# Forum Home Renovation Painting  Putty around windows - what type

## Gooner

About to paint some of the window frames at the back of my house. I notice that some of the putty around the window is loose and so I will need to re-putty. 
What type of putty is used for windows? Anything specific? 
Thanks.

----------


## nww1969

> About to paint some of the window frames at the back of my house. I notice that some of the putty around the window is loose and so I will need to re-putty. 
> What type of putty is used for windows? Anything specific? 
> Thanks.

  I bought some recently when I picked up some glass replacement.
I'll check the brand tomorrow as I'm not near the job. I thought the best place
to purchase would be a glass place.
Putty is not used much these days and can lay on the shelf of hardware stores for ages.
Remember to work the putty before you apply it. 
Make sure you buy a  putty knife as well.

----------


## piscean

i bought some recently to do the same thing, some of the old putty was all brittle and falling out along the bottom of some window frames. someone here suggested selleys special putty but when I went to bunnings the tub was much more than I needed and since I only needed a small amount I bought this one instead which came in a really small tub 
Selleys Woodfilling Putty:  http://www.selleys.com.au/Selleys-Wo...y/default.aspx

----------


## SilentButDeadly

Also a Selleys product but always (for me) cheaper than the Selleys brand of so-called Special Putty.  Works a treat and I've done more than s few windows with it.

----------


## nww1969

Conway linseed oil putty was the product the glass place gave me to replace new
pane to old wooden window.400g for $6
Takes a bit to get used to the knife and finishing. you can use a small scrapper as well.
linseed putty will take a week or two to form a hard skin before you can paint.
I've been using the left over to fill nail holes on other projects around the house.  
Actually enjoyed the whole process of replacing glass and learning to use putty.

----------


## Compleat Amateu

4 hints: 
1. You will take out more old putty than you intend to, it gets pretty brittle.  I used a grinder to get back to solid putty, sounds brutal but is more sure than a chisel;
2. Paint the bare timber with an oil-based paint - this stops the oli being sucked out of the putty by the dry timber;
3. Don't overfill the join, you want it to finish slightly below the inside rebate (see 4);
4. Paint the putty-glass join to fully waterproof it.  That is, you should actually have 1mm of paint film on the glass, thereby sealing the edge.  This is esp true on the bottom edge, which gets the weather. 
Nothing to it!  But I like the smell and feel of natural materials.  Give me putty every time over silicon!

----------


## Gooner

Heyya guys. Thanks for all the responses, but I want to confirm something. 
I went out and bought the Polyfilla stiff as pictured above. It says its good for glazing on metal and wood. However, I went out today to apply the stuff on the windows and it just didn't "feel" right. I don't really see it sticking to the window or wood very well and can imagine it falling off in no time. It's also awkward to work.  
Below are some images of what I am trying to do. Around all my awning windows, there is some kind of putty holding the glass in from the outside. It is rock solid stuff. On two windows it has badly flaked and I want to replace. Is polyfilla really the right stuff to use?

----------


## Tools

It is the same thing.Putty hardens over time. Make sure you knead the putty in your hands before trying to apply it. 
Tools

----------


## Compleat Amateu

Tools is on the right track, I can't speak for Polyfilla (Pollyfilla?  Parrot food?), as I use Selleys Putty.  So I'll assume it is the same. 
1.  Chip or grind (an angle grinder works a treat, believe it or not) the old putty, which will be brittle and hard.  The glass will be held in place by the glaziers' pins (not sure of their proper name).  If you were going to take out all the old putty (I wouldn't do the top edge which is out of the weather), I'd probably dismount the window and do the next steps with it horizontal;
2.  PAINT the raw timber revealed with OIL BASED paint, any old @@@@@ paint will do fine.  But as the capital letters suggest, this is a critical step.  Oh, and let it dry;
3.  Apply your putty as Tools suggests, working the linseed in with your hands - makes your hands smell nice I reckon.  You'll need a small blade to work it in, and the oil in the srface makes it workable;
4. Then paint it after a couple of weeks, nor before. The manufacturer's instructions tell you minimum time, but my renovations have never been so fast that that timeframe has been under threat.

----------


## Gooner

Thanks guys. Appreciate the responses.  
Looks like it's a goer then. I did coat the bare timber with oil based undercoat. The Polyfilla suggest 3 days before painting, but the stuff I used to fill the cracks on the inside just over 1 week ago is still quite soft. Hardening up slowly, but still quite soft. I may wait at least two weeks before painting the much thicker sections on the outside of the windows. 
Last time I tried, I had a bugger of a time getting the surface finish looking good after applying the putty. Looks like I will need to practice again.

----------

