Advice on preparing window frames for painting, please!

[CatherineB]

I need to get our windows cleaned and painted inside, before we have the secondary double glazing fitted in 4 weeks time.

They are currently painted in white gloss, which covers several under layers. If I can't get our pet decorators in time, or they are too expensive, I will be DIYing, and would appreciate a little advice.

While undecided about the ultimate colour of the windows, for now we will paint them white again, although our preference would be for satinwood rather than gloss.

Questions about preparation:

1) Presumably I need to sand the gloss so that the new coat will "take". How much do I need to sand it, and what grade of sandpaper is best?

2) I presume sanding by hand is best for window frames, rather than with a machine? - they have lots of ins & outs (technical term escapes me right now).

3) Where they are already peeled down to the wood, or sanding makes that happen, presumably I will need to prime, undercoat, and then top coat? And where the existing coverage is good, can I just top coat, or is it best to do the three coats regardless?

Sorry, amateur questions, I know, and I'm sure the answers are on the forum somewhere already :roll:

PS - how long should it take to paint 24 sash windows (inside only)?! (piece of string, anyone?) :lol:

 

[Nigel Watts]

Give the paintwork a good wash first with sugar soap solution. I would use a fine sandpaper and yes, by hand is best. If you wrap the sandpaper round pieces of wood or cork blocks it can make it easier.

Paint formulations have changed quite a bit in recent years. I have a good trade decorating supplier near me who can answer questions such as yours about whether you can apply new paint straight onto old. If you have something similar I suggest you ask their advice. In the past I would have undercoated first.

If you are not sure what colour you ultimately want to paint the windows but want to smarten them up for the time being why not just apply some oil-based white undercoat? This will provide a perfect base for whatever you decide later.

Personally I find Satinwood a bit too shiny. Eggshell has a nicer finish in my opinion but is a little more work to apply. Try to avoid Brilliant White. Straight white is better, off white even more so. Bare wood should be primed.

 

[CatherineB]

Thanks Nigel, I think the suggestion of undercoating it all might be a very good one. I presume, for the bits inside the windows and likely to stay white, I will still need to topcoat them, they can't stay undercoated for ever?!

I will indeed sugar soap, I have some of that in stock at least!

 

[Nigel Watts]

White undercoat is not dissimilar to flat white and could be left for quite a while without overcoating it.

 

[CatherineB]

Nigel - [kissing smilie] !