Restoring original window sils

Cully25

Hi,


I have stripped numerous coats of paint off the old window sils (1930's oak underneath) but it's taking some work to get them to look good. The previous owner decided to fill in holes/scratches with white polyfilla just to add to it! Does anyone know how to get these looking great again? I have been sanding with a hard and a medium paper but am concerned when I put a sealer over the top it will show all these imperfections still...
When I wipe them with a damp cloth all of the scratches and every minute imperfection stand out massively!


Thanks!

DirectDebacle

Presumably you are referring to the internal window boards. The amount of work required will depend on how deep the holes/scratches are and the finish you intend to apply.

If you are going to repaint then all you need to do is sand the surface smooth and repaint.

If you are wanting to re-finish the wood with a clear finish to show the beauty of the grain then you will need to get the surface back to bare wood. Even using a good quality electric sander this can take several hours of work, so be patient.

Start with an aggressive grit paper e.g. 40 grit. Sand until all scratches and filler are removed. You then sand using progressively finer grit 60/80/100/120/150/180. The purpose is to remove the sanding marks of the previous grit. By the time you get to 180 it should be good enough for the finish of your choice.