Our living room timber windows have been in a state of disrepair for some time. Most older dwellings have timber window and are subjected to the elements; ours are no different. Moisture has seeped in to the timber frames over the long years and caused them to have rotten in places over time. Long before our extended overseas trip in March I have got a quote to get the windows repaired with new frames and sashes and finally I am able to get the job done done now that the weather is more agreeable.
The repair job is done over 2 days in late August by this trusty tradie, Mark Walters. He proves to be reliable and skillful. It turns out that the repair work is really fiddly and requires someone with a great deal of patience and attention to details. The frames and sashes have to be measured and cut to sizes on site and fitted. Mark does the job amicably.
When I request that I take his picture for my post he says, "In my thirty years of business no one has ever asked me for my picture taken". Here you go, there's always a first!
Over many cups of coffee during breaks, and one with two shots of brandy in the coffee because it is cold outside, we get to talking about his family and his love for footy and beer. He is almost like a regular Aussie tradie except that he has a bit of grey matter between his ears and an inquisitiveness for learning.
After the job is done the night mare begins! I have to paint the new timber windows! Yuck! I hate painting jobs but someone has to do it. So I spend 2 days solid, taking advantage of the good Spring sun early this week, sanding down the timber, vacuuming, painting the timber, and finally it's over. It's looking good.
Mark says, in answer to my question, "This should last 100 years. Let's put it this way Al, the windows will still be there in good nick long before you and I have gone". That's assurance from a tradie and I hope he means it.
The new window frames and sashes ........ costing $1400 to repair. Ouch.
This is one painting tool I find most useful - line it up on the timber edge against the glass and paint the frame so that the paint does not get on to the glass, it's brilliant
Whilst I am on a roll I also paint two zinc-alum downpipes which I added sometime ago to a front verandah gutter and a side roof gutter to facilitate better rain water flow. On my painting work list I still have the rear decking to oil and stain, a couple of deck furniture to sand down and re-varnish, one part of the dining room ceiling that needs to be re-painted due to some water leak, and to repaint my front verandah ceiling. Wow, this is incredibly overwhelming and when am I going to finish them all??? (I hope by end of September!)
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