Wood filler for window sill
 

I am preparing to Sadolin my window frames - the sills (Cills) on the front
get most of the sun and have some quite bad lengths where the grain has
opened up - beyond the point where I can hope that a thick layer of Sadolin
will fill the cracks. Clearly I need to do something otherwise water will
get in and freeze in the winter and cause further problems. The woodwork is
20 years old - but I hope to get a bit more life out of it.

Can anyone recommend a filler - ideally in a very dark colour - that is
suitable for these quite thin cracks (1mm - 2mm)

Wood filler for window sill
 

On 5 Jun, 17:19, "John" wrote:
I am preparing to Sadolin my window frames - the sills (Cills) on the front
get most of the sun and have some quite bad lengths where the grain has
opened up - beyond the point where I can hope that a thick layer of Sadolin
will fill the cracks. Clearly I need to do something otherwise water will
get in and freeze in the winter and cause further problems. The woodwork is
20 years old - but I hope to get a bit more life out of it.

Can anyone recommend a filler - ideally in a very dark colour - that is
suitable for these quite thin cracks (1mm - 2mm)

Dear John

I know the problem and the solution may not appeal. Once the sill has
degraded to that extent nothing will take to it properly and you will
get failure of paint and filler.
The only sure long-term solution to the problem is to plane off the
ridges or sand them and make the sill that much thinner. If you can
increase the slope on the sill and get rid of any sharp arris to a
radius of say 10 mm, the paint will last longer.

If you have to fill any area then dig out the decayed (usually by UV
light) wood until it is all clean, new wood and I suggest the
following
a) OS borne fungicide brush applied generously on a sunny day with
multiple applications
b) the green Dulux Weather sheild primer to all parts
c) THEN fill with an epoxy resin filler rather than polyester (resins
are normally 50:50 or thereabouts and polyester just has a smidgin of
hardener, like a paste (peroxide?)
I prefer and use a pretty expensive one specially formulated for
wooden windows called "windowcare" - it has a primer resin and two
part filler. It is quite superb and has good planing and other
properties once set
d) once the filler is in those holes that have to be filled sand and
re prime
e) gloss with Saddolins x 2

You will need to regloss every couple of years unlike oil based paint
but no need to strip off

Chris G

Wood filler for window sill
 

wrote in message
...
On 5 Jun, 17:19, "John" wrote:
I am preparing to Sadolin my window frames - the sills (Cills) on the
front
get most of the sun and have some quite bad lengths where the grain has
opened up - beyond the point where I can hope that a thick layer of
Sadolin
will fill the cracks. Clearly I need to do something otherwise water will
get in and freeze in the winter and cause further problems. The woodwork
is
20 years old - but I hope to get a bit more life out of it.

Can anyone recommend a filler - ideally in a very dark colour - that is
suitable for these quite thin cracks (1mm - 2mm)

Dear John

I know the problem and the solution may not appeal. Once the sill has
degraded to that extent nothing will take to it properly and you will
get failure of paint and filler.
The only sure long-term solution to the problem is to plane off the
ridges or sand them and make the sill that much thinner. If you can
increase the slope on the sill and get rid of any sharp arris to a
radius of say 10 mm, the paint will last longer.

If you have to fill any area then dig out the decayed (usually by UV
light) wood until it is all clean, new wood and I suggest the
following
a) OS borne fungicide brush applied generously on a sunny day with
multiple applications
b) the green Dulux Weather sheild primer to all parts
c) THEN fill with an epoxy resin filler rather than polyester (resins
are normally 50:50 or thereabouts and polyester just has a smidgin of
hardener, like a paste (peroxide?)
I prefer and use a pretty expensive one specially formulated for
wooden windows called "windowcare" - it has a primer resin and two
part filler. It is quite superb and has good planing and other
properties once set
d) once the filler is in those holes that have to be filled sand and
re prime
e) gloss with Saddolins x 2

You will need to regloss every couple of years unlike oil based paint
but no need to strip off

Chris G

Mmmmm! Not very appealing - particularly as the sills are upstairs and one
is over a tiled roof. I have been working from inside - this restricts
things a bit. I know that what you are suggesting is really sound but I
think I might just try to 'buy' a few more years and then replace with
uPVC. Thanks for the comprehensive operation list.

