The British weather is known to be wet and miserable. Sorry to start this blog post on such a distinctive British moaning tone but sadly it’s true.
As the leaves start to fall off the trees, so does the rain from the sky. And as they say, “when it rains, it pours”. That’s good for the plants and trees, but if you have exposed wooden window sills as a part of your lovely sash window, you’re probably not too happy that rain is making its way into your property.
We receive many questions from customers regarding painting and protecting their wooden windows and window sills. We answer some of those questions below about window sill repair.
How often do you need to paint my window sills?
Typically, getting your windows and window sills painted every 5-7 years is good practice. It hugely depends on the job done before, if your windows were prepped and primed correctly, as well as had an oil-based topcoat, then it should protect your wooden window sills for 5-10 years. Of course, it depends on the weather exposure and if any holes or cuts develop in the paint, allowing water to penetrate the wood.
Why should you care about your window sills?
Rain generally sits on window sills as, especially a sash window sill, they are typically flat, although they should ideally be sloping downwards to drain off water.
If rainwater sits on your window sills, it will eventually find its way into the wood. If water gets into your wood, the wood will start to rot, Woodlice will also find refuge around your window sill and need a window sill replacement. Having water come through your wooden window sill will then allow the water to run into your brickwork, this can cause further damage to the walls causing damp.
The knock-on effects of exposed wooden window sills are copious, for example, the window frame becomes moist as the moisture rises. Some try to ignore it, but the worse it gets, the more expensive it would be to restore and fix.
How much does it cost to repair window sills?
Depending on the extent of damage, repairing a window sill could range from £150 to £300 on average. This depends on if the window sill can be to be repaired or it needs replacing
Final word
So, when should you get your window sills repaired? If you are starting to see the paint on your window sills peel and flake, or if you can see the wood, then it’s probably time to repair your window sills. Many customers choose to get their whole window done simultaneously, but others are mainly concerned with their window sill as that’s where the water is getting in.
