Painter Bolsward: precise work for doors and window frames

A front door that has weathered, window frames that have gone dull, a façade that deserves a fresh look? That is what we come to Bolsward for, about 24 km as the crow flies from our address in Mirns. We take on the exterior work from sill to fascia board, and inside the walls, ceilings, doors and window frames. We repair wood rot ourselves, so the paint does not end up on soft wood.

Small jobs are welcome too. Having one or two exterior doors done is no problem for us, and it can be a good start to see how we work. If you want everything in one go, read exterior painting in Bolsward for the steps.

Bolsward stands on a terp and was once a Hanseatic town. The Renaissance town hall, the Martinikerk and the ruins of the Broerekerk show how rich the town has been, and Sonnema belongs here too. In the old centre, within the town moat, many buildings have a long history and so layers of old paint. If there is any doubt about lead, we do not sand dry: white lead has only been banned outdoors since 2009.

If your house is listed, check with the municipality whether a different colour needs a permit. What that means for the painting itself, you can read at having a listed building painted. Better to find out first than to repaint afterwards, and we discuss that at the site visit too.

One of our jobs here involved exterior doors. They were first sanded completely and then primed twice with Primer Express. Only then came the topcoat: Rubbol Satura 9010, a satin white from Sikkens. That sounds like a lot of effort for a door, but this is exactly what matters. An exterior door is touched every day, gets rain on its bottom edge and moves with the seasons.

Two coats of primer fill and bond better than one. The photos and the build-up step by step are at the Bolsward exterior doors project. Look at it too if you want to know what such a door looks like halfway through, because then you see the difference between clean prep and the final coat.

On old buildings the choice of gloss matters a lot. This is how we usually explain it:

For old wood with a lot of wear and historic profiles, satin gloss often suits well, because not every old spot jumps out at once. For a modern door, high gloss can look wonderful. At high gloss or satin gloss we explain the differences further.

North-west of Bolsward the land opens up. Witmarsum lies in that wide clay region, not far from the Afsluitdijk, and gets plenty of wind on the façade. Makkum is on the IJsselmeer, known for its pottery, and has an old harbour and holiday homes on the water. Both places have many homes and farmhouses where the wind off the open land puts a heavy load on end grain and barge boards.

From Bolsward you are there in no time. For us it makes little difference, because it all falls within Súdwest-Fryslân. You get the same site visit, the same contact and a quote made for your house, not for an average one.

Take photos of the front, the back and every door that needs attention. For a door, crouch down and photograph the bottom, because that is usually where the problem starts. Note the year of construction, the last time it was painted and whether the building has listed status.

If you want to change the colour, send an example or the RAL code. For interior work, give us the dimensions of the rooms. Any details we are still missing we look at during the site visit, where we also assess the surface. Then we work out the quote with exactly the work we have agreed, so nothing stays unclear.

Old profiles take more time than flat doors, and layers of old paint need more sanding. Access in the old centre counts too, plus whether wood rot has to be repaired. A door that is just dull is therefore a very different job from a door with a soft bottom edge.

As a national market guide, an exterior window frame starts from €50 each, an interior frame from €35 each and wood rot from €50 per spot. At MJA you get a fixed price after the site visit, so you are not surprised afterwards by loose hours. On homes that are two years old or older, Dutch VAT is 9 percent.

Mohamed Ajubi looks on site himself, thinks along about colour and gloss and says honestly what is needed. We work with Sikkens, Sigma and Wijzonol, sand with Festool in grits 150, 180 and 240, and use Repair Care for wood rot. On Google we have 4.8 from 25 reviews, and we are a member of OnderhoudNL.

Call or message 06 3006 0558, or send your photos through the form. Then we agree a time.

If you are not sure exactly what you want, feel free to call anyway. Mohamed would rather come and have a look than see you end up with the wrong paint system. For an old building in the town centre, we then talk straight away about the pavement and where the materials go, because that is where good planning starts.