Front Window Makeover

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Updating the huge front window was a bigger job than you'd think.... I'd been putting it off, but we had to get this done before we started the floors.

Here's a couple photos of how it's looked over the last couple of years. The best ones I have are from a Christmas tour. This window is so difficult to photograph.

The baseboard heat needs to be removed and the 'lovely' discoloration from over the years.

The windows are actually newer vinyl windows, the previous owners decided a wood colored vinyl looked best. Personally, I prefer white. It's just classic and will stand the test of time. I was tempted for a minute to paint them black, but I feel that's a trend that won't last.

The reason I was dreading this, is because when installed, they used large amounts of 100% silicon caulking all over. You can't just paint over silicon with a latex paint or regular primer. You need to use an oil based shellac primer first, then it can be painted. The best application is to spray it on.

Since I was going to have to tape and set up a 'booth' for spray painting the primer, I might as well use my favorite spray paint to finish them. These are the products I used.

Zinnser Bin Shellac Primer
Rusteoleum Ultra 2X Paint

So let's get to it!

First, I needed to take off all of the molding and trim. I prefer a craftsman style trim. That's what we've done on all of the doors and windows.

Once that was finished, I needed to tape up the 'booth'. Praying this contains all the mess and overspray. This was going to be a MESSY job. I haven't even mentioned that I need to sand the window seat. It's in terrible shape!

This booth actually worked! It kept 90% of the mess contained. The messiest part was sanding the window seat. I seriously had no idea it would be so bad! I'm glad I did it first, I definitely didn't want all that sawdust all over my newly painted window. I was covered in dust! Look at that mask! 😲

Here, you can see the condition of the window seat. It's pretty rough... Those water stains must have been from the original windows.

What a difference after sanding. Still not perfect, but so much better!

I will tell you, that Dewalt sander is one of my best purchases!! Yes, it's a little pricey, but sooo worth it!!

Okay, now that the window seat is sanded, let's prep for painting. (I'll stain and seal the bench later) First, I need to install new strips in between the each window. I prefer a simple piece of wood instead of the detail piece they had before. I used Liquid Nails adhesive to attach them.

Now, let's tape up the windows and get to painting! It's hard to see, but there is plastic over the windows as well.

Oh! I cannot wait to see what this is going to look like!! I ended up using 2 spray cans of the primer and 2 cans of the spray paint.

The fumes of the primer were intense! I most definitely wore a respirator! (Mine isn't sold anymore, the one I linked is just like it and has great reviews. )

I had to create some sort of ventilation... it was bad! I set this up and left the house for a bit. Praying no one would break in!

It worked FANTASIC! By the time I came back, the smell was minimal!

Prime and paint is finished! What a difference!!! Omg! I love it!

Time to stain the window seat. I believe the seat is made of red oak, which tends to be more red than I like. I saw this trick where you can paint on a green 'wash' to cancel some of the redness. It worked! You can definitely see how it toned the red down.

The concoction I made, was pretty easy. I just used some lightly greenish gray paint I had on hand and watered it down. You can see it in the corner. Then I brushed it on. Once that dried, I used a stain that was new to me. It is water-based, therefore the smell is very minimal. It was also nice because this stain can be tinted to so many color options!

Minwax Wood Finish Stain (I had it tinted to the color Driftwood) I applied 2 coats of the stain.
Minwax Polycrylic in satin. I applied 3 coats of the clear topcoat.

I just love how it turned out! You can still faintly see the water stains, but it all looks so much better!

The filler in the nail holes came out during sanding, so I refilled them with stainable wood filler. I was a little concerned at first... They didn't stain very well. So, I ended up dabbing them with a Q-tip a few more times. They ended up darker, and now look more like knots in the wood. Not perfect, but better than before.