PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, is a material used in building, packing, transport, electrics and even healthcare. It is most commonly used in homes for piping, siding, flooring and roofing. It is often mistaken for uPVC, which is used for door and window frames. PVC is not a suitable material for doors or windows, as it is generally much more flexible than its counterpart, which is unplasticized.
So, the short answer is no. Purely because PVC doors are not really a thing. Some internal uPVC doors have PVC coatings and are thus referred to as PVC doors, however, they’re mostly composed of uPVC rather than the plasticized version. That being said, it is possible to spray uPVC doors and windows. Whilst these are usually found on the exterior of homes, like the front door and garage doors, it is possible for a home to have uPVC doors inside. These can also be spray painted which is a great way to change your decor. Likewise, conservatories are often uPVC and can be painted as such.
How to paint uPVC doors and windows
If you’ve got uPVC doors and windows on your home, which you likely have if you live anywhere modern, you will be able to spray paint your door and window frames to virtually any colour scheme you like. But you must follow a set process when doing so in order to ensure that the paint sticks to the plastic window frames and doors and that it will last a long time. In order to paint plastic window frames, you must first prepare your canvas. That means making sure that your uPVC door and uPVC windows are fully ready to be spray painted.
Preparing for uPVC spray paint
To prepare your uPVC door and uPVC windows for spraying, you must:
- Clean your uPVC doors and windows. Wipe down each uPVC surface to rid it of debris and dirt, and then clean it thoroughly with warm soapy water and a cloth. This helps to ensure that your door frame, window frame or garage door frame is completely flat and clean before you paint it. Otherwise, you might paint over dirt or debris, which when dislodged would leave a gap in the paint job.
- Find a replacement silicone that matches your new colour scheme and remove the current silicone around your uPVC windows. This prevents it from getting marked during the uPVC spray painting.
- Likewise, you will need to cover your glass and brickwork with masking tape and masking paper to protect them from splash. Ensure you do this thoroughly in order to protect the glass and wall around your uPVC door or uPVC windows, as uPVC paint can be incredibly difficult to remove.
- Once your surfaces are clean and your walls and windows are fully protected, you should then apply a primer to your uPVC surfaces. This helps to ensure that your uPVC front door, garage door or uPVC window frames are painted to a fully professional finish and that the paint job lasts as long as possible.
Allow the primer to dry, and then apply a couple more coats. Once completely dry, you can begin your uPVC Door spray painting.
How to choose a paint for your uPVC spray painting
You can choose virtually any colour to use to paint uPVC window frames and doors, which means that it is often very difficult to decide on what paint to use when it comes to painting uPVC bay windows, front doors, garage doors and conservatories. How do you pick between anthracite grey, rosewood colour or brown? This is the first decision you need to make when changing your stale decor. What colour would you like to paint your uPVC? Would you like your door to have a smooth finish or a full gloss? Perhaps a semi-gloss is perfect for your composite door. These are all things you should consider before purchasing uPVC paint for your door frames.
Once you’ve picked a colour and a finish, take a look at some of the top brands of uPVC paint. Brands like Dulux, Zinsser and AllCoat are top of the range for painting uPVC windows and doors. They have a huge range of colours available, so you should be able to find whatever you’re looking for within their product ranges.
Which way should you paint your uPVC windows and doors?
There is a range of ways you can paint uPVC; choose from hand painting or spraying your uPVC. Hand painting your uPVC door involves using paintbrushes, and whilst it is the easiest way to paint plastic window frames and doors, it is also likely to leave brush marks on the uPVC rather than giving you a professional finish. Alternatively, spray painting uPVC can be a more difficult process and requires much more equipment. That’s why many people decide to hire a professional uPVC spray painting service as opposed to spraying their own doors.
How to paint plastic window frames
If you decide to use spray paint to paint plastic window frames you will need to ensure that you have safety goggles and a safety mask to ensure that no dangerous particulates enter your mouth or nose. Whilst using your spray painting equipment, ensure you paint each area of your uPVC door evenly, and then leave it to dry. Once dry, apply another coat of paint to your uPVC and repeat until you can no longer see the primer or the original colour of your uPVC.
When painting by hand, you should use a large paintbrush and do long, regular strokes in one direction. That is the best way to ensure there are minimal brush marks left on the uPVC. You should also still use a safety mask, especially if you are painting uPVC within your conservatory or anywhere closed.
How long will sprayed uPVC last?
Many people spray paint uPVC doors and windows to make their uPVC last longer. The plastic can be discoloured by harmful UV exposure over time, so by painting the uPVC you can protect the plastic from discolouration. uPVC paint can last up to 10 years, keeping your home looking fresh for a long time.
Why paint uPVC doors and windows?
Painting uPVC can help to increase the kerb appeal of a home, meaning that landlords are able to up the cost of their rent to lodgers or renters. It also, as aforementioned, hides any previous damage to the uPVC.
What a great way to spruce up a tired looking door – didn’t realise they could be sprayed