Painting plastic window trims - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

saucedo80 · 10-16-2005, 05:09 PM

Hello everybody, i got a question from a client today, she wanted to know if you can paint plastic window trims. You see she had new windows installed, and they came with that plastic white trim around them. I told her that i had never painted them and infact all of my previous customers never wanted them painted. Can you infact paint the plastic window trims? Its hard for me to believe that any kind of house paint or primer would stick to plastic, perhaps primer and paint used for fiberglass body work on cars?

AAPaint · 10-17-2005, 01:40 AM

Hmm...I've never had anyone ask to have those painted. You could paint them I suppose, but I wouldn't recommend it. Maybe something strong like a waterborne urethane would work, I don't really know. I know latex and oil are just asking for disaster in short order.....

**slickshift** · 10-17-2005, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AAPaint

Hmm...I've never had anyone ask to have those painted. You could paint them I suppose, but I wouldn't recommend it....

Me too
I would tell the client no, they are not paintable

I have used "plastic paints" for cars
Basically a dye, sometimes a laquer, depends on the piece
But I really would not do it for a customer's plastic trim
I don't know if it would work, and if it did, I wouldn't want to....naw, there's no way I'd do that prep and work on plastic window trim
It'd be a nightmare

kenvest · 10-17-2005, 08:09 AM

if you're talking about painting the trim that typically turns real yellow after a few years on exterior surfaces of windows and doors (especially those cheap metal doors), it takes paint very well.

the textured surface is pretty rough which led me to believe it would stick well which it has thus far (couple of years), but i wouldn't be painting a smooth plastic surface without at least scuffing it up, and even then i'd be doubtful.

AAPaint · 10-17-2005, 04:30 PM

Exactly, you may get away with it for a couple years, but down the road it's gonna put a hurtin on ya....cuz we all know eventually, that plastic is going to peel in sheets. Then the customer will

because they have to pay extra to have it removed... Not something I would put my company's name on.

Kevin · 10-17-2005, 04:38 PM

Are you talking about interior casing, or exterior brickmould? Either way, if it's a pvc window, the manufacturer should be able to supply you with a paint that'll stick. They have touch up paints for PVC windows in all kinds of different colors.

saucedo80 · 10-17-2005, 10:04 PM

yeah you know i already told the customer that they were unpaintable, and infact the color that she chose for her gutters and facia is swiss coffee white which is real closs to white so it will blend in with those plastic window trims.