Painting windows

**Snooky** · 26 August 2025, 07:04

Originally posted by woody1 View Post

Yes, another dull painting thread.

Spent part of the weekend painting windows. There seem to be 4 main approaches to dealing with the glass.

use a small brush for "cutting in" around the glass (you can even get angled ones designed for cutting in, although I didn't find this made much difference)
use masking tape
don't bother about the glass, and use a window scraper afterwards (never tried this so don't know how well this works)
use a paint guard eg. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/314882703006 (could see how this would work great if only I had 3 hands; one for the brush, one for the paint pot, one for the guard)

I used a mix of (1) and (2). Not sure (2) saves much time but it does make the painting less fiddly.

Just curious as to which method others prefer.

5. Have uPVC or aluminium windows which don't ever need painting. HTHBIDI

**WTFH** · 26 August 2025, 07:33

I can't help, I've got a Mac.

Oh, and buy proper tools from a decorators, not Temu/eBay

You've not mentioned the material of the window frames, the age/condition of them, how many layers of paint are on them, how much sanding you've done, etc.

**ladymuck** · 26 August 2025, 08:29

With option 3, you need to run a blade down the edge before you start scraping off the excess. Don't overpaint too much or else it'll take ages to sort out. Don't leave it a fortnight before scraping off, do it as soon as it's dry - too wet and you'll make more of a mess.

As WTFH says, the condition of the frames and the amount of prep work done will also influence how the new paint behaves.

**woody1** · 26 August 2025, 09:56

Originally posted by Snooky View Post

5. Have uPVC or aluminium windows which don't ever need painting. HTHBIDI

Yep, that's the plan eventually. Wooden (soft wood) windows are hopeless with the lashing weather we get.

**northernladuk** · 30 August 2025, 00:28

[*]use a small brush for "cutting in" around the glass (you can even get angled ones designed for cutting in, although I didn't find this made much difference)

You mean it didn't make much difference or windows or in general? I can imagine it might not on such a small area to work but if you find a 2" cutting in brush doesn't make any difference on walls/ceilings then you don't know how to paint. Yes you can cut in with a normal brush but angled ones are so much better.
If you were talking about windows I'd still personally be using a cutting in brush but it's so damn tight I wouldn't be using this method alone. I'd be using tape as well. Neither work well on their own but together it worked for me.

[*]use masking tape

I did this but you won't get it absolutely spot on so will get little lines on your windows where you didn't quite touch and worse miss bits where you are more on the wood. I painted uPVc windows so with a bit of fiddling could get the edge of the tape under the rubber so didn't have to be that accurate. Still used a cutting in brush as paint can still bleed under the tape so even if you use tape you can't just slop it on. As per the other thread... get proper tape from a proper paint shop. Cheap masking is nigh on useless.

[*]don't bother about the glass, and use a window scraper afterwards (never tried this so don't know how well this works)

It doesn't. don't do it. As you scrape the paint it will peel or ship off the wood as well. You've also broken the bead so likely to leave a gap between paint wood that water can ingress which is absolutely the last thing you want.

[*]use a paint guard eg. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/314882703006 (could see how this would work great if only I had 3 hands; one for the brush, one for the paint pot, one for the guard)

Absolute waste of time. Paint will bleed under the scraper however hard you press it down and then as you move it along you are effectively painting the glass behind it.

**northernladuk** · 30 August 2025, 00:30

Originally posted by Snooky View Post

5. Have uPVC or aluminium windows which don't ever need painting. HTHBIDI

True but I painted mine from white to anthracite grey. Too tight to pay someone to spray them so did them myself. Right pain in the bloody arse but still pleased with the result 4 years on.

**tazdevil** · 2 September 2025, 11:10

Originally posted by ladymuck View Post

With option 3, you need to run a blade down the edge before you start scraping off the excess. Don't overpaint too much or else it'll take ages to sort out. Don't leave it a fortnight before scraping off, do it as soon as it's dry - too wet and you'll make more of a mess.

As WTFH says, the condition of the frames and the amount of prep work done will also influence how the new paint behaves.

Yes, keep it simple and use a small brush to cut in, then clean the excess, if any, when dry. Much faster than sticking masking tape then finding the paint has gone under it anyway. And use a good spray glass cleaner and lint free paper/cloth to clean and buff the glass when all done. With practice you should be able to leave little or no overpaint

Mask the brickwork though with external masking tape as getting paint off brick and stone is a pain. If you do paint the brickwork use an old cloth and liberal amounts of white spirit to get it off immediately. For paint use Osmo Country Colours or oil paints, standard water based stuff doesn't last and prime the woodwork after a thorough sanding!

**sadkingbilly** · 3 September 2025, 13:22

My solution is to pay a professional.
he's cheaper than i am.

**tazdevil** · 4 September 2025, 15:23

Originally posted by sadkingbilly View Post

My solution is to pay a professional.
he's cheaper than i am.

Hmm, debatable

I recently found a decent decorator who did a great job but the cost was also great. Otherwise there's plenty of people who'll quote but deliver a shoddy job. I prefer to know a job is done right so do it myself if I can

Painting windows