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9 A window sills orientation to the elements is its Achilles heel. Sills sit horizontally so water and snow gathers and lays on them. In the spring and fall this is particularly destruc- tive because it freezes at night and then melts during the day. These multiple freeze thaw cycles accelerate the growth of hair-line cracks Homeowners with wooden window sills, in other words the majority of homeowners, can face the frustration of peeling paint every couple of years. What is the cause and what is the remedy? The biggest enemy of wood is moisture. When it manages to penetrate, it causes the rapid deterioration of paint film. Biggest enemy of wood is moisture into visibly peeling paint. If wood can be kept dry, its life expectancy is immeasurably lengthened. The key then, is to keep wood dry; if moisture is sealed out, the wood lasts longer. Moisture control is the key to stretching the time between the inevitable re-painting. With wood there is no other way. Paint has been the homeowners weapon of choice for generations in the war against mois- ture. If the truth be known, though, 99.9% of people are using paint for aesthetic reasons just for the look of it. So people paint wood for the wrong rea- sons; nevertheless, wood used out doors will always need to be refinished. The length of time between coasts of paint depends on how well moisture is sealed out, how well the sur- face is prepared, and the quality of the paint. Suppose you could get up to 10 years out of a paint job; would you be interested? You will pay a price now in time invested but will reap the dividends for ten long years. The first step is to remove all the paint so that it is down to bare wood. Sanding with a sandpaper disk on a drill is effective or you can use a chemical paint stripper or a heat gun. It doesn't matter how you do it, but you must strip all of the paint off, down to the bare wood. Any nails that have popped should be set below the surface and filled with an exteri- or grade filler. If there are any cracks in the wood, fill and sand them flush with the sur- (This article was produced by St. Clair, the paint and paper people) Now soak the wood with a waterproofing sealer. This is the key, it waterproofs the wood and thus prevents water penetration. After the sealer has been applied, apply a coat of quality acrylic exterior primer and then two coats of acrylic exterior paint. It sounds like a lot of work, but the invest- ment up front will pay off down the road. About 10 years down the road before you need to repaint. 1ce