How to paint old windows: choice of paint and technology

Those who care about the environment, coziness and comfort of their home prefer windows with wooden frames rather than fashionable PVC.
But wooden windows require more attention - they need to be painted both when they are new and after some time, so that they last longer and have an attractive appearance.

Let's take a closer look at how and with what to properly paint wooden windows, the subtleties of the procedure, and types of materials.

Is it possible to paint wooden frames?

Wooden windows always need maintenance. And when they are new, and even more so when they have served for several years. Painting is a procedure that you cannot do without as owners of wooden frames. This must be done so that the frames :

1. did not rot;
2. did not crack;
3. remained a decoration of the home longer.

A layer of paint protects the wood from damage, moisture, rotting, fungi and other external factors that can destroy any lumber.

Primer

In order for the paint to adhere well to the wooden frame, priming is performed using a brush, since it has the ability to rub the primer well into all the surface irregularities of the wooden profile. For priming, it is recommended to use a thixotropic (jelly-like) primer paint, which has the property of creating a perfectly flat surface. After the primer has dried (after 24 hours), you can begin painting the window.

Before painting, the outer part of a wooden window must be treated with an antiseptic impregnation for wood.

What types of material are suitable?

Let's try to figure out what is the best way to paint wooden windows. A wide variety of paints are produced to cover wooden frames :

• oil;
• acrylic;
• alkyd;
• nitrocellulose;
• polyurethane paints, as well as alkyd and water-soluble varnishes.

Varnishes are often used as a material to seal the painted surface of a wood frame. But very often they are used as an independent coating. The advantage of varnishes is that they do not cover the structure of the wood, but make it more expressive, while at the same time reliably protecting it from negative influences.

Paints and varnishes can be either colorless or with tinting properties. For the external coating of windows, alkyd and water-soluble varnishes are used:

• 
  Alkyd varnish adheres to any surface, forming a durable coating that is resistant to precipitation, abrasion, and fading.
  Gives windows an attractive appearance, but is fire hazardous and toxic.

• Water-soluble varnish protects wood from moisture and dirt by forming a thin film. Non-toxic, non-flammable, but has a low abrasion rate. It is better to use in conjunction with protective impregnation.

There is a large selection of impregnations on the market. They also protect the wood from rotting, moisture, precipitation, and insects. Popular impregnations from the following manufacturers :

1. Pinotex;
2. Tikkurila;
3. Aquatex.

From all this we can conclude that high-quality paint should have the following properties :

• be resistant to precipitation;
• have high-quality coverage;
• protect against mold;
• be resistant to burnout;
• repel dirt;
• dry quickly;
• do not have a pungent odor.

How to determine the quantity?

The amount of paint needed to cover a wooden window depends on the type of paint material. To make the calculation more accurate, you need to know two things :

• window or frame area;
• consumption rates of the type of paint used.

The area of ​​the window or frame is measured. The resulting figure should be multiplied by the standard consumption of material (per 1 sq.m.) - this will give the amount of paint that will be needed to cover the window frame in one layer. The quality of the wooden surface also matters.

If the surface is porous and rough, then more paint will be required and vice versa - for a smooth surface the consumption will be less.

It should also be taken into account that most surfaces should be painted in several layers. In this case, paint consumption will increase.

How to calculate square meters of window blocks, how much wood paint is needed?

If it is not there, then the multiplication table on a regular notebook for a first grader.
If the walls are not 2 or 3 meters, but, for example, 2.5 meters, then a calculator is still better. This is too difficult a load for a brain that is not used to working with numbers.

It is advisable to have a piece of paper and a pen on hand for writing.

You need to measure with a tape measure or centimeter.

Formula for calculating square meters

To calculate the area, you need to apply the formula per square meter A XB, where number A is the length of one side, and number B is the length of the second side. They can be the same if the shape of the floor or wall is square.

Most often, it is not square, but rectangular, that is, number A will have one value, and number B will have another. They will need to be multiplied in your head, or using a multiplication table, or on a calculator. And the resulting number will be the area that will need to be covered with paint or something else.

Devices and tools for work

To paint wooden window frames you will need the following materials and tools :

• 
  several brushes of different sizes;

• spatula, scraper;
• masking adhesive tape;
• solvent (white spirit);
• drying oil;
• primer;
• putty and primer;
• glazing beads;
• screwdriver, hammer, chisel, nails;
• sandpaper of different grain sizes;
• dye.

In addition to materials and tools, protective equipment may be useful :

1. gloves;
2. glasses;
3. headdress;
4. mask or respirator (if the paint is toxic).

