How would a craftsman paint those exterior double hung windows with divided lights?

There are a number of considerations when painting. Each substrate has a process and our company continues to make improvements after each project.  Keep this in mind the next time you paint wood directly connected to glass:

1. If the surface is hot to the touch, it’s definitely too hot to paint.  Don’t paint in direct sunlight.

2. A razor blade can be used to clean the glass, but recognize without some soap and water and a stainless steel blade you will likely scratch the glass.  Also, if you wrap some tape around the razor blade and utensil you may help prevent and injury.

3. When scraping dry paint off glass be careful not to break the seal between the glazing and the glass.  It’s important to keep the seal between the glass and the painted film.

4. To minimize paint removal from the glass make sure to remove the paint will it’s still wet or soft.

5. Check to make certain the windows don’t have a film or special coating that could be damaged in the cleaning process.

6. If painting multiple coats, use the preliminary coat to bridge the gap between wood and glass and then scrape the unwanted dry paint off the glass.  For the final coat, cut the paint just barely shy of the glass so little or no scraping is required.

7. We don’t recommend the use of painters tape to mask glass because it may slow down the process and prevent a good seal between the wood/glazing and glass.  We do recommend the use of tape for straight lines and attractive clean lines.

8. Allow enough time for the paint to dry prior to exposure to direct sunlight to avoid blistering or wrinkling.

9. Siding colors may often be taken up to the outside edge of the trim elements to create a straight color contrast line. As you apply paint, think of each section and only paint small sections that can be applied at the same time.  Drying paint will not brush easily and should only be touched a few times during the application.

10. A putty knife with a rag wrapped around the end can be used to remove wet paint from the glass.

11. Use a 5-in-1 to move the windows up and down to prevent the coating sticking or locking out the windows.  As the curing process happens over the next 7 to 10 days, the windows should be opened and shut daily to prevent sticking.