How To Paint And Decorate Sash Windows Without Painting Them Shut

By Author: Steven LaPolla
Total Articles: 6
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How to Paint and Decorate Sash Windows without painting them shut.It's great to paint your timber windows as it gives them that fresh look and brings them back to that original feeling of having new windows - it also looks so much better.You windows can be painted shut - especially sash windows. It happens more often than most people would let on. They get stuck when the paint between two pieces of material are touching and then they dry. When they dry it's almost like glue and your windows are shut tight unless you force them open revealing the damage to the paintwork as you tear off some parts of the paint.But How do you paint them without painting them shut? Firstly a window should not be closed when painting on or around the area as paint fumes can be harmful to some people so make sure to air the room well before, during and after painting.Dust and CleanSo many people forget to clean their windows of dust first so make sure to do this. The resulting paint job can be of lower quality and look pretty bad upon completion so always remember to clean and dust first.SandingIf you're painting straight onto more dry paint ...
... then there is a very good chance that the new coat won't stick at all and sometimes appears as a bumpier finish. Make sure to sand down the timber but remember to stop sanding once the windows feel rough - don't over-sand.Light CoatsBest not to go all in and lather the paint on there as it will just congeal into thicker layers and when it does that it goes without saying that the gap between the window edge and the frame gets smaller and it becomes liable to stick much easier.Paint open edges firstIf you paint all the edges that will meet first on any type of window including sash then it will become drier more quickly allowing you to close that part of the window as you proceed to paint the rest. Get the harder bits first and then wait to complete the easier to reach bits once that has dried.Let it dryLet the first coat dry and if you have applied a thin coat then this would be dry in about 2 hours. Open and close the window on a regular basis to prevent the window sealing shut. But what if it does seal shut?If you've followed the above then your windows should not be painted shut but if they have been painted shut then don't worry as everything can be fixed.Use a thin razor blade to slide down the affected areas which should releases the window, this can also be used if the window is dry and you have put on too thick a coat on one side of the window. Don't use a blade when it is wet as you may accidentally push some of the wet paint behind into unreachable parts.Painting windows can be fun and inspiring for your home and if done right can it can add a new lease of life to your window.