Why Important
Wood has a limited life, and can structurally fail. To extend that life, and protect the material from rot, insect invasion, and structural failure, the easiest method is to paint or stain the wood surface.
What paint you use can have a significant affect on the durability of the material.
What to look for
Cracks in the surface; tell-tale signs of woodworm or boring insects; discolouration of the surface, suggesting effects of wood rot and/or fungal growth; flaking of a painted surface; bubbling of a painted surface; rough texture when you run your finger along the surface.
When to look
When the initial detailed survey is undertaken. Collect photographs of the existing situation.
Undertake annual inspections or when the building has a change of use/occupancy.
How to fix
All bare or new wood must be knotted, primed and filled before applying one coat of undercoat and one coat of gloss. You normally need to allow overnight drying between coats. It can be a good idea to give window cills and other flat areas an extra coat of gloss to give added protection of sugar soap, then rinse well and allow the surface to dry.
It is also useful to have successive coats of paint slightly different colours to help see that no areas (or coats) are missed.
Particular care must be taken when using hot air guns, as careless use can lead to catastrophic building fire. Use of a “Hot Work Permit” system is always advisable. For further information and advice, please contact the British Coatings Federation 01372 360 660, www.coatings.org.uk
What colour to use
Nearly all windows are now painted white, making them stand out from the surrounding building, but this was not always the case. Whatever colour is chosen, it is important that the harmony and unity of the whole façade is maintained.
The Birkenhead Heritage advice is to recommend that all windows are painted ‘white’ although an ‘off-white’ such as BS 00 E 55 or BS 22 B 15 would be acceptable, and give a more pleasing colour than the modern harsh ‘brilliant white’.
Avoiding creating problems
Do not ignore the problem, as there may be an underlying issue that could be structural. It is not uncommon to find that a wood frame is actually supporting the building structure above, so a failure of the wood, can lead to the dangerous structural failure of the building.