Painting your timber sash windows keeps the work underneath protected and you can also be sure that insects, air, dirt, rain and sun won't harm your window in any way. Without paint, timber windows fail faster and your glazing putty will be not good after a short period of time because the sun rays break wood fibers and water will lead to corrosion. On the other hand, insulating the timber sash windows improves your heating and cooling needs around the home, hence it is also an important thing to consider. Painting 1. When painting the windows, ensure that you do not paint sash sides that slide up and down in jambs. Let these areas remain bare so the rails on the sash frame and stiles are able to expel moisture. When the sash sides are bare, drying is faster and there is proper breathing. You also don't want to deal with sticky sash that make opening and closing hard for you. 2. Keep the paint off the top and bottom part of the sash. The good thing about these parts is that they remain invisible when you close the window and are not exposed to harmful elements. Leaving them paint free also promotes faster drying out. 3. Use a primer that is oil based for the exterior parts. The oil is easy to work with and it also hides and sands down pretty well. Prime and sand the sash to smooth the surface before you install glazing putty. You can spray or use a brush to work your primer on the wooden surface. 4. Use quality paints and apply at least two coats on the sash. Find quality enamel paint and use and one that also dries faster. 5. After painting, allow the paint to cure by letting the windows sit for several days. You should avoid wiping new latex paint too soon because you could ruin your paint job in the process. Insulating 1. Consider insulating behind the trim. You can easily do this by prying the interior trim off and measuring the space before cutting a rigid foam insulation foil to fit. You can use spray foam to hold it in place without filling the cavity with the foam. Use just a little spray to keep pressure off the window frame when the spray foam expands. 2. Re-glaze the windows if you can hear the sash window panes rattle. The old glazing can be chipped away using a putty knife and using needle nose pliers to pull out small metal points that hold the window. Put the new glaze across your frame and new points too to secure the glass. It can be a good idea to remove the window from frame before you re-glaze. 3. Reinforce your window runners to insulate. Because sash windows are designed to slide along the track, gaps are normal where runner meets the track. You can take care of this by stapling rubber weather stripping on the inner part of the sash window frame to keep track covered, but the best is to replace your track with one with insulating brushes.
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