Stripping paint from timber frame windows

[Carissa]

Thanks very much for that, I had hoped you would give some advice as it was from your posts on earlier topics that I had first read about Holkham's paints. So as long as I'm careful with the linseed oil and with the paint (not to get them right up on the glass), it should be ok without using Shellac as well?

On one window the seal has broekn anyway, as there is condensation between the two panes of glass. I'm just waiting on a couple of quotes to replace the glass. It's the same window where the existing paint has come off most, so I'm guessing that the water between the glass has contributed to the paint lifting (as the wood has got wet) or vice versa.

 

[skier-hughes]

It doesn't matter if you get the paint on the glass, it's whether you get paint on the seal between the two panes of glass.

 

[Carissa]

One other question - would a paint like Aglaia be as good as the Holkham linseed paints? And would I still use warmed linseed oil as the first coating (for window frames and the fashia below the roof) - then paint the Aglaia over the top? Has anyone any experience of the two products and how they compare quality-wise? (the aglaia exterior paints are a little less expensive than the Holkham ones).

 

[skier-hughes]

Not sure about Aglaia, as I've never heard of it let alone used it

The reason I believe for applying the linseed oil first is to nourish and preserve the wood at the same time as stopping the wood from sucking all the linseed out of the paint.

So if it's a linseed based paint I'd say yes, use it first.

Graham

 

[Nemesis]

Well here's the list of ingedients:

http://www.naturalpaintsonline.co.uk/moreinfo.html

 

[biffvernon]

used in the production of Aglaia include: Beech cellulose, Beeswax, Borax, Boric salts, Chalk, Citrus peel oil, Clove oil, Dehydrated castor (stand) oil, Earth and mineral pigments, Eucalyptus oil, Fir-needle oil, Glycerin, Iron Mica, Kaolin, Lavender oil, Linseed oil (refined), Marble lime hydrate, Mica, Milk casein, Natural asphalt, Natural gum milk, Potash, Quartz powder/Quartz sand, Shellac, Swelling clay, Talcum, Thyme oil, Wood stand oil.

Of course they don't use all that lt in one paint. What you want is the 'Beeck exterior standoil paint' (Beeck is the German maunfacturer of Aglaia.) The paint is pigmant bound in a mixture of linseed oil, wood stand oil and safflower oil. Holkham's (made by Alback in Sweden) is just the linseed oil.
When comparing prices of a can you have to watch the coverage rate. The Beeck claim about 10m2 per litre while the Alback gives almost double that.
Both have high vapour permeability, won't flake off, will last for a very long time and can be maintained by just overpainting with another coat after very many years.

 

[Nemesis]

I like the idea of clove oil and citrus peel oil - must smell of Christmas.

 

[lindy]

Wow, this thread is really useful for me as I have just bought a victorian house and the original sash windows are intact but in need of a bit of TLC!

I have no idea if any of the paint on them is lead based, but my guess is yes given their age. I was planning of stripping away all the paint and then using the Holkams linseed paints. Maybe I will take a closer look now and see if I can paint on top of the paint that is already there. I always thought this was frowned upon?

Also, one of the sash windows is stuck, and this def looks like it is a result of paint. How would I go about releasing it? Am a bit worried that some methods might not be suitable if lead paint is present somewhere.

thanks

 

[Nemesis]

Update on the roof dancing case:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6503327.stm

 

[Gervase]

I've used both, and Holkham has far better coverage, though Aglaia has some colours Holkham don't do. Both give an excellent finish and are nice to work with.
With each you can mix shades to create the colour you want - I got a nice French Blue for our windows by mixing a tester pot of Holkham's Midnight Blue with a litre of their Old White.

 

[Nemesis]

Re stuck sash window:

Try running a thin and sharp knife blade to break the paint seal and see if that helps in the first instance.

 

[lindy]

Thank you for the tip - will try it today

 

[stevew]

The Holkham stuff seems quite pricey but the coverage is really good. I've just done 3 coats on a sash window and the first coat on a pair of large garage doors and I'm not even a quarter of the way through a tin. Because you have to really brush it out it seems to go a long way. This is the first time that I have used the linseed paint and at first I wasn't that impressed because the opacity of the paint seemed dreadful - I thought it was going to end up needing 5 or more coats! However, I think in some cases there is an excess of oil in the tin - I was having to stir the paint every miniute or so to keep it looking something like. Now though it covers brilliantly, virtually completely opaque on the first coat and a lovely matt sheen; I'm a convert. So my tip is after thorough strirring remove the slight excess oil that may reform on the surface after a very short time.

Re paint removal - it's boring, tedious & time consuming no matter which way you do it. It's taken me since last summer, on and off to finish stripping back the garage doors (in order to get the full benefit of the linseed paint) - I went out and bought a belt sander in the end (not old door, fast grown kiln dried rubbish hence the desire for linseed).