Wet rot is the decay of timber caused by fungus and moulds growing in damp wood. Conventional paints break down with uv light and eventually fail. This allows water to get in underneath the paint where it gets trapped causing eventual wet rot decay. The key is to use a fully breathable paint which can allow the wood to dry out and keep the fungus responsible for rot in check. Natural oil paints are very breathable and last a lot longer than conventional paints. Also they are much easier to maintain. Only needing a quick freshen up over the years, as opposed to a major overhaul involving striping the paint back to bare wood. Natural oil paints including linseed oil paints have many advantages but we need to relearn how to use them. The drying times are much longer, it's harder to achieve a very good finish and they can be susceptible to mildew, especially in exposed north facing locations. However, if wood windows are looked after, maintained and cleaned from time to time, they can give excellent service for generations. Long outlasting plastic.
For more information on the different paints available and their suitability for use on timber please see the following links.
www.buildingconservation.com/articles/paintwoodweather/paintwoodweather.htm
www.buildingconservation.com/articles/microporosity/microporosity.htm
http://www.spab.org.uk/advice/technical-qas/technical-qa-30-lead-paint/
www.osmouk.com/osmocolor.cfm?chapter=5
http://www.linseedpaintandwaxco.co.uk/
http://www.solventfreepaint.com/info/history_linseed_paint.htm
Please feel free to leave feedback on your experience with painted wood.
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