Make the most of the spring weather and freshen up your wooden windows and doors

Teknos GBI

It’s that time of year where we can finally open our windows and fill our homes with fresh air. That makes it the perfect time to revamp wooden windows. Redecorating projects shouldn’t be rushed so start early in the morning, on a nice day, as you’ll need to leave the windows open for most of the day.

Essential equipment

  • You don’t need much but it’s important to use quality products to achieve a quality finish.
  • Sand paper – ideally grit 60 or 80 (to start) and grit 120 (to finish)
  • Sponge and warm water
  • A good quality long haired synthetic paint brush
  • Futura Aqua 40 or 80 exterior wooden paint (depending on the gloss level required) 

Other equipment

Depending on the state of your windows, choice of new colour and number of previous coatings applied, you may also need some additional equipment such as:

Paint stripper – if your windows have been previously redecorated and the layers of paint are really thick you may need to use paint stripper before the sanding process.

Futura Aqua 3 adhesion primer – if you are applying a drastic colour change we advise applying a primer before your topcoat. Also, if you are redecorating the exterior of your windows then a primer will help to further protect the wood against the elements. 

Method

First sand down your windows to achieve a smooth finish and remove any flaking paint. Because of the groves and corners on windows, we recommend doing this by hand for the best results.

Clean the windows with a sponge and warm water to ensure they are free from dust and grease. Leave to dry thoroughly. 

Thoroughly wet your paint brush ensuring that the base of the brush (the heel of the brush) is fully wetted.

Load the paint generously and disperse quickly over the surface. Even our the coating with light diagonal cross strokes but do not overbrush as the coating will flow and level naturally. 

Finish with light brush strokes in the direction of the grain.

Apply and finish each section systematically. This means painting your window or door one component at a time. For example, paint the top rail, followed by the stile, followed by the bottom rail.

Avoid painting in humid weather as this will prolong the drying process and try to avoid painting in direct sunlight as well.

Once finished, wash out brushes in warm soapy water. And dry brushes thoroughly.