How To Paint Metal Window Frames

This step-by-step tutorial will evidence yous how to paint aluminum windows and door frames. It's a quick and easy mode to update your erstwhile doors and windows for merely a few dollars.

While we've made lots of improvements and updates to our home over the concluding several years, replacing the aluminum windows and sliding glass doors merely isn't in the budget right now.

We have two sets of sliding doors that pb out to our huge screened porch and as much as I love all the light they let in, the blank metallic stop really just fabricated them look a bit cheap and unfinished.

sliding glass doors with metal frame and track

I painted the interior of the sliding doors several years agone and the paint has held up really well.

At that place is a chip of chipping on the door handle, but everything else yet looks pristine.

I'yard in the middle of updating our screened porch so this seemed similar the perfect time to tackle the exterior of the doors.

And while I was at it, I also painted the aluminum windows on our porch every bit well as all of the metal outlet covers.

Today I'm sharing pace-by-step instructions and photos besides as a video tutorial of the unabridged process.

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Materials

Vacuum (for cleaning sliding drinking glass door tracks and window sills)
All-purpose cleaner
Painter's record ( two-3 inch thick tape is all-time for this project)
Roll of kraft paper or wrapping paper
Spray paint

How to paint aluminum windows and door frames

The first pace of whatever painting project is cleaning. Our sliding doors had accumulated quite a bit of pollen and dust in the door rails so I started by vacuuming it out.

Then I used an all-purpose cleaner and rag to clean everything I was going to exist painting.

Spray paint is definitely the best paint for painting near anything metal.

It adheres well and goes on apace. Almost general use spray paints will work for this project.

Just double-check that your paint says it is appropriate for use on metal and can be used outdoors.

I used Rustoleum Semi-Gloss Protective Enamel in white for my own doors and windows.

Y'all will need to practice a bit of extra prep when using spray paint to brand certain the overspray doesn't mess up anything nearby.

Start by using painter'due south tape to record all forth the edges of where you will be painting.

This would be a great fourth dimension to use 3″ Painter's tape to provide more protection.

I simply had the regular 1″ painter's tape on manus, so I did a few rows of tape around my windows and doors.

I also covered the entire glass department of the windows and doors. This isn't completely necessary just I like the extra protection information technology gives.

sliding glass doors ready to be painted with painter's tape and paper covering adjoining areas

My coin-saving trick is to use any old rolls of wrapping paper if yous don't have brown kraft newspaper on hand.

I e'er seem to have an excess of wrapping paper somehow and this is a great way to repurpose it.

aluminum window frames and metal outlet covers surrounded by painter's tape

Once y'all take everything prepped, you can beginning painting.

Any time you spray pigment, first by shaking your pigment thoroughly for about a minute and then shaking information technology every few minutes as you lot work.

It's likewise a good idea to wearable a protective mask when working with spray paint.

Hold the spray paint 6 to 8 inches from the surface you are painting and slowly movement information technology over the surface with a steady back and forth motion.

Make sure you keep the can moving to avoid thick, drippy areas.

You lot desire to practise 2-3 thin coats of paint. Don't be tempted to effort for one very thick coat, you'll just end upward with drips and uneven coverage.

Check the instructions on your can of spray paint to encounter how long you need to wait before calculation a second coat of paint – usually, information technology is only a minute or two.

sliding glass doors with a layer of white paint, surrounded by painter's tape and paper

When yous're done painting, plough the paint upside down and spray for five seconds.

This will make certain the can doesn't clog and will work just as smoothly for your next project.

Once the paint is mostly dry, you can advisedly remove the painter'due south tape and paper.

If y'all find any little spots where pigment managed to sneak through your bulwark onto the glass, it's easy to remove using a razor blade scraper.

Painted Metal Doors and Windows

Here are some before and after photos then you can really see the deviation the paint made.

Fifty-fifty though the color departure from bare aluminum to white is subtle, the windows and doors look so much nicer (and less cheap) now.

I love how they alloy in with everything else instead of standing out.

metal sliding glass doors before paint and after being painted white

aluminum windows before paint and after being painted white

I as well built new shutters for the windows, merely even without the shutters, I was really surprised at but how much improve those windows look.

aluminum windows painted white with gray shutters

And the metallic outlet covers to blend in nicely at present. Which is great, since we have at least a dozen scattered around our porch.

metal outlet covers before paint, while being painted, and after being painted white

This project was particularly quick and piece of cake. I used three cans of spray paint to paint ii sets of sliding drinking glass doors, two windows, and a dozen outlets.

And the unabridged project was done in a couple of hours.

The bulk of that time was spent cleaning and taping everything.

The actual painting took less than 10 minutes.

Video Tutorial

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sliding glass doors before and after white paint

Materials

All-purpose cleaner
Painter's tape
Roll of kraft newspaper or wrapping paper
Spray paint

Instructions

Outset by removing any pollen and dust in the door frame past vacuuming it out.
Utilise an all-purpose cleaner and rag to clean the surfaces you lot will exist painting.
Secure painter'due south tape all along the edges of the surfaces y'all will exist painting.
Cover the entire drinking glass section of the windows and doors with kraft newspaper or wrapping paper.
Shake your paint thoroughly for near a minute and and so begin painting.
Agree the spray paint vi to 8 inches from the surface and move it with a steady back and forth motion.
You will need 2-3 thin coats of paint.
In one case the pigment is dry, remove the painter'south tape and newspaper.