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Painting windows and trim white


klmama
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Our house has golden oak trim throughout, and I'd like to paint it white.  The issue is the windows.  Not only are the windows trimmed in oak, the windows themselves are... something... that looks like oak.  Vinyl, maybe?  I'd like to paint it all out, but I don't know if its possible to paint the vinyl part.  I don't think it would look right if the trim were white, but the window were oak.  Thoughts?

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Hmmm.  Adequately prepped & primed oak trim should be able to take white paint. I'd be concerned about trying to paint vinyl, though. It might look fine for a while but then start to chip or flake off. Also if you painted inside the sliding parts the window might not open well anymore.

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My parents had windows just like those throughout their home.  They were really beautiful!  They kept all of theirs natural, and the nice thing about that was that they always looked nice.  Even if they were dinged or scratched or rained on, they still looked beautiful.  I think if you painted them white, you'd have problems keeping them looking nice.  Because those areas get use and are subject to weather, I think they'd start flaking and chipping and you'd regret painting them.

I could be wrong, but that's my gut feeling.

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I wouldn't do it. For the reasons mentioned above, but also because you can't paint the entire frame, so some brown will always show.  You can't paint the part that is pressed up against the glass, that you see in-between the the two panels of glass. 

I know it isn't a consolation if you don't like the style, but wood framed windows cost  quite a bit more that vinyl ones.  They are considered a premium and are an upgrade. 

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12 hours ago, Pam in CT said:

Hmmm.  Adequately prepped & primed oak trim should be able to take white paint. I'd be concerned about trying to paint vinyl, though. It might look fine for a while but then start to chip or flake off. Also if you painted inside the sliding parts the window might not open well anymore.

Adequately prepped and primed are the key words!

I dunno about vinyl, but I'd assume prepped with BIN, you could.  But, yeah, you'd have to take a toothpick and break any seals and cracks to prevent sealing and later breaking/peeling/flaking.

There is an AMAZING FB group called "CABINET PAINTING & REFINISHING - DIY & PRO *SAY NO TO CHALK PAINT*" - They are an AMAZING resource.

BIN is an awesome primer.

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You can paint them, but it's tricky.  They have to be cleaned very well, lightly sanded, cleaned again, primed, then painted. And with that much UV light they might yellow, so you might want to choose an ivory or cream off-white shade rather than white itself.

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