Painting hung sash windows: a handy how to

Painting a hung sash window can seem complex, but when the job's broken into steps it's fairly simple. Here's a handy how to.

• Canvas or plastic drop sheet
• Vacuum cleaner
• Bucket, sponge and dishwashing detergent
• Paint scraper
• Sanding block and fine sandpaper
• Screwdriver
• Masking tape or lip balm
• Low-tack tape
• Paint
• Angled cutting-in brush
• Primer (if required)
• Stain-sealer (if required)

• Lay down a drop sheet, and clean the window, its frames and its trim.
• Remove any loose paint with a scraper or fine sandpaper.
• Take off locking hardware.
• Apply primer to any bare timber, and stain-sealer if required.
• To guard against drips, apply masking tape or lip balm to the glass and low-tack tape to the adjacent wall surface.

• Open both sashes halfway.
• Paint as much of the upper sash as possible, painting vertical surfaces first, then horizontal ones, and let your paint overlap the glass by 2 millimetres (1/16 inch).
• Reverse the sash positions, and paint the lower parts of the upper sash.
• Then paint the lower sash, again doing vertical surfaces first.

• Use exterior paint on the bottom edge of the lower sash and the top edge of the upper sash.
• Check the sash corners and glazing bar intersections for paint build-up and drips, and gently dab any you find with a dry brush to remove them.
• When the windows are dry to the touch, slide them up and down a few times.

• Paint the architraves, then the window sill and apron.
• Paint the window linings last, if at all.
• If you must paint your window linings, be sure to strip or sand back all the existing paint first.
• Lower both sashes all the way so that you can paint the upper lining.
• When the upper lining's dry, raise the sashes and paint the lower lining.

• Wipe off any lip balm and remove the masking tape and low-tack tape.
• If there's any excess paint on the window glass, use a scraper to scrape it off.
• After all parts of the painted window are completely dry, reinstall the window hardware.

Follow this handy how to, and you'll find painting a hung sash window easy.