Sol-gel derived silica films were prepared by dip-coating onto polymethylmethacylate with Tetraethoxysilane(TEOS) as starting materials. Film properties such as viscosity and thickness were investigated as a function of dip speed, waterprecursor ratio, sol aging time. IR spectra of the gel films prepared from TEOS at various R are given. At small values of R the absorption peaks assignable to C-H vibration in $-OC_2H_5$ groups are observed around 3000 and 1500-1300 $cm^{-1}$. These bands indicate that the -$-OC_2H_5$ groups are retained in the gel at small values of R because of incomplete hydrolysis of TEOS. Film behaviour was interpreted in terms of the dependence of hydrolysis and condensation rates on the interplay between sol pH and waterprecursor ratio. Film thickness was found to increase by approximately a factor of two as waterprecursor ratio increased from two to six. Film thickness also increased with sol prepolymerization time. Surface quality was correlated with processing conditions.