Repainting interior window reveals after new windows

Alun

I've just had new windows put in and during the installation the interior window reveals were cut back both to allow the old windows to be removed and to accommodate the new, thicker frames. The approx 2-3cm gap between what was left of the existing reveal and the new windows was repaired and plastered, but now I'm faced with the job of repainting them.

Now, I don't really know what the existing finish is, it looks like gloss of some sort rather than an emulsion, and no idea if it was oil or water based either.

So I'm wondering about the following ...

1) What type of paint is the best to use to use (They'll all be white by the way).

2) How to prepare both the old existing surface and the new strip of plaster to take the new paint.

3) Do I need some kind of base coat / undercoat / primer first?

Thanks

Johnthemanager

Alun wrote: »

I've just had new windows put in and during the installation the interior window reveals were cut back both to allow the old windows to be removed and to accommodate the new, thicker frames. The approx 2-3cm gap between what was left of the existing reveal and the new windows was repaired and plastered, but now I'm faced with the job of repainting them.

Now, I don't really know what the existing finish is, it looks like gloss of some sort rather than an emulsion, and no idea if it was oil or water based either.

So I'm wondering about the following ...

1) What type of paint is the best to use to use (They'll all be white by the way).

2) How to prepare both the old existing surface and the new strip of plaster to take the new paint.

3) Do I need some kind of base coat / undercoat / primer first?

Thanks

Sand the new plaster (looks like bonding) so it is smooth and flush with the old plaster.

Give it a coat of primer, oil based if the surround was previously glossed.

Let it dry and fill the face of the new plaster blending it in with the old.

Let dry, give it a coat of primer and 2 coats of gloss.

Alun

Thanks for that. I'm not a great painter and try to avoid oil based paints if I possibly can, also because of the smell. What if I wanted to "convert" to using a water based gloss going forward? Is there anything I can use to prime / undercoat the existing surround to allow me to use water based alternative?

Also, you mention that what I called plaster is bonding? What's that exactly, and do I need to do anything further to that to create a smooth enough finish to paint over it? There's actually one window where the most of the recess is "plastered" over in fact. What do I do with that?

Johnthemanager

Alun wrote: »

Thanks for that. I'm not a great painter and try to avoid oil based paints if I possibly can, also because of the smell. What if I wanted to "convert" to using a water based gloss going forward? Is there anything I can use to prime / undercoat the existing surround to allow me to use water based alternative?

Also, you mention that what I called plaster is bonding? What's that exactly, and do I need to do anything further to that to create a smooth enough finish to paint over it? There's actually one window where the most of the recess is "plastered" over in fact. What do I do with that?

Ya, you can get a water based primer to go over the oil based gloss. Just ask in your local hardware store.

The bonding is just another form of plaster. It's not a finishing plaster though, so leaves a rough finish. It's basically used to build out large gaps or holes like around your reveals. It's much thicker in consistency than skim coat, so stays in place and dries quicker.

Just give the bonding a coat of primer and fill over it all with polyfilla. It may need 2-3 fills with polyfilla to get it nice and smooth.

Alun

Johnthemanager wrote: »

Ya, you can get a water based primer to go over the oil based gloss. Just ask in your local hardware store.

The bonding is just another form of plaster. It's not a finishing plaster though, so leaves a rough finish. It's basically used to build out large gaps or holes like around your reveals. It's much thicker in consistency than skim coat, so stays in place and dries quicker.

Just give the bonding a coat of primer and fill over it all with polyfilla. It may need 2-3 fills with polyfilla to get it nice and smooth.

Thanks for that. The bonding is actually fairly smooth already, not too bad at all, so shouldn't be too difficult to get smooth enough.

On the water based primer I've been looking at Zinnser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 which looks pretty good going by the reviews.

I plan on road testing whatever I do on one easily accessible window first and if that works out OK go on to do the others.

Johnthemanager

Alun wrote: »

Thanks for that. The bonding is actually fairly smooth already, not too bad at all, so shouldn't be too difficult to get smooth enough.

On the water based primer I've been looking at Zinnser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 which looks pretty good going by the reviews.

I plan on road testing whatever I do on one easily accessible window first and if that works out OK go on to do the others.

Zinsser is top Quality.