You probably notice wear and tear on your window frames and trim more than other exterior painting on your home. The smaller surface area of these features tends to take a lot of abuse and magnify the imperfections.
Why Does the Paint on Window Frames and Trim Peel?
Your window trim faces the elements on a daily basis. Prolonged exposure to the sun's UV rays can cause the paint to fade, blister, or crack.
Wind and rain produce moisture that can seep under the paint and reduce adhesion. When the water evaporates, it causes the paint to blister and peel.
If your window frames aren't caulked properly, or the caulking itself is cracking, the frame, sills, and trim are exposed to even more moisture. This can lead to wood rot, mold, and other water damage.
How Do You Prepare My Window Trims for Painting?
First, we take the trim back down to bare wood by removing the peeling and damaged paint.
Take careful note of the caulking around your window frame. Is it cracking or are parts missing? We provide light carpentry services during the painting preparation stage to repair this.
If the residue paint proves really stubborn, we can use a chemical stripper or heat gun. We can tell you, from years of experience, either process requires extreme care, as they can damage both glass and sealants when applied improperly.
Once your window trim is down to bare wood, we wipe it with a damp cloth to remove any particles such as dust and paint flakes. This process leaves behind a little surface moisture, so we allow this to dry before continuing the process.
Next Steps?
Before proceeding with the painting, we caulk any damaged areas. Applying caulk at the correct angle and making sure to get into every small corner and crevice is the most demanding part of this task.
Once we’ve re-caulked and allowed it to dry and harden, it’s time to proceed. Your painters apply a high-quality primer to the bare wood. We help you with the gloss and style of paint. All you need to do is tell us what color you want.
Quality and gloss are particularly important in the Newton area, where frames are regularly exposed to snow and rain.
Tips to Protect Your Window Trim
- Replacing your old windows with storm windows goes a long way in preventing the constant need to repaint and repair your window trim.
- Using dehumidifiers helps prevent the buildup of moisture in and around your window frames.
Benefits of Window Frame Painting
Aside from damage repair and prevention, painting your exterior window frames provides a cosmetic and aesthetically pleasant look to your home.
- White was always the go-to color for painting window trims, but not anymore. Many homeowners now choose to paint their trims in a complimentary or contrasting color to the exterior siding.
- Your home’s general appearance is greatly improved.
- You can take advantages of any trends in exterior paint colors and style at a time when you needed to repaint the exterior anyway.
Choosing Paint Colors
When you choose the frame color, you have many options.
- Contrasting colors can make your windows seem to pop out.
- Warm colors give you the classic look, especially when paired with white.
- Cool colors against white or white frames on a cool house have that traditional look New England is known for.
Of course, trim is one of those areas you can stylize when you choose a more traditional base color on the siding. Match your frames to the landscaping or planters on the exterior, or the decor in the foyer on the interior.
Make a bold statement with pastels or other non-traditional choices. No matter which way you are leaning, we are happy to help with a color consultation.
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Exterior Paint Colors (How to Choose an Exterior Paint Color Scheme)
House Painting: Selling or Buying a Home in the Newton Area?
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Repairing and painting your window frames is a time-consuming job. It requires practical skills and tools to do it right.
That's what we're here for. We've been servicing the Newton, Massachusetts area since 1999. Experience a higher standard of house painting as documented by dozens of third-party customer reviews.