Painting UPVC?

scottishblondie

We're having a new roof on our extension, which was built (badly) by the previous owners.  The new roof is zinc, complete with zinc fascias etc., and we're really happy with the new look.  However, now the fascias are up, I'm even more struck by how much I dislike the windows.  I feel that the UPVC canopy/top looks super cheap next to the zinc. 

I'm considering how to make them look better, and one idea I had was to paint the top part in a grey to mimic zinc.  Has anyone had success in DIY painting UPVC?  Many of the websites I've come across seem to suggest it's best to get them sprayed by a professional.

Alternatively, any other ideas?

stuart45

I've painted one for a customer. I'm not a painter by trade, but did the front of a single storey building that I had repointed. I gave it a really good rub down with 40 grit, and then used ordinary primer and gloss, as she didn't want to pay out for the more expensive plastic paints. As it needed to match the other timber windows a really smooth finish wasn't needed. 2 years on and it's still OK. It's the white plastic one before it was done.

Rosa_Damascena

scottishblondie said:

Alternatively, any other ideas?

Commission @stuart45 to do it for you

twopenny

I read up a lot about painting UPVC. So no expert as I haven't done it yet but plenty do.

I think maybe choosing the right paint to match may be the most essential.

Excellen Stuart. Wish that was my place.

Jeepers_Creepers

scottishblondie said:

We're having a new roof on our extension, which was built (badly) by the previous owners.  The new roof is zinc, complete with zinc fascias etc., and we're really happy with the new look.  However, now the fascias are up, I'm even more struck by how much I dislike the windows.  I feel that the UPVC canopy/top looks super cheap next to the zinc. 

I'm considering how to make them look better, and one idea I had was to paint the top part in a grey to mimic zinc.  Has anyone had success in DIY painting UPVC?  Many of the websites I've come across seem to suggest it's best to get them sprayed by a professional.

Alternatively, any other ideas?

Hi SB.

That zinc fascia was a bold move on such a traditional façade, but I agree it looks very good. And almost certainly painting that upper canopy (and perhaps the bottom cill?) to match would add to it even more - tie the new style in.

Can it be done? Absolutely yes. As mentioned above, you should ideally remove the smooth sheen from the PVC to make sure it's 100% clean and has a light key. It doesn't need sanding or anything like that - I think something like a coarse SS scouring pad should do the job nicely.

Then you use - I'd strongly suggest - a proper PVC primer such as Zinsser's, and I've just noticed that Sandtex also do one https://www.sandtex.co.uk/products/sandtex-pvc-u-primer/

After that, your paint options are entirely yours. Definitely satin finish or even a matt-satin, and getting a colour match should be squeasy - just take a bit of fascia in to a decorating centre. If you tell them it's for exterior use, they'll guide you on the best paint type.

Although crude, in situations like this I often take a photo and open it in 'MSPaint' (I am that much of a boff) where you can take a colour sample of the fascia, for example, and use it to add the same tone to other bits. Although not exactly photo-realistic, it should give you a very good idea of what the outcome would be, so you can play with considering the cill too, for example.

Definitely that outside light too (if it's staying) and perhaps even the surrounding frame of the doors?

Possibly even the whole door...

Rosa_Damascena

Is your property a small hotel, SB?

scottishblondie

Jeepers_Creepers said:

scottishblondie said:

We're having a new roof on our extension, which was built (badly) by the previous owners.  The new roof is zinc, complete with zinc fascias etc., and we're really happy with the new look.  However, now the fascias are up, I'm even more struck by how much I dislike the windows.  I feel that the UPVC canopy/top looks super cheap next to the zinc. 

I'm considering how to make them look better, and one idea I had was to paint the top part in a grey to mimic zinc.  Has anyone had success in DIY painting UPVC?  Many of the websites I've come across seem to suggest it's best to get them sprayed by a professional.

Alternatively, any other ideas?

Hi SB.

That zinc fascia was a bold move on such a traditional façade, but I agree it looks very good. And almost certainly painting that upper canopy (and perhaps the bottom cill?) to match would add to it even more - tie the new style in.

Can it be done? Absolutely yes. As mentioned above, you should ideally remove the smooth sheen from the PVC to make sure it's 100% clean and has a light key. It doesn't need sanding or anything like that - I think something like a coarse SS scouring pad should do the job nicely.

Then you use - I'd strongly suggest - a proper PVC primer such as Zinsser's, and I've just noticed that Sandtex also do one https://www.sandtex.co.uk/products/sandtex-pvc-u-primer/

After that, your paint options are entirely yours. Definitely satin finish or even a matt-satin, and getting a colour match should be squeasy - just take a bit of fascia in to a decorating centre. If you tell them it's for exterior use, they'll guide you on the best paint type.

Although crude, in situations like this I often take a photo and open it in 'MSPaint' (I am that much of a boff) where you can take a colour sample of the fascia, for example, and use it to add the same tone to other bits. Although not exactly photo-realistic, it should give you a very good idea of what the outcome would be, so you can play with considering the cill too, for example.

Definitely that outside light too (if it's staying) and perhaps even the surrounding frame of the doors?

Possibly even the whole door...

@Jeepers_Creepers Thanks for the detailed reply. Yes the fascia was bold!! It was our builder’s idea, TBH. We were originally going to have red to Mach the original house, but he reckoned we were missing a truck and should have some of the zinc on show. He also talked me into covering the feature arch above the doors in zinc rather than rendering it. 

I like your suggestions! And I think I will have a play about in MS paint 😂

scottishblondie

stuart45 said:

I've painted one for a customer. I'm not a painter by trade, but did the front of a single storey building that I had repointed. I gave it a really good rub down with 40 grit, and then used ordinary primer and gloss, as she didn't want to pay out for the more expensive plastic paints. As it needed to match the other timber windows a really smooth finish wasn't needed. 2 years on and it's still OK. It's the white plastic one before it was done.

@stuart45 That is a lovely job! Glad to see a non-pro painter can do it, as I think I might need to DIY to save some pennies. 

scottishblondie

Rosa_Damascena said:

Is your property a small hotel, SB?

@Rosa_Damascena no it’s a private property, a lower conversion in a 1920s villa. Sad to say the 1970s conversion did a lot of damage to the look of the place and most original features were lost, not to mention the subsequent works in the 1990s and 2010s.