Wood paintwork – no licking

My obsession with stained glass is accompanied by my meticulous approach to paintwork. I soon learnt that it would have to be a hobby as no one would pay for the amount of time I spend on my techniques. The photos here were projects on my house.

Preparation

I don’t do “a lick of paint”. I despise that phrase*. I think it undermines the amount of work which is, in my opinion, mostly in the preparation. I properly prepare the surface (stripping paint if necessary) which is the most time consuming part of my method.

For wood which will be exposed to water my method consists of five layers of oil based paint. I strip (the old paint that is) then: primer, two coats of undercoat, two coats of gloss.

I lightly sand in between coats to ensure the paint will not flake. I leave at least 24 hours in between each coat to enable the oil to dry – more for the gloss.

I also apply low tac masking tape around edges to protect glass from splash-back and to ensure a crisp paint line (click here for stimulating video demonstration).

I have always liked the simplicity of my original windows. My favourite feature being the green trim in-between the toplights and the lower section. I imagine this is designed to shelter the inner part of the sill from direct rain. The previous owner had painted it white but dark green is my favourite colour and I like the contrast against the white.

Patience

Another problem with the “lick of paint” phrase is it implies you can get away with one coat. This idea is also peddled by paint marketing which brand some products with reference to saving time. It might technically be possible for the paint to look sufficient with only one application but unless it’s a very small area I don’t think humans are capable of properly covering everything in one session – whether using brushes, rollers or tongue.

Don’t skimp

I can’t imagine how it would be possible to apply the techniques I explained above to first floor windows using only a ladder. The above photo was my second repaint of the first floor windows, the first was done in 2014 when I had those replaced like-for-like in hardwood. Ideally a new layer of paint should be applied every 5 – 10 years.

I admit maintaining traditional wooden windows, even on a modest 1920s three-bed semi, is hard work.

But I think it’s worth it.

What paint did you use for your front door?

I’m often asked this but unfortunately the answer is not simple!

I first chose Dulux Dublin Bay 1 in 2015. For the second paint job I decided I wanted it a bit darker so my paint mixer man obliged. Then at some other point I needed more paint so he tried to match it but on this and every other refill he’s never been able to match it identically. This is not his fault, it’s just the way it is. Also, note that since I bought the first Dublin Bay 1 Dulux have updated the version of that colour several times!

If you look very carefully at the above photos you’ll see a slight difference between the greens. I’ve always had it mixed to an exterior gloss – firstly it was Dulux but now Johnstone’s. The white is simply Dulux Weathershield Exterior Gloss, which you buy premade.

I’ve been getting Eddie at Rudd’s to mix my paint for over 20 years. He’s a small one-man business and I highly recommend him.

The future

Many of the above photos were taken before 2026 when I would repaint one section at some point in a summer. But in 2026 I repainted the side windows, ground floor bay window, the front door and garage doors because…

The house is for sale. It’s very likely the new owner will rip out all of my work to replace with a plastic toy front doors and windows but I accept that and I have these fabulous photos forever.

I have another webpage titled “New frames“, which documents the process of replacing some of my house’s windows like-for-like in hardwood.

*Other phrases which get on my wick, pronounced with a cheery carefree tone but usually imply limited understanding of the job:

• “do it up” – (the American equivalent is “a doer upper”) why up? I prefer “restoration”.
• “the house will look great once we put our stamp on it” – sometimes I’m tempted to advise people where they might insert that stamp – particularly if their ideas involve removing period architectural features. This phrase is predominant in the narration of low budget daytime television “makeover” programmes.