Once upon a time, before Old Home Rescue, we were Wood Window Rescue. We’ve spent the years, scraping every last piece of paint, reglazing each panes, and re-roping windows. I’ll be honest, even as a professional, sometimes it’s hard. It’s a common topic at our window restoration workshops as well as Facebook groups like Our Old House. What we’ve learned, and now stress, to our Neighbors is that there is a time and a place for window restoration. Sometimes it’s best for your time, your marriage (seriously), and your windows to just perform paint maintenance.

Below is the process that we have specifically developed for our painters to paint old wood windows WITHOUT removing the paint to bare wood or the window from the opening. Yes, it will have continue to have the character of an old home, but when viewed from the sidewalk, the paint will look amazing and be eligible for Sherwin Williams’s lifetime warranty. If you do want to remove it to bare wood and deglaze, we highly recommend using a Speedheater over a heat gun and check out this video.

(For our process in Spanish click here)

The following process is intended to be the final step in a Lifetime Exterior Renovation. This is the difference between putting color on a house and prepping & painting a home where we can all stand behind the quality of work.

Any products outside of those specified and provided must be approved by Old Home Rescue prior to use.
Follow Manufacturer’s Specifications on all products
Clean the Surface
1. Pressure washers are NOT used to prep for paint application
2. Remove all surface contamination by using the following;
  1. Walls should be wet down with garden hose & nozzle
  2. Mix 1 gallon water, 1 cup bleach, & 1 cup TSP-PF
  3. Working in sections, clean from bottom to top to avoid streaks
  4. Rinse walls with garden hose and nozzle before solution dries
  5. Allow to dry until wood as 15% or less moisture level
Prep the Surface
1. Cover the work area with plastic or drop clothes to collect paint debris
2. Existing loose, peeled or checked paint must be scraped with a pull scraper to a sound layer, i.e., must pass the fingernail test for failed paint.
3. Feather the rough edges from peeling paint to improve the final appearance and adhesion.
4. Removal of old paint runs
5. Set nail heads on wood where exposed beyond surface level
6. Remove all unused fasteners & hardware
7. Repair rot with up to a golf ball sized quantity of Abatron WoodEpox BEFORE priming or a primed replacement board. Damage or rot exceeding epoxy threshold should be communicated to Old Home Rescue
8. Repair minor cracks with Aqua Glaze or exterior painter’s putty AFTER spot priming.
9. Caulking should be completed AFTER priming
Glazing Repair
1. Protect historic glass by replacing missing glazing with Aqua Glaze and only removing glazing that fails the fingernail test. Glass beds should be primed with oil based primer BEFORE glazing.
2. Fill cracks in glazing with Aqua Glaze
Spot Prime
1. Spot prime bare wood with oil based primer
2. Air, surface and material temperature must be above 35 degrees for 4 hrs after application
Prime the Surface
1. Brush the surface Sherwin Williams Primer Rx Peel Bonding Primer
2. Peel bonding primer helps even out less-than-perfect surfaces before painting, giving a smoother completed finish
3. Air, surface and material temperature must be above 35 degrees for 4 hrs after application
Caulk
1. Gaps and fixed joints can be filled with Sherwin Williams PowerHouse or MaxFlex caulking after priming the surface
2. Allow proper drying time before application of the finish
Paint the Surface
1. Brush the surfaces with 2 coats of Sherwin Williams Emerald, Waterbased Alkyd Urethane (different temperature requirements) or equivalent paints in a satin or semi gloss finish finish for ultimate protection.
2. Air, surface and material temperature must be above 35 degrees for 48 hrs after application
Clean the surface
1. Remove any paint from glass with a lubricated razor blade
2. Clean glass with glass cleaner and paper towels
3. Glass should be clean when viewed from 6 feet away
4. Property should be clean of all construction debris
5. Trash can be disposed of at Old Home Rescue or construction dumpster on-site.
Notes on Painting Wood Windows
1. The above specifications are for painting wood windows for stabilization, protection and maintenance on a cyclical basis. Window painting’s cosmetic results should be viewed from the sidewalk as there will be inconsistencies in the paint surface.
2. If the Neighbor is interested in additional surface preparation or results, direct them to the Old Home Rescue Project Manager, who will discuss on-site restoration, off-site restoration, or reproduction windows.