Farmhouse window paint

beltbreaker

Member
Location
Ross-shire
Lucky enough to live in a big old farmhouse unlucky enough to be B listed. We generally have 2 painters here doing the windows for 3 weeks every 5 years painting the sash in case windows. Costs about 4-5 grand every 5 years.

Question is does anyone know of better quality paints which we could trial to see if it lasts longer.

Cheers BB
 

beltbreaker

Member
Location
Ross-shire
From memory we are using Leyland paint as supplied by the painter. It's OK on the south and East of the house but the West and North take a real pounding. It flakes off showing the wood. Approx 45 windows so approx 180-200 panes. Was all done from ladder but H&S dictate scaffolding now so bought some Aluminum stuff.

Cheers BB
 
From memory we are using Leyland paint as supplied by the painter. It's OK on the south and East of the house but the West and North take a real pounding. It flakes off showing the wood. Approx 45 windows so approx 180-200 panes. Was all done from ladder but H&S dictate scaffolding now so bought some Aluminum stuff.

Cheers BB

I have found the Dulux/Sandtex 10 year stuff good. Though its around £20 for 750ml. Not very cheap compared to Leyland and the like (I won't use johnstones/leyland stuff now - even their emulsions need more coats than a good quality dulux one)

Often you get offers in B and Q/ homebase etc. 2 for 1
 

renewablejohn

Member
Location
lancs
Try the linseed based paint.

Harder to apply but we find it lasts very well. Does not peel.

Our conservation officer insisted on linseed oil based paint for our wooden gutters and it lasts very well but is sooooo expensive. Ours was from Holker paints but make sure you mix in the fungicide as without it fungus will feed on the linseed.
 

Jerry

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Devon
Our conservation officer insisted on linseed oil based paint for our wooden gutters and it lasts very well but is sooooo expensive. Ours was from Holker paints but make sure you mix in the fungicide as without it fungus will feed on the linseed.

True. And painters don't like as much as slower going on.
 
Location
Suffolk
I had 40 properties to look after in a past life, some listed. I inherited some real horrors and over a period of time got the painting to last four years on the South elevations. I had a team of tradesmen working from April onwards doing the repairs and painting programme + myself when I had time on smaller jobs. I trialled several systems.
There is no substitute for quality in the long run.

You could break the timescale into two sections if it is £'s you are worried about. Do the South and West elevations every four years and the North and East every five/six.
Do you have a painting clause in your tenancy/lease? I would imagine so and these usually have a timescale. I never liked to go over four years. The main reason was that tenants nearly always skimped on painting resulting in a deteriorating condition over time of the very timbers they were supposed to be preserving!

A quality Yacht two pack on good timber will last seven years (Hempel/Blakes, International Paint.) These are worth considering, particularly on large surface areas like doors, decorative gable timbers (must be in good order though) and panelling. (NOT PLYWOOD!)
A quality water based system is now not far behind the two pack. Dulux being one manufacturer. There are several other well known manufacturers offering these.
Sikkens paint is good too if you want an oil based type. They have a range to cover (excuse the pun) everything.
Don't try to keep paint on hardwood window cills, Don't paint over rotten timber.

There are now some superb epoxy repair products specifically aimed at window & frame repairs. You have to posess a good tool kit and some carpentry skills to make the best of these but they are pretty bullet proof.
I use the West System as I'm into wooden boats and have the resin & etc in my work-shop.

If your sashes are fitted correctly the majority of the woodwork is in behind the masonry as this is how they were intended to be fitted so little of the frame showed. The worst problem with sash windows is that they are fitted from the inside in a rebate making good repairs difficult because of access. Their design is chunky because of the pockets that hold the counter-weights. They usually rot at the junction between the parting bead at the bottom and this rot goes on into the cill, and in the corners of the sashes themselves. The sashes are easy to repair as they can be taken out quite quickly and this is also an opportunity to replace the sash cord. Parting bead is still readily available. Repairing the pockets & outer lining takes time and that costs £'s !
SS
Sash_diagram.JPG
 
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renewablejohn

Member
Location
lancs
Just putting in new windows in my grade 2 farmhouse. All the old part is glass direct into the stone mullions so no frames to worry about. The newer parts we have to distinguish from the old so will be oak frames which we want to keep as natural looking as possible. It has been suggested the oak is protected by Osmo so has anyone used it and is it any good. Where a very exposed hill top site so dont even know which product would be the most appropriate.
 
Just putting in new windows in my grade 2 farmhouse. All the old part is glass direct into the stone mullions so no frames to worry about. The newer parts we have to distinguish from the old so will be oak frames which we want to keep as natural looking as possible. It has been suggested the oak is protected by Osmo so has anyone used it and is it any good. Where a very exposed hill top site so dont even know which product would be the most appropriate.

Osmo is good stuff. All the breathable oils are good but have pros and cons eg linseed oil, tung oil, Danish oil, fiddes stuff. I think osmo is a soybean oil.

The best way of keeping wood to last is a breathable paint not one that creates a film to keep water out which can crack and let water in but not out
 

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