I have a home with newer vinyl windows, and am wondering about painting them.
by
Trevor O
+21
Is this possible? Are there any special steps or paint I need to do/use?
24 answers
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I have seen this done with mixed results. One issue is deciding where to stop painting. In most cases the sash ( the movable part) is rarely painted but the frame is. In these cases you still have a white vinyl portion of the window. When I paint older wood windows I remove the sash and paint it separate. This is allowed to fully dry before being re-installed this technique reduces the chance of the windows becoming "painted" shut.
KMS Woodworks
on Apr 28, 2012
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Thanks, I am familiar with painting older wood windows, but have never attempted vinyl, I was wonder about the adhesion, as I do not want it to be something that peels or flakes in my MN climate. Any ideas there... thanks for anything.
Trevor O
on Apr 28, 2012
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Check Home Depot or Lowes....they might have something on their website about painting vinyl
Joan L
on Apr 28, 2012
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ok I don't know if this helps but they make a 'vinyl' paint or dye for car doors and dashboards.. this might work for you.. would be cheap to try and test it out. at the very least.
Sheena K
on Apr 28, 2012
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Thanks for asking this question. I was wondering the same thing so I'll check out the responses you receive. I think there is something you can paint first - like a primer for adhesion - but I'm not sure of the name.
Irysh
on Apr 28, 2012
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Sherwin Williams Paint stores have a paint especially formulated for vinyl. Since these are new, they may have factory gloss. I would remove that by scuffing lightly with 120 or 150 grit and possibly wiping down with acetone or a deglosser to remove any oils. The other problem is that if you are using a particularly dark or hot colour, The sun can heat the vinyl and cause expansion problems which are already a concern with vinyl windows, especially casements and awnings. But great amounts of thermal change can stress that bond between vinyl and paint.For dark colours I might be tempted to use 80 grit to provide more 'tooth' to the bond, so there is a good mechanical bond as well as the cchemical bond
Nichter's Home Services Corp
on Apr 28, 2012
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I used a prep solution from Pittsburg Paints and the windows look good after a year. You will need to decide what to paint (what you can see when windows are closed) and what not to paint (what you can see when windows are open). After prep the paint went on very nice- I used OIL base for adhesion
Jerry G
on Apr 28, 2012
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We painted our entire vinyl sided house but you must get a good primer and prime it first. I am sure it will come out great. Our house sure did...
Lisa S
on Apr 28, 2012
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Thanks for all of the responses. I have given thought to "scuffing" the surface prior to painting it. As for the comment about the "specialty" paint, I had heard of something like this also. The product I was thinking of was something by Rustolium I believe. I will have to check in the local Sherwin Williams to see what they have to say also. Thanks again for everyones advice.
Trevor O
on Apr 28, 2012
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We used a water based primer and a water based paint.
Lisa S
on Apr 28, 2012
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You don't need any special 'vinyl' paint. Just get a good primer and paint.
Lisa S
on Apr 28, 2012
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Thank you Lisa.
Trevor O
on Apr 28, 2012
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It is common for darker or "hot" colors to have issues with paint on vinyl. It is my suggestion that you buy a priimer made especially for vinyl ( I use a bondable primer, which basically sticks to most surfaces). This is extremely important in areas in which there is warmer than usual summers. (South and West), but important in all areas when trying to paint vinyl.
Straight Nails Construction
on Apr 28, 2012
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Only thing I would add is to keep the vinyl light colored and be sure if they are newer windows that you do not void any warranty. When painting any plastic or vinyl material darker colors tend to cause warping of the material because of heat gain. This can distort the vinyl frame and cause failure of the air seal between the panes of glass. Use a paint designed to be used with plastic and use what ever primer that manufacture suggests. Clean and scuff the surface using scotch bright pad as well.
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Apr 29, 2012
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If they are new..Why in the world would you paint them? We got a liitle white paint on ours when we were painting the window sills and it turned a light beige! Ungly and going to be scraped off carefully!
Susan H
on Apr 29, 2012
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Trevor, they paint great. Scuff them up with a fine sanding sponge and wipe them off. Prime them with a PVC primer like Insulx 'Styx', available at fine paint stores. Then you are ready for any good acrylic top coat. Regular paint will stick directly, even without the prep, but will peel off when scratched or pressure washed. Best, Charles
Peace Painting Co., Inc.
on Apr 29, 2012
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Ours have a lifetime warrantee, but if you paint them it voids the warrantee.
Lee W
on May 03, 2012
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One of the benefits of vinyl windows is low maintenance, like no need to paint. Just wash them.
Floyd P
on May 03, 2012
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We installed vinyl windows (34) in our American Farm House 8 years ago. They look as new now as they did when they were installed. Hubby just power washes the house once a year. The windows tilt in so I can wipe them down after he is done. Can't imagine painting those
Debi M
on May 03, 2012
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There is a limited number of colours available for vinyl windows. Some people like different colours. Why does it bother anybody that a different person would want a different colour? Also, Vinyl does not last forever. UV rays of the sun will dull and weaken it over time, so paint can have a benefit when properly done. Proper includes prep work like cleaning and sanding, and using the proper primer for the vinyl if one wants the job to last
Nichter's Home Services Corp
on May 03, 2012
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My wife Purchased a Rustoleum product spray paint For plasticks and used it on our vinyl shutters.Still looks great 1yr later.
Midway Fence & Decks
on May 03, 2012
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i would be far more concerned about the heat gain possibility especially with a dark color. the seal is only so strong & i have had wood windows fail, so i am quite skeptical. would strongly suggest conferring with manufacturer or local supplier.
Charles W
on May 07, 2012
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ok so we resolved the issue... we are leaving the windows... and painting the rest of the house to avoid to possibility of voiding the warrantee. lol.
Trevor O
on May 07, 2012
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@Trevor - in the event you're still interesting in painting your vinyl windows after warranty has expired.... I painted mine. First I used a scouring pad with Denatured Alcohol (to clean and scuff them up a bit) , then I used a good primer and they were ready for painting. They look great.
Taf
on Jan 27, 2016
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