Improve your home’s appearance with UPVC spraying

The UK’s home improvement market is worth many millions of pounds per year and shows no sign of slowing down. Many homeowners are looking for ways to improve their property, keeping it up to date with the latest trends, making it appealing to buyers and potential tenants, or simply maintaining its fresh look for themselves. I’m one of them, and we’re hoping to add an extension to our home in the next few years, introducing bifold doors.

The first thing people see when they visit your home is the exterior and this affects their initial impressions. One of my first projects in this house was painting the front door and the garage door to make the front look presentable again!

Windows are one of the most prominent features of a home’s exterior, too, so improving them helps to create a great first impression.

UPVC can start to look aged or out of date, particularly when it’s white. This is because UPVC is sensitive to UV rays from the sun, as well as pollution in city areas, and can begin to turn a yellow or “off white” over time. This can result in  windows looking dull and dirty no matter how often they are washed or cleaned.

For these reasons, white UPVC windows are now seen as “outdated” with newer styles and colours emerging. One of the most popular is Anthracite Grey, which gives a home a fresh new modern appearance by combining it with other shades used on the exterior like black or white.

We’ve discussed having our windows changed to anthracite grey or another colour altogether, but the cost of replacing double glazed windows and doors can be quite high. Replacing old frames with brand new units can take weeks from ordering through to having them manufactured and finally installed, particularly with construction industry delays and in-demand materials.

For a more cost-effective way to achieve a modern appearance, you should consider having your UPVC spray painted rather than replacing all of your windows and doors. As long as they are mechanically ok and structurally stable, resprayed UPVC can be up 80% cheaper than replacements!

The Main Benefits of Spraying UPVC

1. More cost effective vs replacement

The cost of replacing windows and doors has the potential to reach thousands of pounds but respraying will cost up to 80% less. The final price for UPVC spraying will partly depend on the number of items being sprayed, but it is still significantly cheaper than full replacement. Additionally, you can also have your guttering, waste pipes, soffits and fascias sprayed to match your new chosen colour.

2. Create a modern appearance

Property trends are always on the move, especially when it comes to exterior design trends changing from traditional colours like white and brown. When respraying your UPVC windows and doors, you are able to change their appearance to whatever colour you want, allowing you to create a home with up to date appeal.

3. Increase kerb appeal

If you are looking to sell or lease your property, improving the exterior can be an effective way of attracting potential buyers or tenants. Modern looking windows and doors are a great way to do this.

4. Reduced mess

When you have your window frames replaced, the process is quite time-consuming; a company hires a skip, arranges for the skip permits necessary to remove the old windows and doors and rips out old frames and glass (even internal window sills may need removing). All of this is highly intrusive whilst you are still living in the property.

With UPVC window spraying, the process is relatively less messy than fully replacing them. Windows are sprayed in place rather than having to remove them. In order to limit mess, the area surrounding a window or door is masked off with paper and polythene sheeting before it’s spray painted – there will be no need for any dismantling whatsoever. Doors may need removing from their surrounding frame in order to spray them properly. The door frames however are sprayed in a similar manner to the windows: in-situ and carefully masked off to prevent overspray.

5. Takes less time

When it comes to your home, you want a solution that will look good and last a lifetime. Most people know that UPVC windows and doors can be reliably sprayed at a fraction of the cost of other materials, but there is more to consider.

Fully replacing your old windows with new ones can present challenges in many ways, including the fact that it can take weeks or even months before new windows are fully installed, from initially ordering your windows to them being manufactured and then finally fitted.

With UPVC spraying, this same job can usually be completed within just 1 day!

6. There’s a huge choice of colours

Spraying companies have access to a broader range of colours for your new look windows than a window manufacturing company. One popular range of colours is the RAL colour range. You can choose your colour from a swatch book in a similar way to choosing a new paint colour for your living room. This means that a choice can be made regarding the colour of your UPVC products that are not only suitable for the style and look of your home, but also allows them to blend in with or stand out against existing UPVC windows on surrounding properties.

What does the spray painting process involve?

Now that you know how beneficial this process can be, what does spray painting actually involve? It’s a fairly straightforward job, but like most things when it comes to renovations, preparation is key.

Prepare the windows and doors for spraying

Windows must be thoroughly cleaned before painting. This ensures that the paint adheres and doesn’t peel off after a short period of time. Removing any dust, bird droppings, grease and other dirt is essential before spraying.

Mask the surrounding areas

When painting UPVC windows, it is of the utmost importance to make sure everything around the window is properly masked. Masking paper should be used for masking any brickwork, and polythene film for protecting your windows’ individual panes. Both techniques will guarantee a professional-looking finish.

Spraying the UPVC

After all preparatory work has been completed, it will be time to respray the windows and doors. To make sure you get a smooth finish on your windows and doors, it is better to use spray coating rather than roll or brush. Because multiple thin coats are used instead of one thick coat, spraying will provide the high-spec finish that will result in a professional finish.

Summary

The cost of fully replacing your windows and doors can be extremely high. If they are in perfect working order it’s not necessarily cost effective to rip them out and have new ones fitted. With advancements in spray painting it is now possible to simply respray them in a new colour. It is also a lot faster to achieve a modern look to your windows with spraying as the work can be completed in just one day.

By improving the look of your windows and doors you also enhance the appeal of your property, which is great if you are looking to sell or are a landlord looking to attract new tenants.