Sash Window Refurbishment
Traditional wooden sash windows are often a beautiful complement to a building but are vulnerable to neglect and our wonderfully varied weather. We use a highly effective system to renovate sash windows in situ, avoiding the substantial cost of having new bespoke windows made and fitted.
Because many paints lose their flexibility as they age, the expansion and contraction of the timber frame can cause the paint film to crack. This allows water ingress – particularly where there are joints – and can lead to rot. We start the renovation by stripping back the frames, carefully removing any rotten wood and applying an adhesion primer when moisture levels are sufficiently low.
Next, we use specialist resin to rebuild damaged or missing sections and to encapsulate new timber pieces where necessary. The resin is formulated to expand and contract at the same rate as wood and avoid the tendency of repaired areas to split. We also replace any damaged putty on the glazing bars with a more flexible compound.
With all repairs completed, we apply another coat of oil-based adhesion primer as an undercoat and then finish with top coats of flexible water-based acrylic. This paint system allows any trapped moisture to be released while preventing further water ingress.
The outcome is a sash window that looks as good as when it was originally installed.
An excellent example of this technique can be seen in our work for The Old Railway Museum, one of Swindon’s iconic buildings, which included the refurbishment of 64 exterior windows.
At D&R Furnishings, a well-known furniture shop in Marlborough, we employed the same system to renovate its traditional picture windows, ensuring safety and preserving its period character.