Chantal asks me about the maintenance of window frames: “Hello, my house’s windows are made of natural wood inside and painted outside. I wish I had a few maintenance tips for indoors and outdoors. First, inside we wanted to give a helping sanding, replace the silicone and protected with varnish. To the outside, we wanted to paint a darker color, do I have to strip or sand before? They are currently white. I hope you can bring me good advice, because we want to keep still for a few years. ”
Hello Chantal,
Having worked in the field of doors and windows for over 15 years, I can tell you that a wood window that has been well maintained will remain as beautiful and powerful at the beginning. If there was no water infiltration, it should not be any darkness along the different pieces of wood. So it is not absolutely necessary to sand before applying a new coat of varnish.
If there are cons by a little black along parts, it is a sign that water has entered and you must take these stains before varnishing. Changing all the caulk will fill all the little cracks and keep the wood from your windows protected from water infiltration. Outside, you will need sanding generously if you want to change the color of your windows to properly prepare the surface. There is no need to strip unless the windows are not really in a good condition. Remind yourself that the preparation you do will guarantee the final result. You should take advantage of that fact to change all the damaged pieces of wood before you do the painting. The caulk should be repeated only after applying the paint, to seal the wood pieces.