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Over the last two weeks, we’ve been talking all about paint. From how to choose a paint color, to selecting the best sheen, and even how to paint a room from start to finish – I hope you’ve learned a lot along the way. Today, we’re going to talk about a paint job gone wrong. What do you do when you have peeling paint, specifically near your window frames?
This is a problem I ran into on my daughter’s window sills and ledges. While we’ve replaced many of the windows in our home, the ones in her room are almost 30 years old. We had the trim painted white when we moved in five years ago, but the old paint has since started to peel and flake off. If you have historic windows, you probably know what I’m talking about!
I believe it’s from condensation building on the windows, especially on cold days, causing the paint to bubble up and peel off. So essentially, I needed to figure out how to repair the water damage and prevent it from happening again.
I noticed it was getting really bad when I replaced her window screens. Taking care of this unsightly problem was added to my to-do list right then. Luckily, this small issue is an easy fix!
Fixing Peeling Window Paint – Project Supplies
Here’s what you’ll want to have on hand for this DIY project.
I do want to note that if you’re painting windows, you want to make sure that the weather conditions are ideal. Most paint has a specific temperature range for when it can be applied. I waited for a warm sunny day to tackle this project, knowing that the windows would need to be open to dry properly.
Scrape It Off
If you simply slop more paint onto the existing surface, you’re going to run into this same issue over and over again. Instead, you need to get rid of the flaking original paint and ideally get down to the bare wood. The best way to do this is with a paint scraper! A wire brush can also work well. Run it along the damaged area, removing paint as you go.
I concentrated on the corners because those areas were the worst on our windows. Scrape up as much loose paint as possible. If you have large gaping holes or divots in the wood, you can fill these holes with wood putty and a putty knife to even out the surface.
Side Note: If your home was built before 1978 and the windows are painted, you could have lead-based paint. If that’s the case, you want to use a lead kit (like this one) to test before scraping any paint away. If that’s the case, you’ll want to go in a different direction for the restoration of your windows.
Sand It Smooth
Once you scrape it away, the next step is to smooth everything down. There’s bound to be areas where there’s bare wood next to paint and you don’t want this to be a harsh transition that would have a visible line later on. Sand everything and use 220-grit sandpaper, or a sanding sponge, to get it as smooth as possible.
When you’re finished, take a rag and get rid of any dust or residue. You can also use a Shop Vac (This cordless one is a dream.) to get rid of that flaking paint. I also added some painter’s tape to the windows and around the hardware to prevent any paint from getting on those areas.
Use The Right Primer To Combat Moisture
This is the most important step of this project. You want to use the correct primer so this doesn’t happen again. For this, you want a primer with a built-in moisture control element.
This one, Aqua Lock Plus, provides a mildew-resistant coating and helps seal porous surfaces. Plus, it helps block water stains. I used this same can on our home’s exterior when redoing some peeling paint. That was four years ago, and the paint still looks great!
I ended up applying a thin layer of primer, followed by another coat about thirty minutes later.
Finish With Three Light Coats Of Paint
Once the primer was dry, I got out my paint. All of the trim and millwork in our home is painted Benjamin Moore’s “Simply White” in a semi-gloss sheen. I used a brush to paint three light coats on the painted surface, letting it dry for about 30 minutes to an hour in between.
With the final coat painted, I quickly removed the painter’s tape. I always suggest removing it when it’s still wet to prevent any peeling of the paint when you pull it up.
I let the windows stay open for another 4-6 hours to dry as much as possible before shutting and locking them when the kids got home from school.
Before & After
Here’s a look at the repaired area. You can’t tell that this was once a peeling mess! Between the scraping, sanding, and primer, the patched area blends in perfectly with the rest of the paint.
Keep An Eye On It
My plan is to keep an eye on these windows to see how the paint job holds up. If it gets bad again, it may be time to replace these windows because air, water, and moisture are probably sneaking in. I’m hopeful that this painting method will keep the window replacement at bay for a while, but we will see!
Painting 101
Here are additional painting resources for you to peruse.
With all of those painting posts, you should be feeling pretty confident to tackle your next project. Whether it’s sprucing up your old windows with a fresh coat of paint or choosing the perfect color for your bedroom makeover, I’m always here to help!
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