How to refinish window sills
Follow these steps to easily prepare, sand, paint, and restore your window sills back to brand new
Step 1: Address the damage or condition
There are many things that can cause you to refinish window sills, potentially requiring trim repair. Perhaps the interior trim, including the windows sills, is old and the paint has faded. Maybe they are water damaged with dark water stains or need to be caulked because there’s a draft. Or, you may want to redo them because you just purchased the property and need it to match the room or achieve a certain look you envision.
For example, according to Fixr, cracks and holes cost $100 to fix while rotted window frames cost up to $700.
Either way, the reason for restoring window sills and performing trim repair will determine the approach you need to take. In most cases, you can apply the next five steps.
Step 2: Tape off the interior window trim area you’re working on
The last thing you want when painting window trim is to accidentally get stains or paint on walls and surrounding areas. That’s why we recommend taping around the moldings around windows or plaster the meet the window sill you’re refinishing.
Tape the bottom of the window and anything that touches it, ensuring a straight line, so that you don’t sand or paint anything that you don’t want to. That will create more headaches and problems later.
Once the interior trim is secured, move onto the next step.
Step 3: Lay bags along the floor where you’re working
The last thing you want is dust and debris on the floor, around your home, and a hazard to children or pets. Now you should lay paper bags, garbage bags, or painting wrap along the floor where you are working. For example, when we do fine finish painting or interior painting services for our clients in Calgary, we pay special attention to the existing trim, performing a meticulous preparation process to ensure our clients’ homes are spotless.
Step 4: Sand the wood trim of the window sill with a sanding block
Before sanding, use a paint scraper to remove any loose or peeling old paint from the window trim and window sill, as this will make sanding with a sanding block more efficient. We suggest starting with a coarse block when removing old varnish and then going to medium or fine grit depending on the condition of the wood.
Wipe the window sill in between sanding to ensure you can see exactly what you’re doing. We also recommend using wood putty or wood filler with a utility knife and a putty knife to fill in any imperfections such as nail holes in the wood trim, giving it the smoothest possible appearance. After the wood putty cures, you can sand any sports further before moving onto step five.
Step 5: Wipe down the window sill and apply stain
Now onto the fun stuff of refining your interior trim. Wipe the window sill one more time with denatured alcohol to ensure it’s clean, and then take out your wood stain or wipe on polyurethane of choice. This is going to give it a wonderful sheen and look that will give any room an added boost. Shake the stain well and put on protective gloves and eyewear. Open the stain and apply it depending on the directions of the individual product. For example, some may come with an applicator while others don’t.
Wipe the window trim in the direction of the wood grain for the best possible finish. Apply it as evenly as you can and wipe off any access to avoid blotches.
Step 6: Apply a fresh coat of paint!
After the stain has dried, you can then mix a sealer and apply one or two coats. See the manufacturers recommendations. As the sealer dries, you can get ready to apply a fresh coat of paint.
After using a paint scraper to prep the surface, use an angled brush for painting window trim, getting into the nooks and crannies of the existing trim window sill. Use a putty knife for any necessary touch-ups. When painting window trim, use a paint that is durable and easy to clean like semi-gloss paint or one of your choice. Remove the tape after you are finished and let it try. Voila! Your window sills and new trim will now look as good as new.
Final thoughts on refinishing window sills
Window sills are a small detail of your home or business. However, they can make a big impact on the look and feel of the property. If the interior trim, including window sills, is water damaged, worn, or aged, it can become a bit of any eyesore. If you want to repaint and restore your window sills, here’s a summary of the process:
- Address the damage and what steps need to be taken for trim repair. It’s different for every situation.
- Tape off the area you’re working on to avoid sanding or painting things you shouldn’t.
- Lay bags on the floor to avoid getting paint, stain, or dust around the home.
- Sand the window sill until it’s smooth and ready to be painted.
- Apply a stain and sealer to the interior trim to bring it back to life.
- Apply a fresh coat of paint to the new trim with preferably an angled brush.
If you need professional Calgary painters to take care of this process for you so you don’t have to worry about it. We offer everything from fine finish painting to interior painting to bring your home back to life.