Wood filler for window sill
 

On Jun 5, 5:19*pm, "John" wrote:
I am preparing to Sadolin my window frames - the sills (Cills) on the front
get most of the sun and have some quite bad lengths where the grain has
opened up - beyond the point where I can hope that a thick layer of Sadolin
will fill the cracks. Clearly I need to do something otherwise water will
get in and freeze in the winter and cause further problems. The woodwork is
20 years old - but I hope to get a bit more life out of it.

Can anyone recommend a filler - ideally in a very dark colour - that is
suitable for these quite thin cracks (1mm - 2mm)

Chris has some excellent advice on doing it properly, or why not call
Sadolin and see what they say?

If I was planning a 'high quality bodge' I'd fill the cracks with
brown polyurethane adhesive/sealant (the stuff that comes in a tube,
not a bottle), force it it with a blunt knife, take off the excess
with a sharp blade before it sets then sand it level once set.

cheers,
Pete.

Wood filler for window sill
 

"Pete C" wrote in message
...
On Jun 5, 5:19 pm, "John" wrote:
I am preparing to Sadolin my window frames - the sills (Cills) on the
front
get most of the sun and have some quite bad lengths where the grain has
opened up - beyond the point where I can hope that a thick layer of
Sadolin
will fill the cracks. Clearly I need to do something otherwise water will
get in and freeze in the winter and cause further problems. The woodwork
is
20 years old - but I hope to get a bit more life out of it.

Can anyone recommend a filler - ideally in a very dark colour - that is
suitable for these quite thin cracks (1mm - 2mm)

Chris has some excellent advice on doing it properly, or why not call
Sadolin and see what they say?

If I was planning a 'high quality bodge' I'd fill the cracks with
brown polyurethane adhesive/sealant (the stuff that comes in a tube,
not a bottle), force it it with a blunt knife, take off the excess
with a sharp blade before it sets then sand it level once set.

cheers,
Pete.

That is the sort of fix (bodge) I was hoping for - something thin to
penetrate the cracks.

Wood filler for window sill
 

On Thu, 5 Jun 2008 11:16:58 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

snip
c) THEN fill with an epoxy resin filler rather than polyester (resins
are normally 50:50 or thereabouts and polyester just has a smidgin of
hardener, like a paste (peroxide?)
I prefer and use a pretty expensive one specially formulated for
wooden windows called "windowcare" - it has a primer resin and two
part filler. It is quite superb and has good planing and other
properties once set


I've used this stuff with great success on a partially rotted frame -
though I also used a product that claimed to be a 'wood hardener'
first....I suspect it was some sort of acrylic dissolved in acetone.
Worked really well - when the frame finally gave up the ghost the
treated bit was still viable.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

Wood filler for window sill
 

"Pete C" wrote in message
...
On Jun 5, 5:19 pm, "John" wrote:
I am preparing to Sadolin my window frames - the sills (Cills) on the
front
get most of the sun and have some quite bad lengths where the grain has
opened up - beyond the point where I can hope that a thick layer of
Sadolin
will fill the cracks. Clearly I need to do something otherwise water will
get in and freeze in the winter and cause further problems. The woodwork
is
20 years old - but I hope to get a bit more life out of it.

Can anyone recommend a filler - ideally in a very dark colour - that is
suitable for these quite thin cracks (1mm - 2mm)

Chris has some excellent advice on doing it properly, or why not call
Sadolin and see what they say?

If I was planning a 'high quality bodge' I'd fill the cracks with
brown polyurethane adhesive/sealant (the stuff that comes in a tube,
not a bottle), force it it with a blunt knife, take off the excess
with a sharp blade before it sets then sand it level once set.

cheers,
Pete.


I got a little pot of dark Ronseal Filler today. It went on well and I have
given it a coat of Sadolin. Fingers crossed.