Aluminium window and door frames take a beating: furniture bumps, ladders, tradies, and screws being moved around. Powdercoat is tough, but once it’s chipped, the bare spot stands out. The good news is that small chips and scratches are easy to fix yourself with a colour-matched aerosol. Here’s how to do it properly.
Step 1: Find your powdercoat colour
Powdercoat colours have names and codes, and there are a lot of similar-looking ones, so don’t guess.
- Check the window or door supplier’s invoice. The frame colour is usually listed by name, like Pearl White, Anodic Bronze or White Birch.
- Ask the supplier or installer. Window companies keep job records and can usually tell you the exact colour.
- Search by name or code. In our Frame Match range you can search by colour name, or by code such as PC570 or PC99.
Step 2: Prep the area
Prep is what makes a touch-up last. Paint on a dirty or greasy frame will peel.
- Clean: wash off dirt and dust with warm soapy water and let it dry.
- Degrease: wipe with a degreaser or mineral turps to remove any oil, wax or fingerprints.
- Sand lightly: use fine 220-grit sandpaper to smooth rough edges of the chip and take the shine off the surrounding powdercoat so the paint can grip.
- Wipe down to remove sanding dust, and let everything dry completely.
- Mask: cover glass, seals, handles and walls with masking tape and paper. Aerosol overspray travels further than you’d think.
Step 3: Spray light coats
- Shake the can well (at least a minute) and spray a test patch on cardboard first.
- Hold the can about 20–30cm from the frame.
- Spray light, even passes, starting and stopping off the frame so you don’t get blobs.
- Let each coat dry before the next. Several thin coats look far better than one heavy coat, which is likely to run.
For gloss frames, a Clear Gloss topcoat over the dried colour can help the shine blend in with the original finish.
What touch-up paint can and can’t fix
Good for: chips, scratches, scuffs, screw heads, cut ends and small worn spots.
Not a replacement for: large areas of peeling or chalky powdercoat, corrosion that has lifted the coating, or a full colour change. Touch-up paint is air-drying and wears differently from a factory-baked powdercoat finish, so for big areas a professional recoat is the better option.
Older frames may have faded in the sun, so always test on a hidden spot first, like the inside edge of the frame.
Get the right colour
Our Frame Match range covers over 80 standard architectural powdercoat colours in 150g aerosol cans, including popular window colours, pearls, metallics and anodised-look finishes. Every can is $14. Can’t find your colour? Get in touch and we’ll help track it down.