Windows made from wood or timber can last for centuries with the correct design, coating and maintenance. Good wooden windows don't need a lot of maintenance, although it's a common misconception that people think they do.
In order to carry out maintenance work on wooden windows and doors you need to do the following things. Use soapy water or mildew cleaner to clean any dirt or residue, and to prevent any excess mold building up on the window frames.
You should then repair any visible damage to the wooden window frame or door. Then you should apply a windows solution to all external exposed surfaces of your wooden window or door.
This is a two stage process consisting of a cleaning fluid and a clear balsam which is applied with a cloth and can be carried out by a competent window cleaner.Houten ramen en deuren This process should be carried out once a year, ideally.
You can get wooden windows and doors that include guarantees that they won't need to be painted or redecorated will be needed for at least 10 years. It's also a good idea to choose windows with high quality, factory-applied coatings to ensure long lasting protection against sunlight, water and fungal attack. These guarantees often also cover embrittlement, flaking or cracking of the coating system and damage resulting from fungal growth within the coating system. It also covers significant yellowing of the coating and premature erosion of the coating film leading to an exposed undercoat.
Coatings on windows and doors will naturally erode over time, simply due to exposure to the environment, and being exposed to the elements all year round. Therefore, re-coating will be required to increase the coating thickness and to maintain the protection of the underlying timber.
But wooden window expert Martin Bevan says that even this isn't much hassle. "With modern coating systems, maintenance of timber windows and doors is quick and simple. You don't need a hot air gun or a blow torch anymore. A quick wipe down and a brush coat of the correct paint is enough to protect the windows for another 5 years."
When maintained and looked after properly, wooden windows can last in excess of 60 years, decades longer than PVC-U windows which will typically deteriorate much sooner. If wooden windows and doors aren't given the minimal care that they need, however, they will rot. When given the proper, albeit simple care they need, rotting can be easily prevented.
