Longer answers to the jobs people actually have in front of them — a failed fillet, a cracked pane, a steel casement, a sash that has not been painted since the eighties.
Metal casement putty explained — why a non-absorbent frame needs a different oil blend, how to prepare rusted steel, and the sequence for re-puttying a steel casement without cracking the glass.
Read →Why putty rather than beads on a period sash, how to work on glazing bars without breaking them, what listed-building status changes, and the order of work when the sash comes out of the box frame.
Read →Hacking out, priming, bedding, sprigging, knifing the bevel and painting — the full sequence for re-puttying a timber window, with the tools, the timings and the mistakes that cost people the job.
Read →MS-polymer sealants, butyl tape, silicone and acrylic compounds all promise to replace linseed oil putty. An honest comparison of cost, working life, appearance and — the decisive factor — what glass you are fitting.
Read →How long putty takes to skin, the 7–28 day painting window every data sheet specifies, why the paint must be carried onto the glass, and what to do when British weather refuses to cooperate.
Read →Putty that crumbles, lifts off in lengths, stays greasy for months or splits away from the glass is telling you exactly what went wrong. How to read each pattern, and what to do about it.
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