How to do it right: step-by-step instructions

It is best to paint windows in the warm season. The right time is at the end of spring, when the weather is dry and warm. It is also possible at the end of summer - when there is no longer any heat, but the autumn rains have not yet arrived.

New wooden frames are easier to paint than old ones - they do not need to be cleaned of old paint. But this does not mean that they do not need to be prepared for painting. Paint should be applied to new frames before glazing in order to thoroughly paint all areas, as unprotected areas will begin to corrode.

Preparatory stage

The wooden frame is inspected and any defects found are eliminated. If necessary, old paint and rotten areas are removed. Masking tape is applied to the glass around the perimeter of the frame to protect it from primer and paint. To protect against mold and parasites, go over the wooden frame with a brush moistened with an antiseptic compound.

Putty and primer

Chips and cracks on the frame should be filled with putty . After the putty has dried, the repaired and repaired areas should be “sanded” with fine sandpaper.

Next, the entire wooden surface of the frame is covered with primer enamel - this will prevent the paint from being absorbed into the wood, and it will lie more evenly.

Application of material

When the window is prepared, the painting process begins.
The paint should be thoroughly mixed before use. A new wooden window requires several coats of paint. For the first layer, the paint should not be too thick. If it is thicker than necessary, then it is made more liquid by adding a suitable solvent and stirring well.

The entire surface of the frame is covered with the first thin layer of paint. This is necessary so that there is not a single unpainted area left. First, small parts, joints of frame parts, and internal parts of the structure are painted. The ends and the box are painted at the end.

Before applying the second layer of material, you should make sure that the first one is completely dry . For the second layer, the paint should be denser in consistency to prevent smudges. The paint should be applied from bottom to top - this will also help avoid smudges.

If necessary, apply a third coat of coating.

Method for removing old paint

Before painting wooden windows using old paint, it is necessary to clean the surfaces of the previous coatings. The durability of the coating and the aesthetics of the frame depend on the quality of work. You will need a hair dryer and spatulas. Before removing the old paint, it is necessary to remove the glass from the frames, since they can become deformed when heated.

image source www.homebuilding.co.uk

Under the influence of temperature, the paint heats up, softens and is easily cleaned from the surface with a steel or metal spatula. The main disadvantage of this method is the duration of the work. Heated paint cools quickly. Therefore, the treatment is carried out gradually in small sections, which increases the time of the paint removal procedure.

If the coating on the surface has peeled off and cannot be removed with a spatula, you can clean the windows of the old paint using chemical solvents.

Special formulations speed up the preparatory process. The liquid must be applied evenly to the surface and wait until the composition begins to soften. Then the raw material is removed with a spatula or scraper and rubbed with a rough sheet of sandpaper. If the frame is difficult to close, then the deformed surfaces should be treated with a grinding machine.

Technology for different types

Each type of material requires a special approach and its own technology. Let's discuss each in detail separately.

Regular frames

It is easier and safer to paint wooden windows by removing the frames from their hinges and placing them horizontally on a flat surface.

If this is not possible, then after applying the paint (while it dries), the doors must be opened and closed several times to avoid sticking of the recesses and protrusions due to paint getting into the grooves. When the paint begins to dry, remove the masking tape.

With double glazing

Wooden windows with double-glazed windows also require renewal of the protective layer several years after operation. For such windows, water-dispersed paint or alkyd enamel are suitable. Wood varnish, both clear and tinted, is also often used.

It is advisable to remove the frame from its hinges . The surface of the frame is cleaned using sandpaper or a grinding device. The glass is protected from paint or varnish with masking tape, and the fittings are removed.

The cleaned surface is first primed with a material similar in chemical composition to the paint coating. After the coating has dried, the fittings are installed in place.

Painting is done with brushes with natural bristles or a roller. The paintwork is selected a tone darker than the wooden frame. The coating is made in 3 layers. The 1st layer is very thin so that the material is absorbed into the wood.

Old

If the wooden frames are worn out, then be sure to remove the old coating.
Applying new paint to old paint that is cracked and blistered will be a waste of time and money. The ideal option would be to completely remove old paint from the wooden surface . This can be done using a special solvent and a scraper. Next, the entire surface of the frame is cleaned with a spatula and then with sandpaper. Finally, the frame is treated with white spirit and then washed with water.

Rotten places on the frame are removed, all irregularities and cracks are puttied. After the putty areas have completely dried, the surfaces are leveled and polished with fine sandpaper. If necessary, repeat the procedure.

Restored frames are coated with primer . Now there are primers with an antiseptic that will protect the wood from parasites and mold.

