September 30, 2019

Frenchic Top Tips - How to Paint a UPVC Door

Frenchic Top Tips - How to Paint a UPVC Door

Tired of your house’s drab exterior? Give your uPVC front door a new lease of life and brighten up your home with an Al Fresco makeover.

Read on or watch the video to learn how to easily paint your uPVC door with our weatherproof range, and get handy tips from our Brand Ambassador, Craig Phillips.

The Product

Our Frenchic Al Fresco Indoor/ Outdoor Range has become well-known for transforming front doors up and down the country. This durable chalk paint is both weatherproof and UV resistant, so you can even spruce up your garden furniture whilst you’re at it. 

This easy-to-use paint is ideal for beginners, as it requires simple preparation, is self-priming, self-sealing and self-levelling, so you only have to use one product for an even and hard wearing finish!

Suitable for use on a wood, laminate, uPVC, composites, ceramics and metals, the Frenchic Al Fresco range leaves an almost matte finish, has little odour and is certified safe for use on children’s toys.  

Tools

For this project, you will need:

1. Your paint colour of choice from the Frenchic Al Fresco Range - Craig uses the colour Duckling 
2. Frenchic Concentrated Sugar Soap
3. Medium sandpaper and a sponge
4. Masking tape & a polythene sheet or cardboard
5. A small hand-held paint sprayer or good quality paintbrush

Instructions

Step 1 – Prepare the door’s surface

Before you begin painting, you will need to clean the surface of the door. Dilute some concentrated sugar soap in warm water and scrub the door with a sponge. This will remove any grease or grime that would act as a barrier to the paint. Rinse off with water and dry with a clean cloth.

Next, you want to lightly sand the door using medium sandpaper to help the paint adhere to the plastic surface. Once you’ve finished sanding, wipe off the dust with a clean, lint free cloth.

Step 2 – Protect glass & handles

To avoid marking any glass or handles, you’ll need to protect them from paint splashes. Cover glass panels with a polythene sheet or cardboard and secure neatly at the edges with masking tape. 

When it comes to the door handles, either cover them in masking tape or disconnect and remove them entirely if you prefer.

Step 3 – Apply the paint

Before you apply the paint, check the weather forecast for the next 48 hours. Avoid painting outdoors if it’s likely to rain or if there is moisture in the air, and only paint when the temperature is between 10 and 32 degrees Celsius. You will also find it easier not to apply the paint in direct sunlight.

When it comes to the application, you have two options. You can either use a small hand-held paint sprayer or an oval brush. The end result will be the same, so it just depends on your preference.

It is not recommended to paint silicone seals or beading.

Option 1

uPVC door spraying is a quick way of applying paint over a large surface area. If you choose this option, make sure you wear a mask and goggles. Keep the nozzle 4 inches or 100ml away from the surface while spraying and move continuously up and down or side to side, for an even distribution. Depending on your sprayer, you may need to thin the paint slightly, with up to a maximum of 15% tap water.

You will need to apply a minimum of 3 coats, 2 hours apart, when spraying. 

Option 2

Painting a uPVC door with a paintbrush is actually pretty easy. Use any panelling as a guide to the direction of application, horizontal and up-and-down brush strokes work best.

Take your time on any panelling or beaded sections and check joints for drips or paint build-up in the corners and smooth these as you go. 

Leave the first coat to dry for at least two hours and then apply a second coat. You will need to make sure you applied enough paint - the tin will provide a guide to the rate of coverage required for a great result.

Tip: Remove the masking tape before the paint is fully dry to avoid pulling any paint off with it.

Step 4 – Aftercare

Our Al Fresco paint range is self-sealing, UV resistant and weatherproof, so there’s no need for additional sealant.

We advise that you treat the surface gently for the first 48 hours, as the paint will need to cure (harden). After three weeks, the uPVC door will be fully cured and highly durable.

Starting your own DIY project?

For more step by step tutorials and helpful tips from our Brand Ambassador Craig Phillips, subscribe to FrenchicTV on YouTube.

Need some inspiration? Join our Facebook group to see what others have achieved with our Al Fresco weatherproof paint range.

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