Linseed Oil Paint getting very dirty

[Anonymous]

Used linseed oil paint last summer on stripped window right next to the road. A heat gun was used to assist penetrate of the oil into the wood and the paint seemed to be dry between appliacations. However it is now getting very dirty and seems much more difficult to keep clean then the adjacent window which is still painted with the previous owners modern gloss. We really are not fanatical cleaners but it doesn't look very attractive.

We live in a working village with a large dairy herd passing right next to the house several times daily which is only making it worse.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with Linseed Oil Paint or have I done something incorrectly. I presume that maybe the paint has somehow not dried properly. Any suggestions how to clean or remove the dirt.

I had hoped to use Linseed Oil Paint on several other windows (all of them eventually) both internally as well as external but am having some reservations after the above experience.

Any thoughts or suggestions

 

[Anonymous]

Contact Holkham Linseed Paints for advice.

http://www.holkham.co.uk

Jocelyn

 

[Anonymous]

We bought the paint from Holkham after reading the various recommendations here on PP.

Is our experience with Linseed Oil Paint being a bit of a "magnet" for dirt unique.

I would be prepared to try it again on the next sash being overhauled at the other cleaner, garden side of the house but my better half is, understandably, really not impressed by the initial experience and is taking a lot of convincing that this is indeed the right route to go down ...

 

[Anonymous]

Using a heat gun on the oil sounds a bit drastic. I wonder if a bit of rapid oxidation might have discoloured the oil? It's white paint is it?
Definately give Holkham Paints a call - they are the guys that know.

 

[Anonymous]

The heat gun was only used lightly as suggested in the Holkham application instructions at the initial priming stage - warming the oil a little to improve initial penetrate of the oil into the wood.

The paint is Old White colour which we are quite happy with. Just can't see very much of if beneath this layer of permanent ? dust on most of the surface.

I presume our experience is unusual, and this part of the house is right next to the road with all the farm traffic.

Has anyone here successfully used Linseed Oil Paint on internal window surfaces ? In principal I would like to do this next if I can persuade my wife the above experience wasn't typical.

Will give Holham another call as well

 

[Anonymous]

Have you tried wiping it over with liquid linseed oil? That suggestion is not based on any kind of knowledge - it's just an idea. It might soften the surface of the paint sufficient to allow the dirt to be wiped off.
Let us know how you get on.

 

[Anonymous]

I try to be as environmentally aware and active as I possibly can and for as long as I can remember have really appreciated period buildings.

We live in the North and it can be dirty and certainly wetter then I know it is further South.

Anyway after several clear, dry, sunny days I
have just followed Holkam Paint's advice again and washed adjacent pretty dirty, roadside exterior window frames with mild soapy water.

One window is still painted with the previous owner's now at least 3 year old white gloss that I had planned to remove this summer. The other with Linseed Oil Paint (LOP) carefully stripped and applied last summer.

With minimal effort the gloss now looks virtually freshly painted. The LOP looks much cleaner then before but, at best, still what most people would consider dirty and needing a wash. The more stubborn marks (some probably cow muck as mentioned before) do not want to come off at all. More worringly some reasonable size sections of LOP have just wiped (not even rubbed) straight off.

This is a 250 year old Georgian multi pane frame, probably oak and we really want to look after it.

We are not permitted to use "traditional" lead paint and if pushed Conservation Officers seem to specify white gloss for exterior window frames.

Would really prefer not to go down the gloss route. Can anyone here suggest where we might be going wrong or other alternatives as unfortunately at present the LOP is starting to seem like an expensive mistake.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks David

For some reason your message wasn't there when I sent the last post:

"Have you tried wiping it over with liquid linseed oil? That suggestion is not based on any kind of knowledge - it's just an idea. It might soften the surface of the paint sufficient to allow the dirt to be wiped off.
Let us know how you get on. "

Will try this tomorrow if as forecast we get another nice clear day. Sounds like it might work.

If not I think I will have to apply fresh Linseed paint each year on this window which I don't really mind if the woodwork is protected.

Bit of a shame though as after all the prep work the thought of the 7 year or so cycle between applications was appealing. Also aesthetically still have the problem of it not looking too great either.