Painting Interior Windows

Gently work a stiff putty knife between the interior stops and the jamb. As you pry the stops free, take care not to dent them because you'll reinstall them later. Pull the nails through the back of the stops and save these pieces, or get replacement stops from your home center.

Cut the cords from the front (lower) sash; the weights will drop into the pocket in the wall. Then lift out the front sash. If your window has chains, use metal snips or bolt cutters.

Cut the cords and remove the upper sash. Remove the screw to open the door in the jamb that provides access to the weight pocket. Retrieve the weights so you can insulate the cavity. Replace the access door. If your jambs lack an access panel, leave the weights in place.

Remove the side and top parting stops, using a utility knife to cut the paint between the stop and jamb. You'll discard these stops, so don't worry about damaging them. Grab a stop with pliers and wiggle it out of its channel. Repeat with each stop.

Pull out the sash and place a piece of tape onto the jamb to mark the knothole position when the window is closed.

Make an easel from a ladder for easy sash painting. Open a wooden stepladder and lock the hinges. Drive #10x3-inch all-purpose screws into predrilled holes in the center of each leg of the ladder, using a level to keep the screws on the same plane. Set the sash on the screws. This will put the sash at an angle that makes it very comfortable to paint.

Using a trim brush or a sash brush and starting at a top pane, paint the inside edge of the muntins around the pane.

Continue painting the remaining muntins around each pane, taking care to remove excess paint that gathers in the bottom corners of each joint.

When you have finished the muntins, paint the top and bottom rails, overlapping the joints on either end slightly. Then paint the vertical stiles. Painting in this order will eliminate crossed brush marks.

Painting the inside of the frames is best done with the sashes removed. Paint or seal the inside track of the windows with a clear sealer. Then paint the top of the casing.

Use a trim guard to paint the outside edges of the window trim, or mask off the edge with blue painter's tape. Let the paint set up for about 20 minutes, then remove the tape when the paint is still wet.

Paint the inside edges of the front frame, then the face of the panels themselves. Finish the window trim by painting the top face and the sill and apron.

If you haven't masked the windows, you'll have to remove the paint from the glass. Wait until the paint has completely dried (usually the next day) and hold a stiff metal straightedge next to the frames and muntins. Score the paint next to the edge of the glass.

Use a single-edged razor blade or razor cartridge to remove the paint up to the scored line. Leaving a narrow edge of paint on the glass provides an additional seal against the outside elements.