7 is the magic number!

You will need to paint your timber windows frames periodically to protect them from the sun and the weather. You should choose the best exterior timber window paint that you can to achieve the longest lasting and best finish. We recommend painting every 7 years to maintain the best standards for you. The best paint brand that we have discovered is Teknos, for the following 7 reasons:

1. Specialist paint system for exterior joinery: timber specific products

2. Weather resistant: suitable for the Irish climate

3. Flexible: can move with the expansion and contraction of the timber

4. Breathable: important for the longevity of timber

5. Quick drying times: increases production time

6. Colour matching: Teknos colour scanning technology can match original paint coatings

7. Guarantee: Teknos support their paint with a guarantee

 

Timber window frames are the original windows in Georgian and Victorian houses in Ireland. It is worth keeping these original windows for many reasons, such as the beauty of the property, preserving the heritage and status of buildings as well as the environmentally friendly nature of timber as a raw material. It is also important that if you live in a conservation area the window frames cannot be changed. These traditional windows are very much part of the architectural history of Ireland.

Over time, especially in a climate such as we have here in Ireland, the paint wears away and gradually the timber frames and putty seals become exposed. If left unattended, the timber will start to rot and a bigger problem develops. However, rotten timber can be repaired by a joinery and the original glass or new glass re-fitted. New sashes can be ordered and prepared in the factory, and the installation will be done in a day – this will result in the least amount of disturbance in your home.

Traditionally the paint on windows will eventually begin to crack and peel. Through the year in Ireland, the timber frames will move with climatic changes during the seasons. The correct paint should be suitable for exterior and interior joinery and be breathable, flexible, weather resistant, timber specific and match the existing colour as closely as possible.

Are your windows starting to look a bit like these?

Wood is the product of a living thing. Each species of wood has its own peculiarities and will need to be carefully selected for particular uses. Wood naturally moves with climatic changes through the seasons, it expands and contracts. Modern technical advancements with paints allow for additives that let the paint move with the wood. What this means for you is a longer lasting paint providing better protection on your windows.

Teknos Paint

The best paint that we have found is Teknos. Teknos is a Finnish company that had humble beginnings as a family run business and has grown exponentially over the years, winning multiple awards for business and product innovation.

This paint system, with 2 coats of primer and a top coat, colour specific to your property, is most suitable for exterior joinery in an Irish climate. If you choose to have replacement sashes in your windows, these will be sprayed in our factory to achieve the best finished product possible.

In  2005 in Ireland, Teknos took a majority shareholding of  L A Cook Ltd in Northern Ireland. The company sells industrial wood paints in  the whole of Ireland.

Weather resistant

The Irish climate can be particularly harsh on exposed timber. The moisture and variable temperatures combine to wreak havoc without proper care and maintenance. Yet original timber sash and casement windows can be more than 100 years old. Over this time paint technology has advanced to ensure the best exterior timber paint protection possible for original, refurbished and new window frames.

Colour matching

When you need to match your window frame colour from an existing paint, we can colour match to the Teknos range. This gives you a fantastic capability to achieve the best results with the most modern and efficient paint system, whilst sticking to the colour scheme of your home. How this is done, is sending the colour code and brand from the existing paint to Teknos, who have colour scanning technology that match the existing coatings and give us the details for the appropriate paint in their range. Result – you keep your sash windows in whatever colour you need.

Quick Drying

If you have used an oil based paint in the past, you will know that it needs to dry for several days in between applications. Teknos is a water based paint and will dry in 4 hours. If you are painting your own exterior windows this will give you greater speed and less reliance on a long dry spell in Ireland.

Two colour paint schemes

Some window frames have different colours on the exterior and interior. This is not a problem to recreate either in our factory or on-site. It is a little more time consuming as the window will need to be taped to get a perfect line between the two colours but allows for wonderful design possibilities.

Spray painting windows at Timeless Sash Windows

Spray painting achieves a superb finish. Watch Gerry expertly spraying a sash in the specialist spraying area in our joinery.

Guarantee

Our windows and doors are coated with Teknos coatings and our warranty is supported by them. There is a 7 year guarantee against flaking or cracking of the paint coatings.

To adhere to this guarantee you should take care of your windows by washing them annually with mild detergent and water to remove any surface grime. You shouldn’t use any harsh products or bleach on the paint as it will damage it and reduce its protection.

Areas of paint that need to be touched up should first be lightly sanded with a fine grade sandpaper. Wash the area with detergent and rinse with clean water to remove dust, insects and other contaminants which can cause a base for algae and fungi growth. Choose Teknos Aquatop 2600 opaque or translucent topcoat in the appropriate colour and allow to dry for four hours between coats. If there is heavy damage to the paint coatings, surface preservatives and primers will need to be applied first.

Windows from a reputable joinery will come with a coatings warranty that will give you exact guidelines. Some timbers in conjunction with teknos coating can result in extended warranties. Additionally, the amount of exposure and the microclimate at your property will affect the longevity of the paint.

 

Meet Gerry

Chief spray painter at Timeless Sash Windows, Gerry boasts an impressive 30 years of spray painting experience. He trained as a furniture sprayer at Michael McCoonaghs in Navan as an apprentice and has followed a successful career in the paint business ever since. Gerry has been with us at Timeless for about 4 1/2 years.

I asked him about the Teknos paint that we use on the timber windows, “From a sprayers persepective, it has a better quality finish than other brands” he says, “We have tried other paints, but Teknos gives us the best weathering with 2 coats of primer and a finish coat”.

Behind the scenes, Gerry makes me smile with a quiet reveal of his interest in painting in his spare time – “I paint with pastels, ideas that are inside my head – when I’m not drinking Guinness that is” he says with a wry grin. He’s a Dad to 2 sons and a daughter too.

Author: Jennifer Ritchie. 16th May 2018.