Jump to content
Complete France Forum

Renovating volets


Lori

Recommended Posts

I did a search, but didn't find anything covering this.  We have

five good sized windows with wood volets.  The wood is in good

condition, but the paint is coming off.  We have received two

devis's for sanding and repainting the volets.   The person

we are more inclinded to hire says he would be doing this with the

volets in place.  He said he uses cardboard and plastic to protect

the windows.  I thought he would have to take the volets

off. 

Anyone have any experience with this?  Is it necessary to take the volets down or is this often done with them in place?

Pros or cons to either procedure??

Thanks much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They are much easier to do properly if taken down. All the volets my OH has repainted have been taken down, and put on tressles for sanding, staining or painting. Mind you, hanging heavy volets back on 1st or 2nd floor windows can be precarious, but I really don't see how they could be done in situ.

Email me if you want our charges!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just got back from our place, where we renovated two large barn doors, around 4m x4m. We didn't take 'em down!

Plenty of elbow grease to fetch the loose paint off, sous-couche universelle diluted 4:1 with white spirit to make it go into cracks, French green (vert lumiere) glycero brillant paint. Job (seems to be) a good 'un!

Alcazar

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Renovating volets, or repainting shutters, would be easier done in place, maybe not for an amateur, but then taking them down probably would'nt make much difference either :)

Its the same as saying to refurbish window frames you would take them out first?

Don't worry if he is a professional painter there should be no problem.!

My only question would be, what caused you to think it might be?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks to all of you.

tj - I guess it concerned me because both my neighbors took theirs down

to do them.  They did not hire a professional, so perhaps it was

easier for them to take them down and do them - not sure.  Also,

their windows are on the ground floor, ours are on the French first

floor.  I can only imagine how tough it would be to re-hang them

up there.

He is a professional and he's been doing this type of thing for 20

years, so I'm guessing he knows what he's talking about, just wanted to

ask on the forum to see what other folks have done.

We are replacing the windows middle of this month and I didn't want

them damaged by volet renovation.  Painter says he covers them

with cardboard and a bache for protection.

THANKS !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had ours done last year.  I was intrigued to see that the smaller ones were all taken off (ground and first floor) and treated when hung on a special frame, rather like a revolving coatstand or those things you choose posters from.  The hinge supports were adjustable and the volets then hung vertically just as they would when on the window but totally accessible.  He explained to me that it was important to keep them hanging vertically so as not risk warping if they were laid horizontally for any length of time.  (Now these are VERY old shutters so perhaps wood standards are different for more modern ones.)  They could also do both sides/tops/bottoms in one go.

The huge volets on the terrace doors were left in place as they were too heavy for the stands and he wanted them left vertical for the same reason.

Chrissie (81)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Chrissie:  Our volets are 65 years old.  Not sure if

yours are older than that.  I guess by French standards 65 isn't

all that old.  It is amazing to me what good shape the wood is in.

I will discuss with the painter, in more detail, his procedure before

he begins the work.  Will also discuss it with the Menuisier

putting the new windows in.  He is a real gem - did all our other

windows too.  He just doesn't have the time to do the volet

renovation.

Thanks for the info.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

zeb wrote the following post at 04/06/2006 15:50:

They are much easier to do properly if taken down. All the volets my OH has repainted have been taken down, and put on tressles for sanding, staining or painting.

Zeb we did the same or rather OH did.

Mind you, hanging heavy volets back on 1st or 2nd floor windows can be precarious,

Scary to say the least!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...