Windows & Pool Cage Painting
by Countryside Decorating
Metal windows and pool cages can be refinished with very pleasing results through proper preparation and the use of quality materials. The original finishes gradually tend to sustain moderate to severe sun and water damage over the course of time here in sub-tropical Florida when not monitored and periodically maintained with a cleaning program. some of the more common issues are fading of the original color, a powdery film forming on the metal's surface known as chalking and in the case of poor surface prep when the current coating was applied there may be delaminating, or flaking off entirely, of the old coating material in various different places.
4 Square Windows at Garage
These windows trace back to the original build date of this home circa the mid 1980's and have certainly seen better days. The surrounding wood siding and several soffit mounted accent light housings were also addressed during this particular project. The light housings had become home to quite a few generations of mud daubers in addition to the trim rings being rusted from old age. The sheets seen in the photos were "installed" temporarily to create shade while the work was being done.
Before
Exposure to Florida's extreme sub-tropical weather has taken it's toll on these windows.
During
Creatively setting up a spray booth of sorts that protects against direct sunlight can be seen in the above photos.
The windows are sprayed and we're now in the process of breaking everything down.
All of the wood siding was finished at a point shortly after this.
Finished Results
Another great example of painting older windows metal. Seen here after the wood work was also done.
An excellent overall result on these windows considering their starting point.
Pool Cage Section
​This is a west facing aspect on this particular cage and has endured a lot of afternoon sun. A decision was also made to eliminate the small light colored accent rectangle during this work and go with the more traditional look of a single color in a dark brown.
Before
Getting ready to begin prep on the left and post masking work on the right in the above photos.
During
We've sprayed the pool cage metal and added a smiley face to keep an eye on things while the paint dries.
After
The homeowners opted to do away with the light colored accent panel at lower right for a more uniform appearance.
2 Panel Windows
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The metal framing here is in very poor condition in several areas. The original material has delaminated entirely in spots. In the second photo below, someone has clearly brushed the metal work without doing any sanding or prep. Both photos at the bottom of this post are after all the refinishing work was completed and the surrounding stucco sills were also repainted.
Before
This window metal has taken a beating over time. Brush marks are visible in the right side photo above and is evidence of someone's past attempt at trying to improve the situation.
During
Most of the surface prep at this location was done with sanding blocks.
Getting everything masked off does require an eye for straight lines in these cases.
After
Superior outcomes like this one are only possible through solid prep work.
A different view of the same window. Like new again.