Wood rot often starts small, at the corner of a sill or around a glazing bead. Water seeps in and stays there. Catch it in time and a few hours’ work sorts it out. Leave it too long and a whole section of frame has to come out.
For small patches we cut away the rotten wood until we reach sound timber, and fill the hole with two-part epoxy. It moves with the wood and is invisible once painted. If it goes deeper, we let in a new piece of timber of the same kind as the old.
On listed buildings in the city centre we keep as much of the original wood as we can. You don’t just replace a sill from 1780. We use suitable timbers and linseed oil paint, and consult the council where needed.
Press a screwdriver into the bottom of the frame. If it feels soft or sinks in, there is rot. Paint peeling in one spot is often a sign too.
Not if the cause is gone. That is why we also check the sealant joints, glazing beads and the drainage of the sill. Otherwise you’ll be repairing it again in three years.
Wood rot in two window frames neatly repaired, you can’t see a thing. It did take a while before they could come, it was peak season.
Window frames, doors, facades and gutters. Thoroughly prepared, because paint is only as good as what is underneath it.
Walls, ceilings, stairs and doors. Neatly masked, sanded with little dust and in a colour you still love a year later.
From glass fibre wallcovering to floral wallpaper with a pattern that lines up perfectly, even around the chimney breast.
Painting, repairs, new sealant and glazing beads. From the sash window in a canal house to the tilt-and-turn window in a 1930s home.
Marloes comes round with the fan deck and test swatches. Colour advice is free with every job.
