Dear Donny

Q

I’m moving house soon and the new place has brown wooden window frames. I’d like to paint the inside of the frames to brighten the inside up. How do I go about this?

Sara Lloyd, by email

A

Use sugar soap to get rid of the grease, slime and nicotine and then dry the wood and sand with 120 grade sandpaper. Wipe with a lint-free cloth. Apply at least two undercoats, sanding in-between them until no brown is showing. Then apply your top coat. Q

Through the summer, our bathroom door closes nicely, but by the middle of the winter the door will hardly shut. Can you help? David Palmer, by email

A

Internal moisture levels increase during the winter meaning timber doors will expand. Either take the door off and paint/seal the unpainted top and bottom edges. As a last resort, sand the closing edge down a touch until it shuts, but this may result in a gap when the door shrinks in summer.