About face Fix up your window frames and boost your street appeal

Facade refresh

Taubmans Cotton Sheets

Finish frames in white or neutral tones to brighten them up – a shade significantly lighter or darker than the walls makes a strong statement

Before

About face

Maximise your home’s street appeal with this project from the Make It Happen makeover

The front of house renovation carried out by the Make It Happen team (see page 54) showed how effective basic changes, like freshly painted windows, can be. Here’s how to make them happen at your place.

PAINTING TIMBER WINDOWS

Window frames may form a small part of your home, but they can make a big difference to its look. This simple DIY project will transform your frames, while also helping to extend their life and protect them from the elements.

TOOLS & MATERIALS  Safety equipment (mask and eye protection)  Paint scraper  Old, dry paintbrush  Angled paintbrush  Sugar soap wipes  180-grit abrasive paper  Cloths  Painter’s tape  Exterior paint

3Wipe with a damp cloth to remove dust, then apply painter’s tape over the glass and around the edges. Tip: Tape over hardware, including handles, locks and hinges. 1To clean window frames, remove dirt build-up in the joins with a scraper, wiping away dust with an old dry brush, removing grime with sugar soap wipes.

4Use an angled brush to apply exterior water-based enamel paint, leaving it to dry thoroughly. Sand over any drips before applying a second coat. Tip: Keep a cloth on hand to catch spills. 2Sand around the frames with 180-grit abrasive paper, folding it to get into the joins and around the edges. Note: Sanding should remove flaking paint or varnish and smooths out any marks.

5Remove the painter’s tape and leave the frames to dry completely. Tip: To clean up brushes, wipe excess onto a cloth, rinse clean with lukewarm water, pat away the excess and leave to dry. ◆

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Your DIY toolkit

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1 Taubmans ‘Ultimate Enamel’ semi gloss paint in White, $46.60/1L, I/N: 0147143. 2 Trojan 6 in 1 multi paint scraper, $8.65, I/N: 0093215. 3 Monarch 63mm all purpose synthetic sash paintbrush, $14.38, I/N: 1660614. 4 Frog Tape 24mm multi surface masking tape, $10.90/55m, I/N: 0088295. Some products are not available at all Bunnings stores, but may be ordered. PRO TIP

Take care when removing old paint as it could contain traces of lead. For more information, visit bunnings.com. au/health-and-safety