Property clinic: sash windows
January 21st, 2009 by Barry Cashin
Q. I live in a period Victorian detached home which has most of its original features including the sash windows intact. As I have never had to paint them before, I’m a little unsure of how to approach the task. Can you advise if there is an easy way?
A. Sash windows are among the trickiest of DIY painting jobs, purely and simply because the sliding panels make life difficult when it comes to reaching those awkward corners. Another reason is that the older the windows are, the more the layers of paint build up, which makes smooth operation extremely difficult.
I would advise taking out the staff beading around the window with a blunt chisel and then undoing the sash rope attached to the sliding window frame. This is usually held in place with staples or nails. After doing that, you can simply separate each individual frame which makes for easier decoration in the workshop or garage. Replace the frames exactly as you took them out and you should have no problems at all.
March 2nd, 2011 at 7:32 am
As above has mentioned removal is most effective however not everyone has the confidence to do this. The best way for a diyer would be to firstly mask the glass then place 3mm dowels into the gap between the parting and staff beads once paint has finished being applied. When set pull the sashes up and down. This method will stop you painting your windows shut and making travel more difficult. Hope this helps.
June 7th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
[...] And it was no small affair; as you can see from the picture below, it’s bascially a mamoth sash window-cum-partitition that slides into the floor, in much the same way a car window retracts into the [...]