Damaged wooden glazing beads are replaced with new ones, which are first sanded, primed and only then the glass is secured to the frame with nails.

Before starting painting work, the fittings are inspected and, if necessary, repaired. Masking tape is applied to the glass to protect it from paint.

Painting plastic windows

So, if you have had plastic windows for a long time, and the white frame has already turned yellow, or you are simply tired of the original color and want to update the finish, the simplest solution is painting.

Plastic windows can also be colored

Painting PVC windows

To work you will need:

• special cleaning liquid for PVC;
• sandpaper with very fine grain - from P220 to P240;
• acrylic primer for PVC;
• paint brush with thick bristles;
• water-based acrylic urethane paint;
• spray;
• film and masking tape for glass.

Step 1. First of all, you need to thoroughly rinse and degrease the surface. If for some reason you can’t buy a cleaner, use dishwashing liquid. Thoroughly wipe away grease stains, traces of silicone, and other contaminants, and rinse with clean water.

Step 2 . After drying, the plastic frame should be treated with sandpaper and rinsed again with clean water.

Step 3. Now the double-glazed windows and adjacent sections of the slopes should be covered with film and secured around the perimeter with masking tape. Seal the seals too.

Apply masking tape

Step 4. The prepared surface must be primed. They start priming from the corners, applying the composition in a thin layer and rubbing it with a brush in one direction. Try not to leave dry areas, as the paint will lie unevenly there and will peel off very quickly. For PVC, one coat of primer is sufficient.

Step 5. Once the frames have dried, you can start painting. For high-quality application, the diameter of the spray nozzle should be 1.6-1.8 mm, the pressure should be 2 atmospheres.

Low Pressure Spray Gun

Prices for paint sprayers

Spray gun

Paint for PVC windows

You can purchase spray paint - this will greatly simplify the work. A brush and roller are also suitable, but with this application it is not always possible to achieve a perfectly uniform coating.

Do-it-yourself painting of plastic windows

Spray painting

When the paint dries, remove the protective films and tape.

It takes about 8 hours for the paint to dry, but the coating will gain maximum resistance to moisture and frost only after 3 days. Therefore, it is recommended to paint windows before the onset of cold weather, in dry and windless weather.

Video – Painting windows

Possible difficulties

Painting wooden windows is a job that does not require special knowledge and skills. It’s not difficult to do this yourself, following certain rules and steps. Painting your windows yourself can save you money, especially if the windows are in good condition.

But if wooden windows are very old and require restoration or you don’t have time for this, then in this case you can turn to specialists. They will do this work efficiently and professionally, using modern materials.

Painting window openings only from the facade side

Anastasia, what exactly is not clear? You can see the scope of work when painting only from the facade side by opening the price. Now you need to calculate the area, because you need to calculate not some hypothetical area, but the area of ​​the surface to be painted, i.e. the one you paint.

Using the outer contour, calculate the area to be painted, then open the technical part and look at the table with coefficients. in the table with coefficients, based on which surfaces are painted, select the coefficient Filling composition: - Box, binding, window sill board. or: - Box, binding. - Boxes, binding, window sill board. etc.

Since you are painting only one side of the window, it is logical to enter a coefficient of 0.5

Or look at the question from the other side, from paint consumption. -FERr62-9-1 - 0.0157 -FERr62-9-13 (price for painting only on the facade side) - 0.0157 the consumption is the same, but the consumption for painting on only one side cannot be the same as the consumption for painting on both sides (and it’s the wording “only from the façade side” that confuses you) to be the same. Those. In any case, you need to calculate the area of ​​the surface to be painted.

Advantages and disadvantages

Painted wooden window frames have a number of advantages over unpainted ones :

• the paintwork protects against external factors (rain, parasites, mold);
• extends the service life of wood;
• Thanks to the variety of shades of paints and varnishes, it is possible to change the color of wooden windows, both indoors and outdoors.

The disadvantages of an unpainted wooden window are obvious: unpainted wood will quickly lose its attractive appearance, crack, begin to rot and deteriorate.

How much does painting cost - average prices in the Russian Federation

The cost of professional services for painting wooden windows depends on the scale of the work. Construction companies provide a variety of services : from cosmetic repairs of wooden windows to their complete restoration:

• wooden window with one sash - from 3,000 to 7,000 rubles;
• window with two sashes - from 4,000 to 8,000 rubles;
• balcony block - from 5,000 to 8,000 rubles.

The total price of the services provided may also include the cost of delivering the specialist to the site. There is also a minimum order depending on the territorial location of the customer.