Painting, decorating and home improvement tips blog
UPVC – Don’t get stuck with silicone!
Posted by Adrian
August 11th, 2008
If you decide to have new UPVC windows and doors fitted one top tip for future decoration of both inside and outside of your property is as follows.
Please do not allow the fitters to seal around you door or windows with silicone, as this cannot be over painted.
It’s OK to seal with silicone on the exterior if you don’t have painted rendered walls, as painting to the exterior obviously isn’t required.
If you have had your windows and doors sealed with silicone, rather than a sealer that can be over painted, you could be in for problems when it comes to decorating. Paint and wallpaper will not stick to silicone. You may have to have the silicone removed and replaced with a sealer that can be painted over, such as flexible decorators caulk.
If you try and paint over silicone you will note the paint ‘rolls’ off the silicone making cutting in around your windows and doors look messy, and if you are changing the colour, even worse, as you can see the old colour around the window or door.
Wallpaper can in time peel away from the edge of the window or door; this is most likely due to the silicone underneath the paper.
So, if you having new UPVC windows and doors fitted ensure you ask the company fitting them that the sealer they use can be painted over, this will make your and my life easier when it comes to decorating!
Tags: caulk, Silicone, UPVC, Windows
Posted in Decorating Tips | 3 Comments »
Hi there
I love this article so much , i have been learning from it with my every revisit.
Thanks for sharing.
Hello
I am at the end of my tether with my local PVC window provider. My windows are about 8 years old under a 10 year guarantee. The silicone seal has come away from one door and the bathroom window and my provider said silicone seals are not covered by FENSA. I insisted that his own guarantee should cover. This week I had some water drip down by ground floor window when my lodger was having a shower and I wondered if it was due to my upstairs window not been sealed and the condensation leaking through. I called the window provider and he came and said my gutter was leaking not my window and still didn’t apply the seal or do the door. Does it matter if they are not sealed on the inside?
@Helene
The windows need to be sealed on the outside to stop penetration of water, inside can be done but isn’t always.