How to paint or seal wood window frames

There are those that prefer to stain and seal window frames, and those that would like to paint wooden window frames. Both provide a good seal on wood - provided it's done properly.

 

Before moving on to the process involved in sealing or painting wood window frames, you need to identify whether or not the wood has been previously treated. It will be fairly obvious if the frames were painted or varnished and the frame should be sanded and cleaned before painting. However, an oil finish can be hard to detect, while sealer degrades over time. Before you seal or paint wooden window frames, give them a rub down with fine steel wool and mineral turpentine.

Prepare wooden window frames for sealing or painting
Begin sanding with a 60- or 80-grit sandpaper for frames that have previously been painted or varnished. A coarser grit will not clog as easily and work faster at removing the finish. Go over the entire surface with 120-grit and then finish off with 180-/240-grit sandpaper. After sanding, thoroughly remove dust from the surface with a cloth slightly dampened with mineral turpentine.

Stain and seal wood window frames
If you are a regular reader you will know that Home-Dzine endorses the use of wood sealer for exterior and interior timber applications. A sealer is absorbed into the wood rather than sitting on the top, to protect wood from within.

Protection for wood
For exterior protection against ultra-violet radiation, wind, water, pollution and salt spray damage, Woodoc 50 is available in clear or tinted variants. Follow the instructions on the tin to ensure that exterior wood receives one-hundred percent protection. For interiors, Woodoc 5 or 10 is available in clear and tinted variants, in matt or satin or gloss finish.

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Paint wood window frames
Applying wood primer is an essential part of the process for painting wood. Wood primer is specifically formulated to provide a bond between wood and paint and helps to prevent future problems. Additionally, using a primer can really help you get your paint job done with less paint.

If you have more than one window frame to sand and paint, don't spend days sanding by hand - get yourself an Orbital Sander and cut down time and energy wasted on sanding. Priced at around R300, it's money well spent!

All-in-one primer
Prominent Ultraprime is a high performance, superior quality water-based primer formulated for interior and exterior use on metal, wood, walls, SupaWood, plaster, ceramic tiles, rigid PVC and ceilings. It provides an extremely smooth base coat for subsequent painting. It also contains fungicide to eliminate fungal growth.

What paint to use on wooden window frames
Today's modern paints are formulated to work on a variety of different surfaces. With the proper preparation in hand, there's no reason why you can't use a superior paint such as Prominent Paints Premium Satin, tinted in the colour of your choice. This waterbased paint offers easy cleaning, low odour and quick drying and has additives to combat mould growth and reduce dirt retention.