This guide will cover the importance of monitoring, what to look for and when, how to repair, and what to avoid (to prevent long-term problems).

to be added later

All painted wood should be inspected annually for any signs of breakdown and decay, and will need repainting about once every 3-5 years. South or West facing exposures, and river facing exposures, may need repainting more frequently.

Remove all loose, flaking or unsound paint by scraping, sanding, wire brushing or use a hot air gun with caution and clean back to a sound firm edge of the old paint film. Particular care must be taken when treating surfaces that may contain paint applied pre-1960 as this may include paints containing white lead.

Cut back any decayed wood to sound wood and replace with a section of new timber that has been treated with a suitable timber preservative. If there is only a small cavity, use a suitable exterior wood filler to match the existing colour of the preserved timber.

Wash down all remaining areas with a dilute solution [of what? check original text]

Repainting Woodwork