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Should You Paint White Vinyl Windows Black?

by Eddie Rivera on
Painting Vinyl Windows Black Black Vinyl-Safe Paint How to paint my window black window painting Black Window Frames

This question has become increasingly common at Harbor Paints.

Black windows look fantastic on many white, gray and natural-shingle homes.

But there is a major difference between buying a factory-black window and painting an existing white vinyl window black.

Pella, for example, offers black vinyl windows using factory systems designed and tested for the material and environmental conditions. Pella

That isn't automatically equivalent to field-painting a white vinyl frame.

Why Harbor Paint Approaches This Carefully

Dark colors absorb substantially more solar energy than white.

That can result in significantly higher surface temperatures.

Depending upon the particular window manufacturer and construction, excessive heat may contribute to movement or distortion of vinyl components.

There is also an adhesion issue.

Vinyl is a relatively slick substrate, so preparation and product compatibility become critical.

And Then There's the Warranty

Before Harbor Paint paints vinyl windows black, we recommend that the homeowner identify the window manufacturer and determine whether field painting:

  • Is permitted
  • Requires an approved coating
  • Restricts certain colors
  • Could affect the warranty

Why Do Homeowners Still Consider It?

Cost.

We recently evaluated a Long Island property with more than 50 white windows where the homeowner wanted the appearance of black windows.

Replacing dozens of otherwise functional windows purely to change their color can represent an enormous investment.

Painting may provide a dramatically less expensive aesthetic transformation—but the homeowner needs to understand the risks first.

Harbor Paint's Approach

When the substrate and manufacturer requirements permit painting, the process may include:

  1. Cleaning and degreasing
  2. Light surface preparation
  3. Careful masking of glass, seals and surrounding materials
  4. Compatible bonding/coating system
  5. Controlled application
  6. Proper curing

Seagull Says:

Black windows can transform a house—but don't turn a design trend into a very expensive experiment.

Have the window and coating system evaluated first.

Harbor Paints: We would rather explain the risk before the project than explain a failure afterward.

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