the sash window should be removed, including the parting bead and staff bead , then stripped of paint completely. Don’t forget  the box frame itself. Once this is done, you can move to the next step, which is filling. For all  wooden windows, always use the right filler. Don’t ever use powder fillers! To get the windows to work right and to last for a very long time, you need to spend some time on every detail, and every part should be appropriately prepared. Sash window repair is not easy, so anyone who wants to do it themselves should be ready for a lot of hard work. Once all wooden window repairs are completed, all the loose paint is either scraped out or stripped completely, then filled, and the whole wooden window surface is sanded thoroughly; only then you can you move on to the next step, which is painting.

Sash Window Repair and Painting:

By now, you should have your window ready for painting. Wooden window sashes are either put back in the box frame,  or, if you have enough space and time, you can paint them while they are taken out. Make sure not to apply too much paint to the inside of the frame, as this will make the whole sliding space smaller and, after some time, might cause the wooden window to jam; for the best results, leave the inside frame in primer. Only the bottom 20 centimetres should be painted in either gloss or satinwood. It would help if you start painting from the frame and then move to the sashes themselves. Painting windows this way will give you more control over the thickness of paint applied to the edges. Be careful when painting around the glass, and don’t paint on it. For the best wood protection, you should only paint 1mm-2mm of the glass edge. If this is done from both sides, you won’t see any paint on the glass and the wood will be protected from the elements. The wooden window will look beautiful and will last for longer compared to those that have been painted to the edge of the glass only. Good window painters and decorators will never paint on the glass further than 2-3 millimetres. Masking tapes can also be used, but make sure they are the good quality. For the best results, always use the wood primer first. Nowadays, there are so many different paints to choose from that most people will get confused over what is good and what is evil.

The primer-undercoat-gloss system is OK, but we recommend using, Benjamin Moore exterior paints, Johnstone aqua undercoat and gloss/satinwood or Sadolin Superdec Opaque water-based paint. These paints, from experience, will last a lot longer than oil-based paints. Remember to use at least two coats on top of your primer for the best results. And never shut the windows before they are dry. Slide them up and down every half an hour until the wooden windows have dried completely. If you are happy to prepare and paint the windows yourselves, then be ready for a long but rewarding work. If you want a fast but professional finish, you should consider spending from £250 to £1000 per window and get the professional window painters in London to do the job.

Wooden window cleaning:

After your wooden sash windows have been painted and they had a chance to dry, you can scrape off any paint marks from the glass using a glass scraper. But be very gentle and don’t rush. You don’t want to damage the glass at the very end. Use the frame sealant or silicone on external parts of the frame where it meets the concrete. A nice thin line will protect the wooden frame from any water getting inside.

For wooden window repairs and painting, you will need the following:

• scrappers;
• filling knives;
• sandpaper;
• electrical sander for the best results;
• wood hardener;
• right wood fillers;
• primer;
• undercoat and top coat either gloss;
• satinwood or eggshell;
• glass scraper;
• some glass cleaner and some paper towels.

We have explained what needs to be done and how it should be done. Now, you can decide whether to hire the right painters and decorators to repair and paint your windows or roll up your sleeves and paint them yourself.

Good luck. We hope you will find it too hard, so LGC Decorators will be your choice for the painting and repairs.

Team LGC Decorators Ltd