Are you bored with your faded vinyl window panes and looking for a way to freshen them up? This controversial question is really common among painters: Can you paint vinyl windows? If the answer is yes, what should you consider before implementing it? How to repaint your old vinyl exteriors like a professional painter?
If you desire to explore the answers, this article will certainly be useful for you. Let’s take a glance at it!
Can You Paint Vinyl Windows?
“Can you paint vinyl windows?” is a comparatively debatable issue among painters. But worry not because the answer you need is right here. Yes, you can paint your vinyl windows.
However, you need to be extra careful when you do so because painting directly onto the vinyl surface is not advisable. The surface is not ideal for paint because vinyl windows make it flake and peel off easily. Therefore, you should apply an additional coat between the paint and the windows to lessen the direct contact. Not being aware of this technique is why some painters think the answer to the question of “Can you paint vinyl windows?” is a no.
You should pay attention to other details when painting vinyl windows too, and we will take you through them right now. Scroll on!
What Should You Consider Before Painting Vinyl Windows?
Now with the answer to the concern “Can you paint vinyl windows?” being a yes, there is something else you need to beware of, too. Below are the cautions you need to scrutinize seriously before coloring your vinyl windows with paint.
Warranty of window companies
Normally, window companies don’t recommend you apply paint to your windows with PVC because this task is relatively tricky. If you arbitrarily change the substance of your windows and cause damage, they will not be responsible for replacement charges.
Therefore, before coating vinyl windows, you have to ask window manufacturers about warranty issues.
Required proper painting techniques
As mentioned above, brushing vinyl is not an easy task. In the painting process, the paint may not adhere effectively to PVC. If you do improper painting techniques, your windows may turn out to be worse than before.
Different taste
It’s not smart to repaint your vinyl windows if you’re selling your house. Everyone’s aesthetic taste is different, so the new owners of your house may not like the colors of newly tinted windows.
Color choice
Dark colors like grey, black, or brown will bring a sense of modernity and tranquillity, but the heat absorption capacity of these tones is considerably high. This can cause damage such as warp, chip, or crack and reduce the energy efficiency of windows.
Overall, can you paint vinyl windows? Yes, but you need to take some considerations mentioned earlier into account.
How To Paint Vinyl Windows?
“Can you paint vinyl windows?” is not the only debatable issue among amateur painters. DIY paint vinyl windows but with little risk is another issue they worry about after knowing that vinyl windows can be painted. Let’s look at some methods to solve this.
1. Discuss With Your Window Companies
As noted above, window manufacturers may not take responsibility for risk if you arbitrarily change the windows’ design, color, or other elements. Therefore, it’s better to check the warranty policy with them first.
2. Prepare Equipment
Prep work is necessary for almost all tasks, especially DIY projects. Before starting to coat vinyl windows, you should prepare these tools below:
- Cleaning cloth
- Sandpapers
- Brushes (usually sponge brushes) or airless sprayers
- Vinyl safety prime
- Vinyl premium paint
- Sponge and degreasing liquid
3. Choose The Suitable Paint
The color and the quality of the paint have a great impact on the windows’ efficiency. The paint you use must adhere to the PVC surface and be safe with it. When it comes to premium and safe paint for vinyl, you can refer to some types such as Pro Industrial, Duration, or Multi-Surface acrylic paint.
In terms of color, dark tones, including black, grey, or navy, may bring high aesthetics but low performance. In other words, when choosing colors for your windows, you should avoid them because they absorb an excessive amount of heat and cause the glass to crack or frame to warp.
4. Clean The Windows
After a period of use, dirt, debris, or mildew will accumulate on the windows’ surface. Hence, cleaning is an indispensable step in the DIY painting procedure.
5. Sand The Windows
Sanding will be helpful to create a more durable bond between paint and primer. 220-grit sandpaper is a great choice because it aids in roughening the vinyl layer without leaving obvious emblems.
6. Apply A Thin Coat Of Vinyl Safety Primer
Construction professionals also suggest applying a thin layer of vinyl safety primer onto the vinyl windows. You also have to scrutinize whether the tint requires you to apply a primer.
Regularly, premium paints like Pro Industrial do not need the coating of a bonding primer. Hence, you should invest in high-quality varnish for long-term purposes.
7. Paint The Windows
The last step is painting the windows using brushes, especially sponge brushes. If you want to speed up your task, airless sprayers with smaller 210 tips are preferred to cover all nooks and crannies of the windows.
You should apply several paint layers to make sure the color adheres to the windows. After each spray, you should let them dry for a certain amount of time.
In A Nutshell
So “Can you paint vinyl windows?” Yes, absolutely. You totally can apply a coat to your old windows as long as you take notice of those few cautions we have mentioned above, and don’t forget the recommended step-by-step guides if you are thinking of repainting your window panes.
Thanks for reading, and see you in the next post!