PAINTING VINYL, WOOD, OR METAL, WINDOWSThere are a couple of ways to go about painting vinyl, wood, or metal window frames and trim. Using the proper tools, procedures, and products is the first. Spraying on a finish with a paint sprayer or using a brush and roller is the second. The following page gives how to advice, for both spraying or brushing and rolling your vinyl windows, trim, and frames. Some of the products and tools below, may not be needed for the type of windows, trim or frames that you happen to be painting. With that said, you will have to decide on which tools to use, for the project your doing. Be sure to ask your local paint store sales representative, for assistance with application advice, and information on choosing products and tools for painting vinyl, wood, or metal windows. Quality Primer. Quality Interior Paint. Window Paint Scraper. Painters Paper & Masking Tape (low tack and regular). Roll Plastic. Drop Cloth (or old bed sheets). Quality Latex Paintable Caulk & Gun. Filler. 100 Grit Sand Paper. 2 1/2" Sash Brush & Cut Can. Short Extension, Regular Size Roller & Cover, Tray/Liner. Speed Roller & Cover (4"), Small Tray/Liner. Rags. Paint Sprayer. Small step or platform ladder. Set up depends on whether your painting vinyl, wood, or metal windows with a brush and roller or using a spray system. Spraying of course will require open doorways, window glass, and everything else in the room covered with tape and plastic or if possible moved to another room. Otherwise, there will be overspray everywhere. If you are spraying, it's probably a good idea once the windows are coated and dry, to bag the room with plastic, then spray the ceiling with flat white paint. When brushing and rolling, you may not have to worry about overspray but it still might be a good idea to repaint the room anyways. It will take more time to paint the walls and ceilings, even so, in the long run, your work will be easier to do leaving the area looking fresh and new again. Once the prep is done and the paint is throuly dry, remove your plastic, and mask off the edges of your newly painted windows, doors and trim (medium tack tape), after doing so, proceed to cutting and rolling the walls. By painting the room in this fashion, you won't have to worry about overspray, when you where spraying the windows, frames and trim etc. Of course if your painting vinyl, wood, or metal windows, with a brush and roller, you won't need to be as protective with the items in your home. More masking instructions can be found, by reading the text below, depending on the type of painting you choose, (spraying, brush/rolling). Another thing to keep in mind is, if there is bare wood, spot-prime the bare areas or the entire bare surface, before you begin your painting project. Vinyl and some metal surfaces, will need a special primer applied, prior to painting. Ask your local paint store representitive for assistance. All cracks and holes between the woodwork and walls need filling. As an example, the trim around a window doesn’t touch the wall, and there's a gap between the window trim and the wall, this type of crack should be filled with caulking. Also, some trim or frames may have holes that need repairing with wood filler. Use this caulking and filling page to learn about plugging those gaps, prior to painting vinyl, wood, or metal windows. Once your caulking and filling knowledge has increased, come on back here so you can get those windows coated with paint. Some windows require putty, reglaze them if needed. A glass repair shop will do this for you if needed. Those who are not comfortable using a brush, be sure to mask off (with tape/paper) walls, window glass and areas etc., that you don't want to be painted. Blue masking tape or medium tack, clean edge, works best (though expensive) as it doesn’t pull off as much dried paint as the other types. Even so, it's a good idea to have touch up paint for any dried paint that your putting tape on. With that said, when painting the walls after painting vinyl, wood, or metal windows and trim or frames with a brush and roller, don't worry about using the tape. Other than for those areas that you don't want paint on, such as the window glass. After all of the cracks and holes are filled, and the frame is lightly sanded, pour paint into your tray and cut can, then cover the tray with plastic. I set the cut can and brush on my platform ladder so that I don't have to carry it. Old school painters frown on doing this, (accident waiting to happen) but if you have properly dropped a room (covered everything) you shouldn't have to much to worry about. Start by painting vinyl, wood, or metal windows by cutting in close to the window at the top part of the frame drawing the sash brush down and towards you, from corner to corner. Do the same for the sides, then the bottom. Work your way out towards the window trim or the casing