Browse Forums DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair 1 Mar 23, 2010 5:11 pm I'm trying to refresh the surface of old (1960's) aluminium window frames (not anodised)which are slightly mottled all over with corrosion. I've started using a fine steel wool which polishes up the surface quite well and then thought i'd lightly oil or wax the surfaces. But there is a lot to do..... Anyone have any better ideas? Re: Renovating old aluminium window frames 2Mar 26, 2010 8:28 am the house i am renting now has got the same problem. and worse it has got wimndows that slide up and down, and whatever mechanism was there is not working now. we cant open the windows because they just fall down and close. the tradies who looked at them said they need to be replaced. however it will be some major work and they can not do it while we are here. does anyone know a window repairer who can fix these windows VICTORY 1800, EN-SUITE, DOUBLE GARAGE, FAMILY ROOM AND ALFRESCO Land Settled: 20 July 2010 Site Scrap: 30 August 2010 Slab Pour: 20 September 2010 Frame Complete: 23 September 2010 Fascia and Gutters: 28 September 2010 Roof Complete: 06 October 2010 Lock-up complete: 28 October 2010 Plaster complete: 29 October 2010 Fix-out complete: 22 Nov 2010 PCI 7 FEBRUARY 2011 Re: Renovating old aluminium window frames 3Mar 26, 2010 4:59 pm Pepto471 the house i am renting now has got the same problem. and worse it has got wimndows that slide up and down, and whatever mechanism was there is not working now. we cant open the windows because they just fall down and close. the tradies who looked at them said they need to be replaced. however it will be some major work and they can not do it while we are here. does anyone know a window repairer who can fix these windows Not sure where you are, but Google "sash balance replacement"... that's all you need. Ed "ECOECO" At 'EcoEco', we design windows, we design the best windows, we do it for you, so that when you’re happy we are happy. Tel. 1800 326 326 Re: Renovating old aluminium window frames 4Mar 26, 2010 5:00 pm Imke I'm trying to refresh the surface of old (1960's) aluminium window frames (not anodised)which are slightly mottled all over with corrosion. I've started using a fine steel wool which polishes up the surface quite well and then thought i'd lightly oil or wax the surfaces. But there is a lot to do..... Anyone have any better ideas? I think you are creating a permanent problem... Get some aluminium primer, paint it on, then paint any colour you like... won't be perfect, but nobody would know from a distance. Ed "ECOECO" At 'EcoEco', we design windows, we design the best windows, we do it for you, so that when you’re happy we are happy. Tel. 1800 326 326 Re: Renovating old aluminium window frames 5Mar 26, 2010 7:24 pm ed @ EcoClassic Pepto471 the house i am renting now has got the same problem. and worse it has got wimndows that slide up and down, and whatever mechanism was there is not working now. we cant open the windows because they just fall down and close. the tradies who looked at them said they need to be replaced. however it will be some major work and they can not do it while we are here. does anyone know a window repairer who can fix these windows Not sure where you are, but Google "sash balance replacement"... that's all you need. Ed Fantastic, i will now trouble the landlord. cheers VICTORY 1800, EN-SUITE, DOUBLE GARAGE, FAMILY ROOM AND ALFRESCO Land Settled: 20 July 2010 Site Scrap: 30 August 2010 Slab Pour: 20 September 2010 Frame Complete: 23 September 2010 Fascia and Gutters: 28 September 2010 Roof Complete: 06 October 2010 Lock-up complete: 28 October 2010 Plaster complete: 29 October 2010 Fix-out complete: 22 Nov 2010 PCI 7 FEBRUARY 2011 Re: Renovating old aluminium window frames 6Mar 27, 2010 4:27 pm Thanks, Pepto & Ed. Pepto, like you, mine are old sash aluminium windows with a lock-catch that allows locking fully shut or open about 2.5cm. And with two of them a spring inside the sash makes them shoot open as soon as you release the catch. They all seem in pretty good condition so I don't want to replace them. Just renewing the surface would be enough. Ed, thankyou for the advice. I know they are probably anodised aluminium, and that polishing with steel wool could remove the anodising, however this steel wool is very fine and the bit I've tested came up shiny and newish. Think I'll persist with this method, even if it takes ages. Re: Renovating old aluminium window frames 7Mar 30, 2010 9:41 pm Hmmm??? I think you'll find that the steel wool is going to make them rust. You are basically rubbing iron filings into the aluminium and eventually you will get rust stains starting from the fine pieces embedded into the aluminium. Good luck with it. Re: Renovating old aluminium window frames 8Mar 31, 2010 3:15 pm Yak_Chat Hmmm??? I think you'll find that the steel wool is going to make them rust. You are basically rubbing iron filings into the aluminium and eventually you will get rust stains starting from the fine pieces embedded into the aluminium. Good luck with it. Yes, you are right Yak-Chat, I didn't think of that. Galvanic action will corrode the aluminium where it is in contact with the steel. Better use aluminium oxide abrasive paper... Ed "ECOECO" At 'EcoEco', we design windows, we design the best windows, we