Questions & Answers
General:
Q: What types of timber do you offer?
A: We offer 2 types of timber depending on your needs and budget. Our softwood option (cheapest of course) is a Douglas Fir (Pine) with European Oak sills for maximum longevity of life. Our hardwood option is 100% European Oak, for more inromation on these timbers please refer to our "products" menu and click on "materials". We are using the most highly rated types of timber for exterior joinery.
Q: How do you join your timber frames together when you make a window or door?
A: All timber joined is tongue and groove (as picture below from our factory), however, Door joints are made with a double tongue and groove to ensure maximum joint strength for heavier products. Our wood glue that we use is stronger than timber so if a joint breaks the wood will break before the glued joint will break.
Q: Do your screws go rusty?
A: No, we have tested our screws in the weather and they have not shown any signs of rusting or discolouring at all.
Guarantees:
Q: What guarantee do I get when I buy your products?
A: Metal parts and furniture, eg. locks, keeps, handles, pulleys, hinges etc are all guaranteed by the manufacturer for periods varying from 1 year to 10 years depending on the product. Please ask for further detailed information upon order if required.
White factory painted products, that have been fitted and maintained properly, as per our guidelines, are guaranteed for 10 years against timber rot and joints not parting. Factory stained products, that have been fitted and maintained properly, as per our guidelines, are guaranteed for 10 years against timber rot and joints not parting.
Furniture maintenance:
Q: How can I maintain my locks and other metal parts on my window or door system?
A: If you go to your local hardware store and tell them what you want to do, they will recomend some oil or lubricant for you to apply to all metal moving parts. This product should also be a rust inhibitor to protect the metal from rusting should it become damaged or scratched
Paint/finish maintenance:
Q: I am considering timber windows but am worried about the maintenance side of things in future?
A: You can still have timber windows with very minimal maintenance if you choose a white finish. Here is a brief summary of facts regarding expectations from various different timber finishes available to you today, in order from longest life expectancy to shortest life expectancy: (this applies to all timber finishes, regardless of paint quality/brand)
1. THE BEST OPTION: A solid coloured finish will give you the best and certainly the longest protection available for exterior wooden products, eg. White is best as is most used, most advanced and most available in every DIY shop and is easy to match up later on to recoat or repair.
If not white then perhaps a RAL colour but the only problem with RAL colours is matching the colour later when recoating or repairing cracks and joints. A good quality and solid surface must always be maintained to protect the wood from the weather.
2. SECOND BEST OPTION: The more colour that is used in a wood stain (or the darker it is) means the more protective it is from the weather. The lighter or clearer the stain then the less protection the wood has. So of course, needless to say, a clear stain offers the least protection as it is far more exposed to the weather than a darker or solid colour. A clear stain requires the most maintenace.
Q: I just bought some new stained wood windows from you and I need to know how to maintain them so they always look nice and new?
A: Depending on how exposed to the weather your products are; will vary the regularity of the maintenance required. If your products are stained in a natural colour, we would suggest you complete the following every 3-6 months in the first year and once per year afterwards, depending.
To maintain the nice finish you should:
Step 1. Clean items with slightly soapy water and let them dry.
Step 2. Apply a high quality external wood stain, in a similar colour to the surface being coated (follow instructions on label)
Step 3. Repeat Step 2 if necessary.
Q: I have Oak colour/tannin running from the joints or end grains of your window/door? How can I stop this as it is running down the facade of my house and discolouring my white windows?
A: All products are fully painted & protected in our factory if you have ordered your items factory finished. Our paint procedure is to impregnate all timber, prime, again prime and finally a topcoat. However, after settlement and the possibility of fitters cutting wood when installing, you may be left with some bits of wood unprotected. If the weather or water can access any unprotected areas then you will probably get this problem at some stage.
Step 1. Clean the affected areas thoroughly with wet soapy cloth until clean. (Affected areas are all areas where water can access unpainted timber ends/joins)
Step 2. Let the area dry properly for 24 to 48 hours in dry conditions.
Step 3. Apply a high quality "flexible exterior non silicone mastic" (should be Clear or White depending on colour of the finished woodwork it is needed for) or a high quality "External quality End Grain Sealer" and squeeze it into the joints or end grains that might be leaking or exposed. (Follow instructions on product label)
Or:
Step 1. Clean the affected areas thoroughly with wet soapy cloth until clean. (Affected areas are all areas where water can access unpainted timber ends/joins)
Step 2. Let the area dry properly for 24 to 48 hours in dry conditions.
Step 3. Apply a quality external oil based primer (or external oil based high build wood stain for stained woodwork), after thinning with 30% white spirit using an artists brush. Apply only into the joints. Do not allow primer onto the face of the frames where it may change the appearance of the finish and yellow on ageing.
Step 4. Allow to dry 24-48 hours.
Step 5. Apply a second generous coat of unthinned primer using an artists brush into the joint.
Q: We bought some "Clear Oak" windows from you and the stain/varnish on the outside is starting to wear off and peel away from the timber leaving it exposed and raw? Why has this happened and what can I do?
A: Information - Understanding products and behavioural patterns
The Clear Oak paints/varnishes that are used only have minimal protection against weathering as the coatings are clear and exposed to sunlight which of course deteriorates in time (all brands not just ours). Clear Oak or Stained finishes do require the most maintenance. To avoid such regular maintenance, Clear or stained products are preferable for internal use. A White (or solid colour) finish is the most resistant and long lasting in every way. The next best is a darker stain.
Water based high build industrial joinery coatings were used in our factory and it is not possible to achieve the same build or durability by use of brush applied products, however should you wish to achieve a similar appearance when restoring/repairing your external finish then the following coating types and specifications are recommended:
WHITE FINISHED ITEMS Oak & DFir:
On coated timbers (coating must be sound): Clean then lightly key the surface with a 320 grit abrasive pad. Apply a single coat of a water based brush applied external ‘coat on coat’ style topcoat, with a gloss level of 30% (i.e. satin/eggshell).The topcoat colour should be described as ‘brilliant white’.
On sound bare timber: First apply a good quality external oil based primer to seal the surface followed by 2 or more coats of water based brush applied external ‘coat on coat’ style topcoat with a gloss level of 30% (i.e. satin/eggshell). The topcoat colour should be described as ‘brilliant white’.
If you have a gloss finish then the gloss level should be 60% shine as 30% shine gives you a satin finish.
CLEAR OR STAINED ITEMS Oak & DFir:
On coated timbers (coating must be sound): Clean then lightly key the surface with a 320 grit abrasive pad. Apply a single coat of a water based brush applied external ‘coat on coat’ style high build wood stain, this should have a gloss level of 30% (i.e. satin/eggshell).The topcoat colour should be as close to the timberwork as can be ascertained visually from the information provided by the supplier, apply a small amount in a test area to check you are happy with the colour before fully finishing.
On sound bare timber: Apply 2 or more coats of a water based brush applied external ‘coat on coat’ style wood stain with a gloss level of 30% (i.e. satin/eggshell). The topcoat colour should be as close to the surrounding timberwork as can be ascertained visually from the information provided by the supplier, apply a small amount in a test area to check you are happy with the colour before fully finishing.
Repairing weather damaged Oak or DFir surfaces
Step 1. Sand surface with 240 grit abrasive paper down to a sound surface free of stains then with 320 grit abrasive paper or foam pads to achieve the desired smoothness to prepare for painting.
Step 2. Use and apply above products (depending on your colour required) in the above order.