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Painting Exterior Wood Window Sashes

8 years ago

We had a window repair company repair some old windows which included installing six new wood window sashes. They were Anderson primed casement windows. I researched paints on the internet and it appeared latex paints were okay to use for exterior painting. I used a top quality Behr exterior latex paint with primer to paint the windows. Now the windows won't close. I then contacted Anderson and their care sheets say to use oil-based primers only. Have I made an irreparable mistake?

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Comments (5)

Michael
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Did you apply paint to the edges of the sashes?

Since the sashes were already primed, you didn't need a primer, just waterborne paint.
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PRO
MEHP
8 years ago
It's not an irreparable mistake. It could be that the paint hasn't fully cured yet, which just requires you removing them from the tracks and giving them more time to dry, 48 hours for most latex paints. If you painted the edges of the windows that run along the tracks, you'll need to remove that paint by hand-sanding the edges with a medium grit sandpaper.

Side Note- A paint and primer in one is kind of like shampoo and conditioner in one, it's not the same as using each separately, nor does it work as effectively.
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paintguy22
8 years ago
I don't see how the primer could even be a factor here. When casement windows open and close. painted surfaces really shouldn't be touching anywhere. That is what weatherstripping is for. Are you sure they were installed properly? Did you remove them to paint and then re-install them incorrectly? Need more info on this one.
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Cat Smith
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks so much for your input everyone. I very much appreciate it.

I did paint the edges of the sashes. Maybe the term “primed” casement windows meant some type of protective coating and not an official coat of primer.

We painted earlier this summer so the paint has had plenty of time to dry.

I’m pretty sure they were correctly installed. The installation was done by a window repair company with a good reputation. We didn’t remove them to paint them. We painted them in place.

It almost seems like the wood windows swelled in the heat and humidity. I was thinking it could be because I used latex and not an oil-based primer but perhaps that’s not the case. I know nothing about paint.
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PRO
Sombreuil
8 years ago
The problem is the rubber seals are brought hard against the latex paint for months at a time, in all weather, and they often stick(more like form a permanent bond) when opening them up. I have seen the rubber gaskets tear if the window was pried open. Some rubber w-strips are silicon rubber now for the reason that like teflon, they don't stick. Vinyl, OTOH...

Casey
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