Despite the great popularity of plastic windows, many owners of apartments and private houses, due to various circumstances, prefer to use wooden structures. For some, this is a tribute to the classic interior, while someone is more preferable to the ecological cleanliness of the room. To restore the former attractiveness of residential apartments today there is a wide range of materials, such as varnish and paint for wooden windows.
Types of paints
What paint to cover the surface of a wooden frame? In order to determine the answer to this question, it is necessary to consider the main types of coloring compounds that are presented on the domestic market of building materials. Today, customers can purchase the following varieties of popular products:
- Alkyd. The composition of the paint includes compounds of resin and oil, characterized by high penetration and good protective qualities, which are able to effectively deal with the negative effects of the environment. The properties of this substance allow you to keep the window material intact for five years. This kind of paint dries for a long time, and white spirit is used to dilute it. The surfaces on which this composition is applied can be cleaned with almost any detergent.
- Acrylic. This type of paint is based on a water base and it contains a large number of polymeric substances, due to which the treated surface is resistant to fading and weather and climatic factors. The acrylic substance is diluted with water, dries quickly, has no unhealthy fragrances and has a neutral odor.
- Oil. It is based on various oils. A distinctive feature of this paint is a deep penetration into the solid wood and the formation of a waterproof shell that can effectively protect the surface of the treated frame from water. Depending on the temperature and humidity of the environment, the drying process may take three days.
It should be noted that old wooden windows must be painted with alkyd paint on the inside, and acrylic - on the outside.
Color selection
As for the color palette, here the choice falls entirely on the shoulders of the owner of the home. The following combinations can be recommended as a recommendation:
- traditional white color is always suitable for interiors of any design;
- for windows facing the north side of the world, you can use warm colors;
- windows located on the south side of the room should preferably be given cool shades;
- if the facade of the house is made in muted colors, then the windows should be given a bright and rich shade;
- for window decoration in a classic wooden house, which is made in the Russian style, only varnish or glaze matte finish can be used;
- if it is necessary to visually increase the area of the room, then in this case it is necessary to use bright yellow shades both for the room itself and for the windows installed in it.
The main thing in this matter is that the window frames are in harmony with both the facade of the house and the interior of the apartments.
Types of varnishes
Window structures after painting their surface can be varnished. For these purposes, the following types of varnishes are provided:
- Acrylic. This varnish is particularly resistant to environmental influences and ultraviolet rays. It has a high level of strength and environmental safety, as well as a long drying period.
- Polyurethane. The varnish of this category has high mechanical strength, wear resistance and good adhesion to a wooden surface. It has a characteristic yellow tint and is recommended for application on light-colored materials.
- Oil. This varnish contains a large amount of natural resins, due to which a film of high density and strength is formed on the surface of the tree. It has a good gloss, practically no smell.
Types of tools for painting
Not a single window repair and restoration operation can do without special tools. In order to start painting a wooden surface, you will need to stock up on the following tools and devices:
- grinder;
- sandpaper of various types of grit;
- scraper
- spatula;
- a hammer;
- screwdriver;
- roller;
- brushes of various sizes;
- capacity for paint;
- mesh for filtering putty;
- masking tape;
- solvent;
- rags and newspapers;
- safety glasses;
- stepladder.
Painting technology
In order for a very old wooden window to be painted competently, the following steps will need to be completed: preparatory, puttying and priming, painting and varnishing.
Preparatory work
Before painting the old windows, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work in the following order:
- arm yourself with a working tool and materials;
- pull the frames out of the curtains;
- remove glazing beads from seats, using pliers and a screwdriver for this;
- to inspect the current state in which the window frame tree is located;
- remove the old paint with a scraper and a spatula;
- to level the surface with sandpaper using a grinding machine or by manual method;
- clean the surface from contamination using detergents;
- dry the treated surface with a building hair dryer or naturally;
- to seal the glasses with newspapers, fixing with masking tape on the sides.
It's important to know! If in some parts of the window construction traces of the effects of fungi and various rotting processes were noticed, then such a frame will be impossible to restore and it will be necessary to replace it with a new one.
Putty and priming works
In order to eliminate the drawbacks of the frame identified after cleaning its surface from paint, you must perform the following steps:
- prepare a working tool;
- determine the nature of defects on a wooden surface;
- prepare putty and primer;
- close the detected chips and cracks with putty;
- use sandpaper to sand the surface;
- clean the frame from the remains of abrasive materials and degrease the surface;
- priming the surface in several layers.
Do not forget that the preliminary primer allows not only to prepare the wood for painting, but also creates the conditions under which the paint is consumed in a smaller volume and dries faster.
Before painting the window, wooden surfaces must be puttyed, which is practically possible for everyone. In this matter, the fundamental factor is the availability of the necessary tools and quality supplies.
Painting work
Many beginners often ask themselves: how to paint wooden windows with your own hands and without outside help? In order to answer it, it is necessary to consider a number of operations that will help to correctly approach the implementation of the intended task. So, the staining procedure consists of the following steps:
- A can of paint opens and its consistency is determined. If it is too thick, then the solvent is added in small portions and the resulting composition is thoroughly mixed.
- A small amount of paint is poured into a pre-prepared container.
- Using a brush or roller, paint the surface of all the components of the frame from top to bottom. The coloring composition is put evenly in a very thin layer. The working tool must be dampened so that paint does not drip from it. The number of layers applied depends on the experience and preferences of the owner of the house, but, as a rule, at least two or three.
- After the window is completely painted, wait for it to dry.
- The dried wooden structure is checked for defects and, if they are found, are eliminated on site.
- The frame is covered with a protective layer of varnish.
- The design is dried.
- The rafters return to their places and are fixed.
- The painted window element is installed on the curtains.
It should be noted that masking tape and newspapers must be removed from the glass before the paint is completely dry. If you do not do it on time, then there is a possibility of damage to the paint layer.
Thus, painting wooden windows is a process that is not difficult and to do it requires only accuracy and a small amount of patience.
Having considered the basic methods of coloring window frames and the most common types of paints for them, we can conclude that there are no universal solutions that would suit all occasions. Therefore, in order to make a choice, it is necessary to clearly indicate the requirements for the future paintwork.