uPVC Paint Colour Trends

With pressures brought on by the cost-of-living crisis, homeowners are increasingly looking to respray rather than replace their existing uPVC windows and doors to give their home an affordable facelift. To keep costs to an absolute minimum, windows and doors can easily be repainted as a mini DIY project. For those who prefer to leave it to the professionals there are many painters, decorators and specialist sprayers who can carry out a full property respray - usually completed within a day at a cost well below the price of new uPVC units.

Whether you’re going to do the work yourself or call in the experts, the key question is: what colour uPVC paint are you going to choose?

They’re all white, right?

The unknown truth is that coloured uPVC door and window units are often white when they’re manufactured and have a coloured ‘film’ or paint applied to the uPVC as part of the manufacturing process. Despite a growing demand for a wider variety of uPVC paint colours, the majority of installed uPVC units in place in the UK are still white, at least for now.

At PaintNuts, our most popular white uPVC paint colours are Signal White (RAL 9003) and Traffic White (RAL 9016). These white shades are popular with customers carrying out maintenance, repairs or touch ups to their existing white uPVC units. Both colours are part of the RAL Classic colour chart. Traffic White (RAL 9016) is popular as it’s a very close match to the original white colour of uPVC units. Signal White is popular for the same reason but due to being ever so slightly ‘off white’ it can also be an appealing choice for older units that have faded a little over time due to long-term UV sunlight exposure.

RAL 9016 Traffic White
RAL 9003 Signal White

Five Shades of Grey

Our most popular uPVC paint colour by far over the last three years has consistently been Anthracite Grey (RAL 7016) – a deep, rich grey that is both sophisticated and stylish. While you might not have heard of this shade of grey, you will no doubt have seen it. With a modern feel this dark grey shade is popular both for new uPVC units and for renovations / repainting. It can often be seen on new build houses and apartments but can also work well in more traditional settings. Most UK housing developments that are 20+ years old include properties that have been renovated using Anthracite Grey uPVC paint. Combined with a lick of paint on cladding, guttering, facias and downpipes, Anthracite Grey paint can completely rejuvenate the look and feel of properties that might otherwise begin to look a tad tired or dated.

If a deep grey doesn’t appeal, then these other popular greys might be more to your liking:

RAL 7016 Anthracite Grey
RAL 7038 Agate Grey
RAL 7037 Dusty Grey
RAL 7015 Slate Grey
RAL 7032 Pebble Grey

Is black the new grey?

Black uPVC paint has grown in popularity recently thanks to its dramatic impact and stylish appeal. As an added bonus, black paint can disguise dirt and dust so if your window cleaner’s not been for a while you don’t have to worry about the grime that might be apparent on white uPVC units.

Our most popular shades of black uPVC paint are:

RAL 9005 Jet Black
RAL 9011 Graphite Black

For the modern allure of a very dark colour with an added twist of individualism, consider these ‘black’ versions of other hues:

RAL 3007 Black Red
RAL 6012 Black Green
RAL 5004 Black Blue

Chartwell Green – a vintage classic

Chartwell Green is typically seen on cottages, older properties or those built to a classic architectural aesthetic. Taken from the National Colour System (or NCS), the Chartwell Green shade is used in the manufacture of modern uPVC and can sometimes be described as a ‘sage’ or ‘rosemary’ green.

Be careful not to confuse Chartwell Green (an NCS colour shade with colour code NCS-3010-G10Y) with a similar shade of green from the RAL colour chart. Both Pale Green (RAL 6021) and Pastel Green (RAL 6019) are similar colours that are often mistaken for Chartwell Green despite being noticeably different on close inspection.

If you’re touching up or match existing uPVC units, try to find out the exact shade used by the original manufacturer. If in any doubt, be sure to test a small amount of paint in a discreet location before diving into a full respray.

Statement colours – go bold!

If all this talk of greys, blacks and greens is leaving you underwhelmed, it could be a statement colour you’re looking for. The choice here is almost limitless; in fact, at PaintNuts we have over 4,700 colours of uPVC paint on offer. Striking tones are particularly popular for painting front doors as a bold statement and can work equally well on period properties as they do on new builds.

Let your imagination run wild and stamp your style on your property with PaintNuts uPVC paints. Here’s a brief selection to get you started:

RAL 1021 Colza Yellow
RAL 5015 Sky Blue
RAL 5011 Steel Blue
RAL 3003 Ruby Red
RAL 2004 Pure Orange

Still not found the colour you’re looking for? The PaintNuts Home colour selector tool allows you to browse thousands of shades. You choose it, we’ll mix it.