do it for you, so that when you’re happy we are happy. Tel. 1800 326 326 Re: Renovating old aluminium window frames 9Apr 27, 2010 4:30 pm ed @ EcoClassic Imke I'm trying to refresh the surface of old (1960's) aluminium window frames (not anodised)which are slightly mottled all over with corrosion. I've started using a fine steel wool which polishes up the surface quite well and then thought i'd lightly oil or wax the surfaces. But there is a lot to do..... Anyone have any better ideas? I think you are creating a permanent problem... Get some aluminium primer, paint it on, then paint any colour you like... won't be perfect, but nobody would know from a distance. Ed We are looking at painting a new alumnium door frame to white (query is only in regards to the door frame as the door is a timber door so shouldn't be a problem to paint). The colour paperbark was chosen for the aluminium door frame as the external bricks are beige so it matches well but we didn't think that from the inside, it would look awful. Now we want to paint the inside door frame to white (leave the outside beige), we are told that we shouldn't do it as it will peel off and flake straight away. Is this right, will it still peel and flake if we use an aluminium primer as you said? What kind of paint do we need to use on top of the primer so it doesn't peel/flake? [i]We built in Point Cook and are loving our new house. Re: Renovating old aluminium window frames 10Apr 27, 2010 6:02 pm dreamhome ed @ EcoClassic Imke I'm trying to refresh the surface of old (1960's) aluminium window frames (not anodised)which are slightly mottled all over with corrosion. I've started using a fine steel wool which polishes up the surface quite well and then thought i'd lightly oil or wax the surfaces. But there is a lot to do..... Anyone have any better ideas? I think you are creating a permanent problem... Get some aluminium primer, paint it on, then paint any colour you like... won't be perfect, but nobody would know from a distance. Ed We are looking at painting a new alumnium door frame to white (query is only in regards to the door frame as the door is a timber door so shouldn't be a problem to paint). The colour paperbark was chosen for the aluminium door frame as the external bricks are beige so it matches well but we didn't think that from the inside, it would look awful. Now we want to paint the inside door frame to white (leave the outside beige), we are told that we shouldn't do it as it will peel off and flake straight away. Is this right, will it still peel and flake if we use an aluminium primer as you said? What kind of paint do we need to use on top of the primer so it doesn't peel/flake? If you have used aluminium primer, I don't know how the top coat would know that there was aluminium underneath to flake... sounds strange to me. Use any acrylic paint - unless someone else offers better advice... Ed "ECOECO" At 'EcoEco', we design windows, we design the best windows, we do it for you, so that when you’re happy we are happy. Tel. 1800 326 326 Re: Renovating old aluminium window frames 11Apr 28, 2010 8:46 am ed @ EcoClassic If you have used aluminium primer, I don't know how the top coat would know that there was aluminium underneath to flake... sounds strange to me. Use any acrylic paint - unless someone else offers better advice... Ed Yeps the builder's painter is doing it and he was not keen on doing it as he kept saying it will peel off, not sure if he is using an aluminium primer or not, will have to check this! otherwise might be best to do it ourselves and get it right the first time... Thanks Ed [i]We built in Point Cook and are loving our new house. Re: Renovating old aluminium window frames 12Jun 15, 2010 1:47 pm Paint it! You can use powder-coating. Or spray-painted epoxy paint works very well and will be much cheaper. Re: Renovating old aluminium window frames 13Jun 17, 2010 12:07 pm Ol'Painting Paint it! You can use powder-coating. Or spray-painted epoxy paint works very well and will be much cheaper. Sorry to sound ignorant, where can i buy the powder coating or spray painted epoxy paint? Would a place like Bunnings have them? Do i need an aluminium primer underneath? [i]We built in Point Cook and are loving our new house. Re: Renovating old aluminium window frames 14Jul 31, 2010 3:02 pm Powder coating is an application method. Their paint is not much different. But it requires a special spray that can not be hired by law. DIY is not an option here. If you want your windows powdercoated – you have to call a trader to do it. But you can get a really good finish with a conventional spray and 2 pack epoxy paint. You can get it from Bunning or a paint store. Spraying itself will only take few hours. But be prepared to spend a day or two masking glass & walls around a frame, so they are protected during spraying. Get masking tape, plastic drop sheets, paper rolls and do the coverage as carefully as possible. Everything not sealed off completely will get paint or over-splash! This is an idea of how windows should look when covered for spray painting: http://ol-painting.blogspot.com/2010/06/project-of-month-june-2.html For your reference Performance Labels: Window assemblies in housing, except timber windows, must be labelled so the label can be seen when it is in situ. For timber… 6 7636 4 14131 |