Maintenance of timber windows

Gallery captions: Thatch Roof Inset Window, Morritt Arms Hotel extended conservatory corridor bay windows, and 62 pane glass windows.

The page said windows are supplied in three ways: with a primer or stain base coat for site glazing and finishing; factory glazed and needing site finishing; or factory glazed and fully finished. Each needs careful handling. Check the delivery against the order, and keep the moisture content stable on site. BS 644 was cited: moisture content of timber windows should be between 13% and 19%, though a fully factory-finished window may be lower.

Hardware

• Wipe away dirt and debris, especially on moving parts, and check screws are tight.
• Handles: wipe with a damp cloth. Do not lubricate.
• Locking system: petroleum jelly on locking bolts, guide slots and striker plates.
• Hinges: a minimum of light machine oil on pivots. Wipe away the excess.
• Ventilator and canopy: wipe with a damp cloth, clear blockages, do not lubricate.

How to maintain

• Mould and algae: wash with one part bleach to two parts water, leave 20 minutes, rinse. A stubborn mark can be scrubbed with a stiff nylon brush, not a metal one.
• Wash with hot water and liquid detergent every six months, then rinse, and inspect the window while doing it.
• Natural resin: wait until it dries to a white crystalline deposit. Soften stubborn resin with a hot-air paint stripper without overheating the coating, then clean residue with a lint-free cloth and methylated spirits. Prime bare timber, bring it forward with one coat, then apply a further coat overall. Do not use a metal scraper.
• If the coating is damaged back to bare timber, the page said to ask the manufacturer which coating to use.