Sash Window Painting & Repair in Biggleswade

Period windows in a market town

Original sash and case windows are among the first features of an old house to suffer when paint fails. Water gets into the joints and bottom rails, the putty cracks and the sashes start to stick. In a conservation area or a listed building, keeping the originals in good order is often the simplest route, and any change of colour should be checked with Central Bedfordshire Council first.

At the free visit Graham looks at each window and notes flaking paint, bare timber, open joints, loose putty, soft patches and sashes that are painted shut. The written quotation lists them window by window, so you can start with the most exposed ones.

Sash window restoration: our part, and the carpenter's

Our work is decorative. We scrape back to a sound edge, sand with Mirka dust-free sanders (old paint can contain lead), fill cracks and joints, prime bare timber and finish in eggshell or satin. Sashes are worked up and down as we paint so the runners stay clear, and a neat line onto the glass seals the putty.

Broken cords, rotten sections and new timber are joinery, and our carpenter handles those before we decorate, so it's planned as one job. More is on our sash window page, and for doors and skirtings in period rooms see woodwork in Biggleswade.

How we approach sash window restoration

We protect the room, take down curtains and work window by window. Sills and bottom rails get the closest attention because they hold water. Bare timber is primed, then undercoat and two finish coats go on, lightly sanded between. Outside faces need an exterior product and dry weather, so we plan those for a settled spell and ease every sash before leaving. The full method, products and FAQs are on our sash window restoration page.