It’s been a windows kinda weekend: Cat is stripping paint, sanding, oiling, sealing and painting the timber and metal frames; Glynn is back to repair the study window and finish off the sitting room window; and Lee has returned to remove the remaining leaded lights and to measure up.
Both Glynn and Lee have given up their Sundays (on a bank holiday weekend) to work on our windows and we are eternally grateful, so it was posh pork pies from the farm shop for lunch.
Cat is still painstakingly removing the paint that is ingrained in the oak frames in the sitting room. We want to have the oak unpainted and oiled inside so she needs to remove as much of the paint as possible.
This is a sample of the steel bar that will replace the zinc bars in the sitting room window. It is slightly wider and deeper than the old bars, but this is the smallest it can be made.
Removing the last traces of paint on the inside.
Glynn cutting out the rotten wood in the sill that he will be replacing.
Fitting the new sill.
The new sill is made of Accoya, a hardwood that is not as expensive as oak yet just as durable. This will be painted so it doesn’t matter that it isn’t the same as the original, this window has a softwood frame but a hardwood sill is a very good idea.
Another window that was painted shut with nearly an inch of mastic filling the gap at the top of the window opening. Glynn has spliced a new piece of wood in so there is no longer a gap.
The new wood is screwed and glued in place.
What a tidy job! You can barely see the join and once it is painted it will be invisible.
Lee inspecting the condition of the study window at the back of the house. The windows here are in much better condition than the front ones as they are protected from the weather (front faces East, back faces West).
Lee has removed all the leaded windows with their glass. Makes us a bit nervous as there are barely any windows left with glass in. Please let the storms stay away!
We are hoping Lee can get them repaired and back to us within a month as this should coincide with the roof going back on, a time when the house will need to be water tight as we start on the interior finishes such as plastering, bathroom, etc.
The leaded windows that Lee is taking away for renovation. I know they look pretty bad, the lead is in a bad way, but all the lead will be replaced and the old glass will be retained. It is far preferable to retain old glass in old leaded windows. It’s wobbly and slightly skew so each pane reflects the light a slightly different way. You cannot replicate this with modern glass.
The wonky landing window with no glass.
Sadly it looks like the bathroom window is beyond repair. Glynn would have to replace about 70% of the window so we will replace this window. Glynn will build us a new oak window exactly the same as this one so that the old metal and leaded lights can still be used.
All the mullions are rotten from the bottom to the top of the frame…
Zanna’s bedroom window is okay, just, it will also need new oak spliced into the sill, but we think the rest is just peeling paint and messy putty.
Glynn is another signed up member of Jasper’s fan club, cheesy ears or no cheesy ears!
Lee measuring up for the openings for the leaded lights. Not easy as none of the windows are square.
The raw Accoya hardwood that Glynn has used for the study window.
Back on to the sitting room window for the last repairs. Glynn is splicing in oak to small sections at the top that are very damaged.
He cuts the rotten wood out, square, so it is easier to splice in new oak.
Testing how the metal window shuts on its hinges, Glynn makes a few adjustments here so this sits flush with the wooden frame without any gaps. It is going to look amazing.
The new oak spliced into the top of the frame, filled and sanded so the join will be invisible once painted. Magic!
Cat sealing the metal frame so it will not rust. We want to leave the metal frames unpainted but they need protecting from rust. They are already rusting from the damp air…
Despite the tape and hard hat that Zanna used to mark out the hole in the floor to prevent anyone falling down it, she moved the hard hat to hoover, then put her foot clean through it and fell down it. Idiot.
Cat’s Bank Holiday Monday fun.
Cat has oiled the inside of the sitting room window with a UV protection oil. It’s pretty thick and will take a while to soak in, but will protect the oak.
Woo hoo! A glimpse of how the windows will look when finished! One coat of primer to protect the wood from rain for the moment. We will not be painting the windows until the messy building work is finished as the dust everywhere is still epic. Dust and painting do not mix.
The obligatory Farrow & Ball paint chart.
The lime plaster that was behind the shutters uncovered on the sitting room window was painted a light blue/grey that we like. It is almost a perfect match to Pavilion Grey (with an e not an a). This just so happens to be one of our favourite greys!
We have changed our mind about switches and sockets and sent all the black nickel ones back. We found these and cannot look at any other sockets again. They are solid brass and of an amazing quality. We love them. They are not cheap, but we keep quoting to ourselves: “buy cheap and buy twice” which helps…
That little window is looking good with all its repairs and first coat of paint, but I like to think that it is my sanding that really sets it off! 😆😊
Your sanding makes it Lucy! THANK YOU! xxx
The switches are lovely 😘 am loving living your journey with you I must show Robie he will be fascinated 😁👍x
Thank you Emma, so pleased you are enjoying the blog 🙂 It started as a document for us, for our friends and family who are unable to visit due to lockdown, but it’s become an epic blog with masses of followers!!! xxx