How to Paint Window Frames
Painting interior and exterior window frames, along with all painting, begins with proper preparation. If you want to know how to paint window frames and how to do it correctly, you will need to know how to clean the window frames correctly. After cleaning, comes window frame repair and sanding. After all of this, you will tape off the window frames and begin painting.
Painting Window Frame Summary
- Clean the window frame
- Repairing damage
- Sand the window frames
- Tape off the window frame
- Paint the window frame
How to Paint Exterior Window Frames
As mentioned previously, painting window frames begins with proper preparation. You will first have to clean the window frames. After, comes repairing the frames. When you window frames are repaired is when you can begin sanding. Finally, tape off the window frames and begin painting.
Cleaning the Exterior Window Frames
Use a dry clean cloth and wipe the window frames. After, you can use a product to get off any strong build-up, such as dirt and grease. There is a good chance the outside of your home will have a buildup of dirt, along with your window frames. An example of a product you can use is Trisodium phosphate:
- Trisodium phosphate (TSP) is a heavy-duty cleaner. Follow the directions on the container to use
TSP correctly.
When your cleaning agent has done its job is when you can rinse off the window frames. A power washer works great for this. Allow the window frames to dry off before you begin your repairs.
Repairing the Exterior Window Frames
If your house is weathered and in need of home improvement, you will most likely need to remove paint flakes off the window frames. You can use a scraping tool for this. Furthermore, finish off this repair with some rough grit sandpaper. The most common repair you will probably need to do with trim is fill gaps between the window frames and
walls. You can use caulking for doing this repair. Caulk the gaps and then use a soft 90-degree object to scrap off the excess caulking. You can also use other products such as a wood filler. Wood filler works great for small dents and holes in the window frames.
Sanding the Exterior Window Frames
You can use a rough grit piece of sand paper for the areas with a lot of damage, such as the paint flake areas. Then use a very fine grit sandpaper and give the window frames a light sanding. When you are done sanding, wipe the frames off again. You can also use a vacuum.
Tape Off the Exterior Window Frames
Your exterior window frames should now be clean, repaired, and sanded. This is when you can tape off the area around the frame with a good quality roll of painter’s tape. You can also use plastic furniture covering to protect items near the windows.
Painting the Exterior Window Frame
Now that all your prep work is complete, you can begin painting your window frames trim. Begin by giving the exterior window frames a coat of primer. The window frames throughout your house exterior will most likely be narrow, so use a narrow brush.
- A brush around two inches wide works well for all window frames.
- A good quality brush will give you a good quality window frame paint job.
Because the window frames will be narrow and small, begin painting by putting only a little paint on your brush. After you got a good first coat of paint on your frames, let it dry and then give the window frames a second coat of paint. Your home and how it looks is important. If you want a great paint job on your exterior window frames, you should always use a painting professional.
Painting the Interior Window Frames
Painting the window frames inside you home will have a similar process to the outside. However, your interior window frames will probably not need such a labor-intensive cleaning and repair process.