An all too common result when painting windows is that they can accidently end up being sealed shut. Once a window has been painted shut, the required
solutions can result in broken glass or broken wooden window frames. Luckily, while sealing windows shut occurs all too often, it is relatively easy to prevent from
happening if you take the time to paint them correctly.
PREP:
The most important part of any painting project is to make sure that the surface is clean, dull and dry before applying any paint. If the house was built before 1978, the paint on the window most likely contains lead and special precautions are necessary when preparing the surface to prevent anyone from the heath dangers that lead can cause. If lead is not present, the exterior of the window should be power washed or rinsed with a hose, the interior of the window cleaned by hand, and given at least 24 hours to dry. Loose paint should be scraped off of the window and feather sanded to give a smooth finish.
PRIME:
Any areas on the window that are scraped or sanded down to bare wood require a primer. With wooden windows, a latex primer is usually your best option. Prime the window frames using a brush, applying a thin, even coating. Let the primer dry for approximately 2 hours, opening and closing the window every 20-30 minutes or so to prevent the window from sealing shut.
PAINT:
After the primer is dry, the paint should also be applied with a brush and the window opened and closed every 20-30 minutes to prevent it from sealing shut. Sherwin Williams recently launched a new product called SnapDry that is supposed to dry faster than your average paint and help prevent sticking when painting windows and doors.
