Main House Extension
Exterior Transformation
Windows
I've decided on Dulux Weathershield Semi-gloss Colourbond "Wheat" C16 as the colour, an earthy beige colour with some depth to it that I think goes well with the stone hues of the old building and the colour scheme in general. "Wheat" will likely replace "Paperbark" as my general trim colour (windows, gutters, bargeboards, edge-rolls, etc.) and the lighter Paperbark will be the colour of exterior non-masonry surfaces (hardiplank, paneling above windows etc.).
The window frames were "Brunswick Green" and flaking. The photo below is typical of the rear sills after scraping, sanding and priming with Zinzer Peel Stop clear primer. I like the way the primer penetrates the soft cedar and tends to harden it. In the can and on the brush it looks like a thinned PVA or polyurethane glue.
1. Needs repainting
In addition, the upper sash in all but one (the smallest) of the six double-hung sash windows had been painted shut. I'd learned from the annex repainting that the Stegbar window sash are easily removed for painting from the inside without tools. All sash are now moving freely now.
If you have double hung sash windows and someone has painted the upper sash shut then you are really under utilising your investment. Dropping the upper sash rather than raising the lower sash has, as I have discovered, several useful effects:
easier to reach the upper panes for cleaning when the top sash can be lowered.
the gap being at the top allows hotter air to escape.
rain is less likely to enter particularly if the opening is shared between top, bottom and middle.
small agile four-legged pets (cats excepted) can't escape out through the open window.
small hands or paws are less likely to tear holes in your insect screens.
2. The kitchen window was the colour test.
3. Main bathroom upper and lower sash repainted and drying before re-installation.
4. Completed rear windows. The fly screens aren't too intrusive. Compared to the plan the only difference is that the brick through-faces are not stained the lighter colour.
5. Completed north facing windows (at left). Paneling over windows is still to be done.
6. Kitchen and east wall.
7. Kitchen and east wall (reverse angle).
I like the subtle effects that have unexpectedly emerged.
The dark monotone brick colour accentuates the structural lines. E.g. the centre wall protrusion (photo 62 above), where the mixed brick colours previously effectively camouflaged those lines.
The light coloured lower wall gives the illusion that it is a little thicker than the dark upper wall (photos 62 and 63). The centre wall protrusion appears to be a little wider at the bottom because the edges of the lighter colour contrast strongly against the shadows whereas the edges in the darker colour blend with the shadows.
The contrasting window colour that matches the brick sill colour appears to accentuate depth and bulk.
These visual effects contribute "mass" to the structure, which helps to visually integrate the "brick veneer" extension with the greater natural mass of the old school building.