The Pros and Cons of Spray Painting uPVC Windows

If your uPVC windows are looking tired or dated, spray painting them can seem like a quick and inexpensive way to give your home a completely different look.

And with so many home renovation accounts sharing impressive DIY transformations on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, it’s easy to see why homeowners are tempted.

But those before-and-after videos usually show you how the windows look immediately after they’ve been painted – not how the finish will look after years of sunlight, Welsh weather, regular cleaning and everyday use.

So, is spray painting uPVC windows actually a good idea?

At Sapphire Windows & Doors, it’s not a service we offer or recommend as an alternative to replacing ageing windows.

We’ve been manufacturing and installing windows in Wales since 1989, and over the years we’ve met many homeowners who have tried painting or professionally spraying their existing uPVC windows before eventually deciding to replace them.

Here’s what we think you should know before spending your money.

Quick answer – is spray painting uPVC windows a good idea?

Yes, uPVC windows can be painted or professionally sprayed.

However, we believe it should be viewed primarily as a short-term cosmetic change rather than an alternative to replacing ageing windows.
Spraying can give your existing frames a different colour, but it doesn’t give you new frames, glazing, seals, locks or hardware. It doesn’t improve the thermal performance of the existing window either.

The painted coating is also another surface exposed to UV light, rain, temperature changes, cleaning and everyday use. Over time, depending on the preparation, products, application and exposure, that finish can fade, scratch, chip, crack, peel or become patchy.

Spraying changes the colour. It doesn’t change the window.

Can you spray paint uPVC windows?

Yes. uPVC windows can be painted or professionally sprayed using coatings designed to adhere to plastic surfaces.

Preparation is important, and the quality of the products, preparation and application can all affect the finished result and how well it lasts.
But even a professionally applied coating only changes the surface of your existing windows.

It doesn’t renew the frames, upgrade the glazing, replace ageing seals or hardware, improve thermal performance or make an older window new again.

Underneath the fresh colour is still the same window – with a painted finish on top.

What are the pros of spray painting uPVC windows?

There are reasons why homeowners consider spraying their uPVC windows:
• It can quickly change the colour and appearance.
• The initial cost can be lower than replacing the windows.
• There is a wide choice of colours available.

For many homeowners, that lower initial price is particularly attractive.

But before making your decision, it’s worth looking beyond the immediate transformation and considering what you’re actually getting for your money and how long you’re likely to benefit from it.

What are the disadvantages of spray painting uPVC windows?

1. Spraying doesn’t give you a new window

This is probably the most important point.
The existing frames are still there. So are the existing glass, seals, locks, hinges and hardware.
If your windows are already ageing, you could spend money making them look newer without addressing the reasons they may soon need replacing.

2. A sprayed finish can fade, peel, crack or become patchy. 

One of the attractions of uPVC windows is that they’re relatively low maintenance.

Spraying introduces an additional surface coating exposed to sunlight, rain, temperature changes, regular cleaning, movement of the frames and everyday wear.

Over time, depending on the product, preparation, application and exposure, that coating can:
• Fade
• Scratch
• Chip
• Crack
• Peel
• Tarnish
• Become patchy
Damage can be particularly noticeable when the original uPVC is a very different colour. A chip through a dark coating on an originally white frame, for example, can expose the lighter surface beneath.

Before paying to have your windows sprayed, ask what guarantee is provided specifically for the painted finish, what maintenance it will need and what happens if the coating becomes damaged.

3. Painting doesn’t improve the energy efficiency of an old window

Changing the colour of a window doesn’t change its thermal performance.
Spraying won’t upgrade the glass, replace deteriorating seals or solve draughts.
It won’t fix:
• Misted or failed glass units
• Draughts
• Worn seals
• Water ingress
• Damaged or distorted frames
• Faulty hinges
• Problems opening or closing
• Ageing locking mechanisms
You could therefore spend money improving how older windows look while still living with exactly the same problems underneath.
A warmer-looking window isn’t necessarily a warmer window.

4. You could end up spending money twice

This is something we’ve encountered with customers ourselves.
If you pay to have ageing windows sprayed and then need to replace them later, you’ve paid once to change their appearance and then paid again for new windows.

Sometimes the cheaper option initially can mean spending money twice.

Don’t judge sprayed windows only by the before-and-after photos

It’s easy to be influenced by the impressive window transformations we see on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
Some look fantastic immediately after they’re completed.

But what you don’t normally see is the same window several years later.

How has the finish coped with UV exposure, regular cleaning and the weather? Has it scratched, chipped, faded or peeled? And, importantly, what condition is the original window underneath?

Social media can be brilliant for inspiration, but windows aren’t purely decorative.

They also play an important role in keeping your home warm, secure and protected from the weather.

“Of course a window company would say that”

And that’s a fair point.

We’re a window and door company. We manufacture and install new windows, so you might reasonably expect us to recommend replacement over spraying.

But Sapphire has been here since 1989, and we’ve built our reputation and the trust of our customers by giving straightforward, honest advice – even when that advice doesn’t result in a sale for us.

If we think something can be repaired rather than replaced, we’ll say so. If we don’t think you need new windows, we’ll tell you.

We don’t have a sales team, we don’t use pressure-selling tactics and we don’t chase customers after sending a quotation.
Our opinion on spraying comes from what we’ve seen over decades of visiting homes, replacing ageing windows and speaking to customers who have already tried painting or professionally spraying theirs.

So yes, we sell new windows.

But we’d rather share what we’ve learned and allow you to make your own decision.

Sometimes that means we get the job. Sometimes it doesn’t. Either way, we’d rather give you honest advice.

What we’ve seen in customers’ homes

Across South and West Wales, we’ve met customers who initially considered replacement windows but decided to try painting or professional spraying first.

Some have attempted DIY transformations. Others have paid established, reputable businesses to professionally spray their windows.

Some have subsequently come back to us when the finish hasn’t worked out as they’d hoped or when the original windows themselves have started developing problems.

This isn’t necessarily about whether the person or company applying the paint has done a good job.

It’s about understanding the limitations of adding a coating to an existing window.

Even a professionally applied finish doesn’t turn an older window into a new one.

A real customer example – seven sprayed windows, then two needed replacing

One customer had all seven of their existing windows professionally sprayed rather than replacing them.

Some time later, two of those windows developed problems and needed replacing.

We installed two new uPVC windows while the remaining five sprayed windows stayed in place.

Once the new windows were sitting alongside the older sprayed windows, the difference became much more apparent.

The new windows weren’t simply old frames with a different colour. They were completely new window units with a factory-finished appearance, new glazing, new seals and new hardware.

The other five were still the original windows underneath their painted finish.

Painting an old window can change how it looks, but it doesn’t make it a new window.

And if those original windows begin to fail one by one, you may eventually find yourself replacing them anyway.