U.S. General Services Administration
Technical Procedures Disclaimer
Prior to inclusion in GSA’s library of procedures, documents are reviewed by one or more qualified preservation specialists for general consistency with the Secretary of Interior Standards for rehabilitating historic buildings as understood at the time the procedure is added to the library. All specifications require project-specific editing and professional judgement regarding the applicability of a procedure to a particular building, project or location. References to products and suppliers are to serve as a general guideline and do not constitute a federal endorsement or determination that a product or method is the best or most current alternative, remains available, or is compliant with current environmental regulations and safety standards. The library of procedures is intended to serve as a resource, not a substitute, for specification development by a qualified preservation professional.
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We’ve reviewed these procedures for general consistency with federal standards for rehabilitating historic buildings and provide them only as a reference. Specifications should only be applied under the guidance of a qualified preservation professional who can assess the applicability of a procedure to a particular building, project or location. References to products and suppliers serve as general guidelines and do not constitute a federal endorsement nor a determination that a product or method is the best alternative or compliant with current environmental regulations and safety standards.
CLEANING AND PAINTING STEEL WINDOWS
BEFORE UNDERTAKING ANY PROJECT INVOLVING PAINT REMOVAL, APPLICABLE STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS ON LEAD PAINT ABATEMENT AND DISPOSAL MUST BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AND CAREFULLY FOLLOWED. STATE AND FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS MAY AFFECT OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO OWNERS ON BOTH PAINT REMOVAL AND REPAINTING. THESE LAWS, AS WELL AS ANY REQUIREMENTS PROHIBITING VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOCs), SHOULD BE REQUESTED FROM THE STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER IN EACH STATE. (From Preservation Brief 28, “Painting Historic Interiors”).
REGULATORY INFORMATION MAY ALSO BE REQUESTED FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) REGIONAL OFFICE AND/OR THE STATE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.
PART 1–GENERAL
1.01 SUMMARY
A. This procedure includes guidance on the cleaning and painting of exterior steel windows. It also includes information on removing all deteriorated caulking and
recaulking all joints between metal elements and masonry.
B. See 01100-07-S for general project guidelines to be reviewed along with this procedure. These guidelines cover the following sections:
1. Safety Precautions
2. Historic Structures Precautions
3. Submittals
4. Quality Assurance
5. Delivery, Storage and Handling
6. Project/Site Conditions
7. Sequencing and Scheduling
8. General Protection (Surface and Surrounding)
These guidelines should be reviewed prior to performing this procedure and should be followed, when applicable, along with recommendations from the Regional Historic Preservation Officer (RHPO).
PART 2–PRODUCTS
2.01 MANUFACTURERS
A. Devcon Corporation
2.02 MATERIALS
A. Metal Filler: Steel filled two-part epoxy metal filler, putty grade such as “Plastic Steel Putty A” (Devcon Corporation), or approved equal.
B. Dry Grit Blasting: Fine grit No. 16 at 80-100 psi.
C. Paint for Metal: Paint products shall be fresh and well ground; shall not settle readily, cake or thicken in the container; shall be broken up readily with a paddle to a smooth consistency and shall have easy application properties. Other painting materials such as linseed oil, turpentine, mineral spirits, and miscellaneous
thickeners, shall be the highest quality of an approved manufacturer.
1. Colors: Each primer coat to be clearly different in color; base coat to be clearly different from primer and finish coat; finish coat to match existing or as approved by RHPO.
2. Dry Film Thickness: Primer, base and finish, each 2 mils.
D. Sealant Backer Rod: Polyethylene compressible rod 50% larger in diameter than joint.
E. Sealant: Polysulfide sealant, white or light grey in color.
F. Mineral Spirits:
1. A petroleum distillate that is used especially as a paint or varnish thinner.
2. Other chemical or common names include Benzine* (not Benzene); Naphtha*; Petroleum spirits*; Solvent naphtha*.
3. Potential Hazards: TOXIC AND FLAMMABLE.
4. Safety Precautions:
a. AVOID REPEATED OR PROLONGED SKIN CONTACT.
b. ALWAYS wear rubber gloves when handling mineral spirits.
c. If any chemical is splashed onto the skin, wash immediately with soap and water.
5. Available from construction specialties distributor, hardware store, paint store, or printer’s supply distributor.
2.03 EQUIPMENT
A. Chisels
B. Joint tools
C. Putty knife
D. Stiff, bristle brushes
E. Paint brushes
PART 3–EXECUTION
3.01 PREPARATION
A. Protection:
1. Enclose any dry grit blasting work areas with temporary scaffolding or framework sufficient to support tarpaulin enclosure to prevent escape of abrasive.
2. Shield adjacent masonry and glass with a temporary covering of cardboard or fiberboard held in place with heavy-duty strapping tape or wood bracing.
B. Surface Preparation:
1. Determine surfaces to which paint is to be applied are even, smooth, sound, clean, dry and free from defects affecting proper application. Report defective surfaces to Contracting Officer.
2. All painting should be executed at a temperature range of 50 to 80 F, at a relative humidity below 60%.
3.02 ERECTION, INSTALLATION, APPLICATION
A. Remove all paint to bare metal from the surface of the frames and sash. Restore sash to full operation.
B. Paint removal may be done by dry grit blasting, scraping or sanding. See also 05010-05-R for additional guidance on paint removal from steel.
C. Remove, by hand, all caulking between metal and masonry.
D. Clean off dirt and grease by rubbing the surface with mineral spirits. Remove residual grit from all surfaces by air blasting.
E. Seal all open joints between metal elements and masonry with backer rods and sealant. Joints shall be concave with smooth finish. Do not allow sealant to extend over the edges of the metal or the face of the stone. See also 07900-01-R for guidance on replacing joint sealants between window frames and masonry.
F. Prime all metal within two hours of cleaning. Use color distinct from finish color.
G. Paint to match color specified by the RHPO.
1. Brush-apply material evenly without runs, sags, or other defects. Work each coat onto the material being coated at an average rate of coverage recommended in manufacturer’s printed instructions.
2. Cover surfaces completely to provide uniform color and appearance with a minimum of dry, film thickness of 2 mils.
3. Make edges of paint, adjoining other materials or colors, sharp and clean and without overlaps.
4. Apply additional coats when undercoats, stains, or other conditions show through final coat of paint, until paint film is of uniform finish, color and appearance. Insure that corners, edges, crevices and exposed fasteners receive a dry film thickness equal to that of flat surfaces.
5. Each coat of paint is to be slightly darker than the preceding coat with the final coat exactly matching the accepted samples.
3.03 ADJUSTING/CLEANING
A. Cleanup: Remove all paint where it has spilled or spattered. Use paint thinner or solvent as necessary to effect complete removal.