proper CARE and MAINTENANCE
for your custom wooden windows and/or doors

 

    FOR "SIKKENS" TRANSLUCENT EXTERIOR SURFACES

All exterior surfaces must be completely sealed with the recommended number of coats.  The bottoms and edges are very important to protect.  The finish should completely cover the exterior glass stops, in fact lap slightly onto the glass.  All nail hole and cracks must be completely covered with finish.  Any crack in the finish could allow moisture to get behind the finish, which is not desired. Exposure to sun and weather will take its toll, especially on translucent finishes.  MOST IMPORTANT is to keep and maintain this protection through the years and decades. To protect your window and door investment, we recommend that a local painter be hired to make an annual inspection and perform the necessary maintenance.  The key element is to maintain the product BEFORE it begins to fail.  If the product is not properly maintained, significant and costly degeneration may occur. 

 

“Sikkens” Maintenance

Exposure to sun and weather will take its toll, even on this Sikkens wood finish.  Depending on the amount of exposure (especially sun), the frequency of a maintenance top coat of Sikkens will vary.  An annual inspection is recommended, paying special attention to sills and edges. When thinning and/or fading is noticed, a maintenance top coat should be applied.  Generally, on average, this maintenance coat should be applied every 2-3 years on sun-exposed sides (South and West) and every 3-4 years on North and East sides.  Sites with high exposure will require more frequent maintenance. 

 

FOR INTERIOR SURFACES RECEIVED WITH ONE COAT "SIKKENS"

Often our product is shipped with 1-coat “Sikkens” as a stain/sealer on the interior surfaces, which allows the beauty of the wood to show.  These interior surfaces should receive additional coats of something to complete the interior finish.  It can be as simple as “furniture oil” or some brand of “tung” oil or “Watco” brand oil, resulting in a rich oiled finish.  For a more smooth washable surface, varnish, polyurethane, wax or lacquered types of finish may be used.

 

FOR PAINTED EXTERIOR SURFACES

All exterior surfaces must be completely sealed (painted) shortly after receiving the product.  A premium exterior acrylic (latex) or oil based (alkyd) paint is highly recommended.  The bottoms and edges are very important to protect.  Paint should completely cover the exterior glass stops, and in fact lap slightly onto the glass.  All nail holes and cracks must be filled (caulked) and covered with paint.  Exposure to sun and weather will take its toll.  MOST IMPORTANT is to keep and maintain this protection through the years and decades. To protect your window and door investment, we recommend that a local painter be hired to make an annual inspection and perform the necessary maintenance. 

The key element is to maintain the product BEFORE it begins to fail.  If the product is not properly maintained, significant and costly degeneration may occur.