Although hardy, UPVC is susceptible to UV damage over time. This manifests itself as the colour changing or fading. White UPVC yellows and brown UPVC becomes lighter. The UPVC may also develop a slightly rough texture.
The rough texture is actually dirt or mild raising, which can be sanded off or sometimes rubbed off with mineral spirit. Once the surface is clean and flat, you will be able to see the UPVC’s true colour and the results of UV damage.
Does it look old and tired? If so, the good news is no matter how faded or discoloured your UPVC is, you can cover it up by painting it.
It’s important to remember sun-damaged UPVC is nowhere near the end of its life. It’s only discoloured because of exposure to the sun, which is to be expected since your windows live outdoors. Fading and discolouration is not the same as broken or damaged UPVC. There’s no need to replace units when you can have them painted.
Painting sun-damaged UPVC
Replacing UPVC is costly and inconvenient. Spray painting is less than half the cost and has the same effect: it changes the colour of the UPVC and covers up sun damage. Spray painting also protects the UPVC from further exposure because it encapsulates the units and the paint blocks UV from reaching the plastic.
Painting UPVC whether it is sun-damaged or not requires the same level of preparation and care. The process doesn’t involve spray paint cans – it involves using an electric spray-painting gun, much the same as cars are painted with. Three coats of paint are applied to create a thick, even layer across the surface.
With Bespoke UPVC, you can choose from over 3,000 colours from the British Standard Colour Chart and RAL Colour Chart, or we can mix a custom paint for you. You also have the choice of a glossy, satin or matte finish. Most customers opt for satin but there has been an increase in customers choosing matte recently.
Check out our work for yourself here and contact us for a quote. We’re an honest bunch, so we’ve also written an article covering UPVC spraying prices here.
