Decorating

An easy guide to painting your sash windows

Be sure to start this job early on a sunny day so as to allow time to dry!

Cleaning / preparation

Start by protecting your surfaces with pollythene lined cotton dust sheets to avoid any accidents.
All paintwork must be washed with a sponge and sugar soap to remove any grease, dirt or dust prior to decorating as you may find flaking paint later on. Wash the paintwork thoroughly but do not soak the wood as it needs to be dry before you apply paint.

Preparation / sanding

Give any surfaces that are to be painted a good rub down with medium grit sandpaper but make sure you use a good quality dust mask as some old paints may contain lead? You may want to use a sanding block as well. Make sure all surfaces are nice and smooth ready to accept the new paint (try not to scratch the glass). Any bare timber or defects will need to be touched up with undercoat prior to decorating.

Masking the glass

Using a good quality masking tape, mask around the glass close to the timber not quite touching it, so leave no more than 2mm away from the timber.

Begin painting

Painting a timber sash window is tricky but the key is in moving the sashes as you go. It will be easier with a set of good quality sash brushes. Start by raising the bottom sash, and lowering the top sash, bringing the top sash underneath the bottom sash. Start painting in the middle first Using nice smooth strokes and then move onto the side-rails.

Now push down the bottom sash and pull up the top sash. This will leave all of the unpainted areas exposed these can now be touched in to the other paintwork.

If you are going to paint the sill leave this until last as you may drip paint on it.

Very careful as not to apply paint to the brushes in the sash window draught proofing system (If fitted), as the paint can stop the brushes from working correctly.

We can offer a full decorating service if you prefer, please contact us for a free Quotation.

Drying & finishing

Leave the sashes in this position until the paint is touch dry and then carefully remove the masking tape nice and slowly Finally, use a bladed paint scraper but make sure there are no kinks in it as these can scratch the glass.

An Article from the Telegraphs website;

https://pembrokenash.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/An-Article-form-the-TELEGRAPHS-website.pdf

Contact us for a FREE quotation or Survey – CLICK HERE