Window frames: neat paint seal on edge of glass

[Windows]

When painting window frames what are your best tips for getting a nice neat, but functional paint seal on the edge of the glass?

 

[Doug]

Frog tape https://www.decoratingdirect.co.uk/view ... HaEALw_wcB

 

[AJB Temple]

Frog tape and similar brands will not work well if you are using solvent based paints as it creeps beneath the edge. Good with water based paints.

I would simply use an angled brush and cut in. This takes practice but once you have the knack is much quicker than applying tape.

 

[Malc2098]

Use a longer to wider brush than you think you need, so it carries more paint. With practice, your paint stroke will go further and straighter than with a small brush and little paint.

 

[9fingers]

Maybe consider using a "George" tool.

Been around for decades as first used on the Ark allegedly :lol:

Bob

 

[Trevanion]

I tend to paint onto the glass and cut it back with a razor once it’s dried, my hands aren’t steady enough for the cutting in technique.

 

[AndyT]

I struggled doing this for years. The first improvement came when I found I could buy a 3/4" flat brush with the bristles cut at an oblique angle - it was easier to get into the corners.

But those little brushes don't hold much paint, tempting you to overload and then drip.

The second improvement was when I used a round brush with a conical pointed tip. This lets you get into the corners but holds more paint.

They are widely available eg at Screwfix or Toolstation and are called "sash fitches" which ought to have given me a clue

 

[Tiresias]

Well, the best way is just to teach yourself to do it with a paint brush. I have more multi paned sash windows than you could shake a stick at (perhaps that should be a mahl stick), and use a 1 inch to 1 ½ inch brush for everything.

For little jobs I sometimes use this:



Tape takes for ever, and doesn’t guarantee a good result. Scraping off when dry works, but again is time consuming, and can interfere with the adhesion of the paint at the edge, ie, the very point where you want it to stick.

However, each to their own.

 

[Doug]

Dunno if it’s because I do a lot of taping but I don’t find it takes much time at all especially when you consider the excellent results you get & how much quicker it makes painting as you’re not worrying about keeping a steady hand or limiting how much you put on the brush.
With Gloss the orange Frog tape is the best & with its paint block edge if applied correctly you don’t get paint bleeding under the tape like you can with other tapes.
https://www.frogtape.co.uk/products/fro ... m-x-41-1m/

 

[Lurker]

I hate painting as I am hopeless at it.
But I know two painters and decorators and they use this style.

Link is a random company chosen for the picture.

https://www.decoratingdirect.co.uk/view ... kqEALw_wcB

 

[Windows]

Thanks everyone. Did we cover all the methods?

1. Cutting in
2. Tape
3. Hard edge (George) guide
4. Over paint and scrape back

I used to try to paint to the final line unguided, based on being semi-competent at cutting in at wall-wall and wall-ceiling joins, but didn’t find the results particularly satisfactory, so I switched to over painting and scraping back. I think I’ll retry all the methods again armed with the additional details in this thread (colour of frog tape and sash fitch brushes or large brushes, for example).

One more question: do you paint the glass edge before or after you paint the rest of the frame? I’ve just realised that part of my problem could be that I tend to paint it after the rest of the frame so the brush is starting to clog when I’m doing the most delicate work. Would surely get better results with a fresher brush.