Painting Plastic Windows: How to Do it

10 min reading time

Are you still looking for the ideal colours for your windows?

Can you paint plastic window frames? Of course! It's very easy. With the right varnish, no long preparatory work is necessary. Within a few minutes you can get started and give interiors and facades a new character.

1. Ideas for painting vinyl windows from the MissPompadour painting community

2. Preparation: How to choose the right colour for your vinyl window

3. Painting plastic windows professionally: Instructions from MissPompadour

4. These are the accessories you need to paint your vinyl windows

Water-based paints and plastics - do they go together? Very well indeed! The fact that some recreational renovators have doubts may be related to old experiences from childhood. The water-based paints from the paint box in primary school didn't really want to stick to plastic surfaces. But our water-based and environmentally friendly varnishes are perfect for plastic surfaces. Our slogan #ipainteverything is no cheat. Many of our varnishes hold up so well that you can even use them as a sturdy exterior window coating with a clear conscience.

White plastic window frames in particular can yellow - not a pretty sight
But even if the colour shade is still intact, the original colour may simply no longer suit your living situation. So go on ...! In no time at all you can conjure up a new look for your home, whether you want to paint brown plastic windows white or give your white PVC windows a colourful makeover.
Want to paint wooden window frames too? Then take a look at our tutorial "How to paintwindows".

Ideas for varnishing vinyl windows from the MissPompadour painting community

Over the years, plastic window frames become covered in a yellow or grey haze that can no longer be wiped away, no matter how hard you rub. MissPompadour White with White makes the white shine like new again. Velvety matt, dark colours can look very elegant. With Black with Velvet or Green with Teal from MissPompadour, you can create a cool industrial look.

You can also paint dark or brown plastic windows white. The colours mentioned above cover well. It is best to apply our To Bond & Block primer beforehand.

Pro tip: Don't limit your framing plan to painting the PVC window frames alone. Paint the window sill at the same time - in the same tone or in a complementary colour.
Whether plastic, wood, metal or stone, the varnishes work on almost all common substrates.

Preparation: How to choose the right colour for the PVC-U window

Wind, rain, frost and, last but not least, the constant bombardment of UV rays can take their toll on window frames. That's why you should use colours that are as stable as possible. The right choice is the hard-wearing and durable Easy Eggshell! from the Just paint Collection. These varnishes are weather-resistant and suitable for outdoor use.

Pro tip: When cleaning windows, the varnish is naturally stressed. Your colour treatment will therefore not be quite as stable as with windows made of thoroughly coloured plastic.
However, you can always opt for a new look if you no longer like the old one.

Are you painting the plastic windows from the inside or the outside?

You can always paint plastic windows inside and outside with the same varnish quality. This is because our outdoor-suitable, water-based Easy Eggshell! is particularly environmentally friendly and has very little odour. This means that these colours for exterior vinyl windows are also ideal for interiors.

Indoors: How do you want to live? Do you like it colourful or more subtle? You can give free rein to your creativity on the inside of the window frames. Match the colour shade to the interior of the room.

Exterior: How you paint the plastic window frames on the outside will determine the look of the façade of your house. Pro tip: Our water-based varnishes also adhere very well to metal. So you can also use them on metal window frames.

What effect do you want to achieve?

Freshly painted, your window frames will look like new again. The colours should be as robust as possible and adhere well. It is therefore best to choose semi-gloss or gloss varnishes.

Matt effect: Matt paints are inherently less robust and not weather-resistant. They also adhere less well than semi-gloss, gloss paints or special outdoor varnishes. As the frames are also regularly rubbed during window cleaning, matt paints are not suitable if you want to paint PVC windows.
Silk matt effect: Silk matt varnishes are the most hard-wearing and have the highest protective effect. Easy Eggshell is an excellent choice !

Paint plastic windows professionally: Instructions from MissPompadour

Painting plastic windows - it's easier and quicker than you think. What are you waiting for? Get started!

Step 1: Cleaning

If the window frames are still in good condition, you just need to clean them thoroughly. Remove any greasy residue completely. MissPompadour To Clean does this perfectly. Then just wipe with water and leave to dry. You don't usually need to sand down the plastic frames beforehand.

Step 2: Masking

Now carefully mask off all parts of the window that you don't want to get any paint on. Cover the surface you are working on with a tarpaulin or fleece.

Pro tip: Also protect the rubber seals from paint.

Step 3: Priming

For optimum adhesion, first apply a well-covering layer of MissPompadour To Bond & Block primerwith a well-cleaned brush. Then leave the primer to dry for at least four hours. Depending on the ambient temperature, it may take longer. Make sure to clean your tools very thoroughly between priming and colour application or use other brushes and rollers directly.

Step 4: Varnish

Now you can apply the varnish layers - as many as you need until you are happy with the result. Two coats are usually enough. You should allow around four hours drying time before you can apply the next coat with a varnish roller or brush.
If you want a very even application of paint, you can use a paint spray gun. Important: You must add 15 per cent water to the paint.

Pro tip:Choose a day with as little wind as possible to paint the outside of the windows. You should also avoid days with very heavy pollen counts in spring. Otherwise , flying dust and dirt particles can settle on the varnish before it is dry.

Step 5: Remove the adhesive tape

It is best to remove the adhesive tape when the varnish has not yet dried. If you have missed this point, you can cut through the elastic varnish film with a sharp cutter.

Step 6: Allow to harden

The varnish now needs to cure properly. This takes several days. It is best to leave the window slightly open during this time. If this is not possible, you can also dust the window rebate with a little baby powder. This will prevent the window frame from sticking when you close it. After 10 to 14 days, the varnish will have reached its full robustness.

Pro tip: Would you like to paint other plastic surfaces in addition to window frames? Then take a look atour tutorial.

These are the accessories you need for painting plastic windows

Brush: You can also achieve good results when painting plastic windows with the MissPompadour brush in 25 mm width.
Sanding pad: You can roughen very smooth plastic surfaces before sanding. Use fine sandpaper or the MissPompadour Sanding Pad To Sand.
Paint spraying equipment: Our paint spraying systems from Wagner are the first choice if you want to apply the varnish perfectly evenly. Even hard-to-reach areas can be painted well this way.
paint tray: To spread the paint more easily, pour it into an ergonomically shaped paint tray. This is the perfect solution, especially if you are working with a paint roller, because its roughened surface allows you to remove excess paint from the paint roller. Special paint trays for brushes allow you to place the brush upright in the tray.