edge that's touching the wall. Don't forget to do the inside corners so that the roller will cover everything. Now, use the roller to paint all the surfaces that you didn't cover with the brush. If your not use to using a speed roller, then you might want to stick with the brush. I use the roller because I like the even stipple look, you may not. You may also have difficulty operating the roller. Practice with it, on a piece of old window, trim before starting on the windows in your home. Remove sags, runs and blobs, as you see them. Let the paint dry, fill holes and cracks you missed, let the paint dry again, lightly sand the frame, then touch up with paint where there is no paint, sand those spots. Finally, apply your last coat. If your painting vinyl, wood, or metal windows and they are the kind that open, keep them open if possible, until the paint is dry. Otherwise you will need to use a sharp utility knife, and steady hand, to cut the dried paint edge. It's also a good idea not to paint the parts of the window, where the window touches other parts of itself, when it's closed, especially if the window closes tightly. When painting vinyl, wood, or metal windows of the sash style, you may need to carefully remove the stops that hold the window in (if it has stops). A sharp utility knife, hammer and flat bar works best for this. After the window is removed, thoroughly sand everything and paint each piece while the windows are out (if needed, cover the hole from the outside with plastic). Once you have applied two or three coats of paint on the windows and frame, and the paint is dry, you can replace the windows. When replacing the windows keep in mind that the stops that hold the windows in, must now be nailed so that the windows move freely with out sticking. Use some kind of spacers if needed. Thin cardboard works well but you will have to decide what will work best for your windows. Once the windows are in, and the stops are on, caulk, then fill the nail holes, light sand and follow up by painting your caulked and filled areas. Re-paint again if needed. When painting vinyl, wood, or metal windows with a brush and roller or touching up, be sure not to get paint between the windows and stops, or the windows will begin to stick again. When painting vinyl, wood, or metal windows with a spray system. Almost any type of sprayer will work, just be sure to practice with your system before beginning your project. With that said, an HVLP (high volume low presure sprayer) will give you the most control. Check with your local paint dealer regarding application advice, and spray product requirements. When I'm painting vinyl, wood, or metal windows with a sprayer, I prefer an airless spray system, along with the smallest tip I can use with the sprayer and product that I’m spraying. You on the other hand, will need to choose the sprayer you are most comfortable using. A paper masking machine (expensive) will work best when spraying wood work, but you can still mask in other ways. If you are not painting the walls use plastic, tape and paper, to cover around the windows, and inside to protect the glass. Keep in mind, that when painting vinyl, wood, or metal windows with a sprayer, overspray can go a long ways, so if you think your not going to get paint on an item or wall, you probably will. Lightly sand, then prime all un-painted surfaces with the recomended primer first, before you begin your paint project. Your local paint store sales representitive will assist you in tool, equipment and product selection. Spray from top to bottom, (using the appropriate paint for the job), inside to outside. Three or more light coats are recommended, and will result in less runs and sags. Let the paint dry, fill cracks if needed, touch up with paint, let the paint dry again, do a light sand, spray again. Keep spraying lightly and sanding until your happy with the finish. Now that your painting vinyl, wood, or metal windows, is done and dry, remove the tape (if needed) and scrape the paint from the windows (even the old stuff). When painting vinyl, steel or other metal windows, frames, and trim you may need a special primer and paint. If you have sash windows and are taking them apart, insure that the weights and ropes (hidden inside the window frames) on some windows are attached and working properly. Speak to your local paint supplier, and home improvement center regarding your specific tools, equipment, painting and window product needs. If your looking for solutions other than painting vinyl, wood, or metal windows, click the home link. You should be able to find what you need by reading the text. If I have missed something, or you would like to ask a question e-mail me. Your address will be held in the strictest confidence. I will also try to answer your questions in as prompt a manner as possible.
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