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.
REPAINTING STEEL WINDOWS
PART 1–GENERAL
1.01 SUMMARY
A. This procedure includes guidance on stripping steel
windows of all paint build-up, cleaning and repainting
the steel and recaulking joints between metal and
masonry.
B. This procedure should be used in conjunction with 05010-
05-R “Cleaning/Removing Paint from Wrought Iron, Cast
iron and Steel Using Mechanical/Abrasive Methods”, which
is frequently cross-referenced throughout this procedure.
C. 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
http://www.devcon.com/
B. Fisher Scientific Company
https://www.fishersci.com/
C. The Sherwin Williams Co.
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/
2.02 MATERIALS
NOTE: In addition to the materials listed below, see those
items listed in 05010-05-R.
A. Primer: Alkyd gloss; color should be distinct from base
coat finish.
B. Paint: Alkyd gloss; base coat color should be distinct
from both primer and finish coat; finish coat color
should match original.
C. Degreaser/Standard Solvent
D. Metal Filler: Two-part epoxy metal filler, putty grade.
E. Backer Rod: Polyethylene, compressible rod; size should
be 50% larger in diameter than joint.
F. Sealant: Polyurethane sealant, to match color of window
paint.
G. Weatherstripping: To match existing weatherstripping
materials.
H. Clean, potable water
I. Clean, dry cloths
2.03 EQUIPMENT
NOTE: In addition to the equipment listed below, see those
items listed in 05010-05-R.
A. Wire brush
B. Paint brushes
C. Sandpaper
PART 3–EXECUTION
3.01 PREPARATION
A. Protection: Protect adjacent masonry and glass from
damage during work by providing temporary covers of
cardboard or fiberboard; hold boards in place using
heavy-duty strapping tape or wood bracing. See also
05010-05-R for other protection measures to take when
performing this kind of work.
B. Surface Preparation:
1. Remove paint, rust and scale from steel windows by
scraping or sanding. USE CAUTION TO PREVENT
PITTING OR ABRASION OF METAL SURFACES. See 05010-
05-R, Section 3.03 A. and 3.03 B. for additional
guidance.
2. Remove caulking between metal and masonry by hand.
See 07900-01-R for additional guidance.
3. Using a wire brush, remove dirt, grease and
corrosion from the metal surfaces. Air-blast any
residual grit from the surface. See 05010-05-R,
Section 3.03 C. for guidance.
4. Repair or replace deteriorated pieces of metal to
match existing. Repair or replace damaged or
missing hardware to match existing.
5. Clean bare metal with a degreaser such as a mixture
of 75% toluene, 24% acetone, and 1% butyl acetate
(Fisher Scientific Company), or approved equal.
6. Fill small holes and other imperfections with a
metal filler such as “Plastic Steel” (Devcon), or
approved equal. See also 05010-01-R for guidance.
7. After metal filler has cured, sand flush with the
surface.
3.02 ERECTION, INSTALLATION, APPLICATION
A. Apply primer to metal surfaces such as “Kromik Metal
Primer” (Sherwin Williams), or approved equal. Use a
color distinctly different from the finish color.
NOTE: METAL MUST BE PRIMED WITHIN 2 HOURS OF CLEANING,
TO AVOID CORROSION.
B. Seal any open joints between metal features using backer
rods and sealant. Finish joint smooth and concave; color
should match paint color. Wipe off excess sealant from
the face of the metal and/or stone. See 07900-01-R for
additional guidance.
D. Brush apply 2 coats of paint to the steel such as
“Metalstic II Enamel” (Sherwin Williams), or approved
equal. See also 05010-13-S and 09900-07-S for guidance.
1. Apply each coat evenly at a rate recommended by the
manufacturer.
2. Cover surfaces completely to provide a uniform
color and clean, sharp appearance, with no
overlaps.
NOTE: ALLOW EACH COAT TO THOROUGHLY DRY BEFORE APPLYING
THE NEXT COAT.
3.03 ADJUSTING/CLEANING
A. Immediately remove any paint which has spilled or
spattered on adjacent surfaces.