A little while ago, I was sitting in the living room with ten thousand ideas and thoughts running through my head, as usual, and one of them was what can I do with my old wooden window frames….
Well, we knew when we moved in last year that they will need to be changed a few years down the road, but I did not want to wait that long. So, while I was thinking what windows we will eventually have, I thought of trying to paint the frames in the meantime.
And just like that, I added another project to our list, just before the end of 2020. Overall, I would say that it was pretty easy to do, however, it can be quite messy and the prep work is what takes most time. But, I have no regrets at all, it has changed the look of our home so drastically and I love it!
Here’s what you’ll need.
Materials
Sand paper 120 grit
Frog tape
Spray Paint – Rustoleum (and I’ll explain why later)
Sand paper
Degreaser
Polythene film
Gloves
Face mask
Step 1 – sand and clean
Our frames as mentioned are wood, so they needed to be sanded lightly to remove any varnish and old wood. I simply took a 120 grit sand paper to polish the surface and remove any old varnish without making it rough.
Then, vacuum the sawdust and wipe with a lightly wet cloth. If your frames are stained or have accumulated dirt, you’ll need to think about degreasing them and then cleaning so that the surface is free from any debris and dirt.
Step 2 – prep
Take out any piece of furniture and décor you can move out of the way. Not only will you have more space to work but will ensure the fumes won’t get to them. If you can remove them entirely from the room or put them on the side as far as possible from where you’ll be painting and cover them.
Using frog tape and polythene film, cover the rest of the window, the walls, the ceiling, the floor and anything else that you cannot move away and that is too close to the window.
This is the most tedious part, and the lengthiest but you’ll be happy you did it. While spray paint is faster to apply and has a much more sleek and uniform look than regular paint, it does a lot of mess and particles from fume can spread very far. So, it’s important that you protect everything around.
Step 3 – mask and gloves
Ensure you always wear the appropriate mask because the smell is quite strong and not healthy. When spraying paint, you are very close and receive all the fumes, so a good mask is a must. Also, gloves will keep your hands clean from paint.
Step 4 – spray paint
As mentioned, spray paint gives a beautiful finish – no streaks, it’s super fast to apply! However, since we did this during lockdown, we ran out of paint at some point and were not able to get more Rustoleum, we were able to put our hands on 2 different brands and it was a disaster! Not the result per se, but the mess.
That was in our master bedroom where thankfully we had removed everything outside, but there was black paint from fumes all over the room, on the floor, the walls, etc. The paint was also much more liquid and did not dry as fast. So, we stopped right there and ended up ordering online for a curbside pickup a day later.
I highly recommend Rustoleum because I found it to be fast drying, covers super well, so only one coat is needed, and it make mush less mess. This is entirely a personal opinion.
Make sure you follow instructions by holding the can at approx. 6-10 inches distance. Spray in small shots, never keep the nozzle pressed to go faster because it will create accumulation of excess paint that will show.
Preferably use a spray applicator that can be found at any hardware store, it makes it easier to apply.
Step 5 – remove tape and clean
Immediately after finishing the spray, remover the frog tape to keep the edges of your paint straight and avoid paint streaks. Also, clean around you immediately because often times you do not see the mess it has made from fumes until you step on it or put your hand on it.
That’s it, really simple, and it’s an upgrade that is so worth it if you don’t want to change your windows.
Budget
· We painted the following:
· 2 patio doors
· 9 windows of different sizes
We used (price per unit)
· Sand paper 120 grit $10 (pack of 9 sheets)
· 12 cans of Rustoleum black matte spray paint $8
· 8 rolls of frog tape $6
· 2 big polythene film, 100 foot $20
· 1 Spray Lubricant WD40 $6
The spray lubricant is a tip, not made for paint but we were given this tip at Rona and it works like magic when you make a mistake and need to have the paint wiped off immediately. It was very efficient!
Why do I like black paint?
I think black framed windows add character to a space by making it more bold and defined. I think it frames a space beautifully bringing out more focus on the room itself. It is definitely worth the effort, and we love the result!