I’m about to start of doing some maintenance to my wooden windows, which have been neglected for quite a few years.
They are very old single-glazed windows, the traditional windows opening in and shutters folding and opening out. I love both and want to keep them as they are, just repair/maintain them and give them a fresh paint finish.
The putty around some of the panes has cracked, some has fallen out.
The last time I did anything with single-glazed windows and putty, it was linseed oil putty and took ages to ‘cure’ before you could paint over it.
Is this still the preferred method of glazing an old window? Or has linseed oil putty been replaced by something else/better?
It depends on what depth you have, you could remove all the old putty and pin/silicone some beading to hold the glass in. I’d probably stick to good old fashioned putty though.
linseed oil putty is good to use but before you must take out all not adhering to the frames windows etc.
Prime the woodwork, 2 coats if porous and let it dry before applying the putty, if the putty is fresh and oily dry It down with reboucher malaxing it in (sorry, I do not know what this is in English, It’s like polly filler but much better) just find reboucher in the brico shop. My go to is Toutpret or Pressonett ,but have used Weldom Axton too, all in powder form.
It’s quite a small ‘bead’ of putty. If you can imagine that, in section, it is a right-angled triangle then the horizontal and vertical sides would be 7mm (I just measured one).
So I guess I should look to find some linseed oil putty.
In that case, do as I proscribed If the putty is too oily then mix in some powder filler to start the drying process but not too much, it’s what painters do when carpenters miss cut-out hinges and door locks etc leaving large gaps.
The putty in my windows is like that old two pack mix that was around in the UK for a short while, a sort of pink colour and an absolute bar steward to remove.
I religiously used linseed oil putty 2 or 3 times here, cleaned everything, reaon for repeat was in shortish number of years it cracked and/or leaked. Or even dropped out, despite my efforts.
Last time no linseed putty available anywhere reachable and the Internautes Brico guy handed me a plastic tub and said Here, this is good.
I closed my eyes to the ridiculous cost of such a small tub, checked it had UV resistant or something similar on it (as with everything here) and bought it as no other choice.
Felt far too light and synthetic going on, but it went on so smoothly and easily it felt almost self-levelling! I thought this is too easy better find some proper linseed oil putty for next year. It’s stuck like a limpet and looking as new as the day it was put on the window, think this is its 3rd summer.
I’ve always wrapped over oily putty in newspaper to soak up the excess. Leave it a week before painting to let it form a skin. Maybe a shorter time in a hot climate.
Yeah hence the laugh on me above. The Briconautes guy said they only had this one and didn’t have linseed oil putty. Perhaps he meant they don’t sell it by weight.
It’s also very white and has stayed white.
I may have been lucky and got a new batch as the store had only been open a year or two. It was soft and light from the moment I opened the tub, needed no mixing and no signs of oil. I thought it was plastic/silicone in there and thought “this’ll never work”
The Modern alternative to putty and mastic. Endurance Putty Replacement is the high technology alternative to traditional linseed oil putty or glazing mastic. Ideal for new or refurbishment glazing, suitable for sealing single pane and insulated glass units in timber or steel frames, Endurance Putty Replacement makes it faster and easier to glaze windows and doors. It can be overpainted with minimum preparation and permanently retains its elasticity so will not crack or split.
Yeah, need more coffee. 100% that’s the product though and I’ll head straight for it again next time but can’t think how long that will be, as it’s still fine.
And if the putty is too hard leave it near an open fire to draw out the oil.
What a wonderful substance linseed oil putty is, and the smell, almost edible.
Before silicone and mastics arrived and of course the nastic gun linseed oil putty was the be all and end all, the tradesmans friend.
Depending on your area of the country glazing was either a plumber or carpenters job although there were those who did it full time.
Regular use of putty ensured that even in the depths of winter tradesman had soft skinned hands, a floor brad/nail with sharp piont was always handy to clean putty from finger nails.
Running putty was best done when warm from a minute or twos hand kneading and if too oily a few shots of spittle got the texture right.
Running putty into a rebate or around glass took a while to perfect and to do it two handed more so. A good glazing knife was essential but it still needed skill to perfect a beveled finish that looked like timber beading.
Sadly a skill largely confined to history other than the odd repair job but a skill I am proud to have perfected.
