Oak Window Frames Neglected

[alextait]

My house has oak window frames... I realise that I am suposed to coat these every two years to protect them... Being a complete slacker I have not coated them for nearly 6 Years!!!

I have examined them and most of the varnish has stripped away and at the worst points the wood has gone soft and grey ?

I am unsure what I should do now ?

should I sand off the old varnish and varnish again ?

just sand down a bit so there is an abrasive surface for the new coating to stick too ?

or do i need to remove the grey wood before i can proceed ?

thanks in advance for any help !

 

[noseall]

the wood has gone soft and grey ?

are you sure it's oak?

 

[JohnD]

you aren't supposed to varnish oak.

I haven't got any but I would have thought you'd oil it. It is naturally resistant to decay. Can you put up some pics?

 

[alextait]

Yes will post up some pics when i get chance

thanks for your help!

Alex

 

[alextait]

 

[alextait]

the doors... i am insure how to deel with them if i am going to coat them...

do i need to take them off the hinges ?
can i get them "dipped" (something someone mentioned)

thanks for your help

Alex

 

[biffvernon]

Best not to varnish exterior oak - it will only fall off again after a few years. The wood will go grey and there's really nothing you can do except sit back and enjoy the natural weathering process. In a few hundred years it will look like medieval oak houses look now. Lovely. Put some linseed oil on if you feel like you've nothing better to do.

 

[alextait]

ok! thanks for the help!!

grey oak it is!

 

[carissa]

How do you tell if your windows are oak if they were already in the house when you bought it?

 

[biffvernon]

Get someone who knows about wood to look at it. It's hard to tell from a photo but Alex's pictures above look like oak. The 'figuring' produced by the meddulary rays are a sure sign of oak but you don't see these on all surfaces - it depends how the wood was cut.

 

[carissa]

Thanks. And regardless of the wood, if they are double glazed already and I wanted to re-paint them, will linseed oil or linseed oil based paints ruin the seal on the double glazing? I've been looking at the Holkham paints website, and I'm not clear on whether I can use their paints or linseed oil to re-do existing double glazed windows. It seems linseed oil can react with the seal used?