Painting a window sill

I've got a window sill that appeared to have a piece of slate-like material on the top that had come away from the concrete sill and was breaking up. Not sure exactly what it was or how it was fixed but it all chipped off with no problem. This has left an unpainted sill at the top but the sides are still painted. Most of this paint is in good condition but a little has flaked off. Should I remove all this paint with Nitromors or just scrape off the flaky areas? I've filled up some small cracks on the top with Sandtex filler, so will be ready for painting. Saw stacks of Sandtex exterior paint in B&Q yesterday. Any preparation required for this, is it thick enough that it would smooth out the rough surface of the sill?

Dave

Reply to
Dave
Loading thread data ...

The slate like material was probably render so bear in mind that may have been their to stop damp getting in originally.Sand text can be bought in rough and smooth varieties but would only smooth out minor surface imperfections but all depends on how much of a perfectionist you are.

Reply to
Housemartin

I'd spend a bit of time getting it smooth, and making sure it slopes away. Puddles on sills are bad news.

Reply to
stuart noble

Would putting a layer of the Sandex filler over the whole sill be a good idea, ensuring that it sloped forward?

Dave

Reply to
Dave

Yes, a good idea. Ideally there should also be a drip groove on the underside. Not familiar with the Sandtex product, but I have skimmed sills with Polyfilla exterior filler. Not really the weather for it at the moment!

Reply to
stuart noble

There is a drip groove underneath. Hoping for some dry weather next weekend and will do a skim.

Dave

Reply to
Dave

There are big gaps in my wooden window frames where the wood has rotted- but to fill it with car body filler would cost a lot of fivers, so could I paint it with Cuprinol 5 star anti-rot then fill it with expanding foam then skim the surface with car body filler or Polyfilla exterior filler or something similar and then paint it?

Reply to
George (dicegeorge)

Not if you go to a pukka trade outlet. I think I pay about £15 for 3.5 kgs of the stuff.

Reply to
stuart noble

So long as you paint it afterwards? a bag of Drywall adhesive goes a long way it also goes rock hard and at the same time sandable. Price is about £6.

Used it on my window sills and the sill looks good once painted. :-)

Reply to
George

I wish you luck, but I don't think it has any real water resistance

Reply to
stuart noble

Thats why we paint over it with a good Johnsons exterior paint. :-) and to be honest has the car filler been proved to reflect water?

Reply to
George

Once rot has got a hold anything like this is just a stopgap. The only way is to cut it out and replace with new timber. Which won't cost 'lots of fivers'.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Wouldn't be much use on car bodies otherwise. I would regard this as something you may get away with in a sheltered location in the short term....

Reply to
stuart noble

Body filler has lasted over 20 years on my sills.

Reply to
stuart noble

Oh it won't rot. It's the wood around it that does.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Depends how thorough you are in the first place. With a former/release agent you can virtually re-cast the sill with a nice straight edge. The key is in the price of the stuff. At trade prices you don't need to think about the amount you're using

Reply to
stuart noble

I am not sure what reflecting water means to be honest. But car body filler is completely impermeable if thats what you mean, being comprised of polyester resin (the sort fibreglass boats are made out of) and a mineral filler - think its mica, which is not noted for its hygroscopic properties either ;-)

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

No. that i actually not true.

If u can get the wood dry, and then apply a very runny resin to it that soaks into the rotten fibres and stabilises (and seals against more water ingress) then making good with another resin is fine: the issue is a balance between when new wood and the labour to fit it is cheaper than the filler.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

New wood is fine if you're replacing the whole sill, otherwise I'd always go for the body filler

Reply to
stuart noble

Some 'fibreglass' car body fillers are/were porous - if my books on bodging car bodywork are to be believed. Wouldn't mica be difficult to sand?

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.