Why Surface Preparation Is the Most Important Part of Repainting Aluminium Windows – And What Most Painters Get Wrong
RepaintPro | Aluminium Window Painting Specialists – Gold Coast

Introduction: More Than Just Paint

If you’ve ever considered repainting your aluminium window frames, chances are you’ve heard a few painters promise quick results or “easy updates.” But at RepaintPro, we’ve been painting aluminium windows onsite since 2015, and we can confidently say: good painting starts long before the spray gun comes out.

The difference between a job that lasts and one that peels, flakes, or fails? Surface preparation.

In this post, we’re diving deep into why prep work matters more than anything else, what’s involved in doing it right, and how to avoid the biggest mistakes that even experienced painters still make. No brand names, no shortcuts — just straight-up truth from a fourth-generation family painting business based right here on the Gold Coast.

We are not here to sell you anything.
But we are here to solve the problem of what to do with those ugly windows that don’t match anything anymore!


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Why Aluminium Needs Special Attention

Aluminium is a low surface energy (LSE) substrate. That means it’s naturally resistant to adhesion. Paint doesn’t want to stick to it. And if the aluminium has been powder-coated — as most residential and commercial windows have — you’re dealing with an even slicker surface, one designed to repel moisture, dust, and, unfortunately, paint.

So, what’s the fix?

Not skipping steps.


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Step 1: Understanding the State of the Existing Coating

Before a single rag comes out or a drop of primer is poured, our team inspects the aluminium frames. Is the existing coating powder? An older acrylic? Has it chalked? Are there signs of oxidisation, bubbling, flaking, or silicone contamination?

Many painters jump straight into sanding or washing without knowing what they’re working with.

That’s one of the first mistakes.


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Step 2: Degreasing – Not Just a Quick Wipe

We start every job with a full wax and grease remover wipe-down. Why? Because years of fingerprints, silicone residue from glass installs, flyscreen powder, insect spray residue, and sunscreen — all these things coat the frames with invisible contaminants.

If they’re not removed properly, the paint can literally peel off within weeks.

A quick spray with house wash won’t cut it. We double degrease every surface by hand, ensuring no waxes, silicones, or residues remain before we move on.


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Step 3: Sanding – But Not Just to Scratch the Surface

Sanding aluminium is not about scratching for adhesion alone.

It’s about:

Breaking through any oxidised layers.

Creating an even key across the frame.

Identifying hidden contaminants (silicone leaves shiny drag lines).

Levelling out any inconsistencies in the surface from age or damage.


At RepaintPro, we don’t just scuff-sand with a pad. We use a combination of orbital sanders, hand sanding, and corner tools to ensure that edges, reveals, beading, and hard-to-reach corners are fully abraded.

And we do it thoroughly.


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Step 4: Vacuuming and Air Blasting

Once sanding is complete, we use a vacuum system with brush heads to remove as much dust as possible. Then, we air blast the frame tracks and joints to dislodge any remaining particles.

If you don’t remove the dust, it will become part of your paint film. That means bumps, roughness, and, worse, weak points that can fail.


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Step 5: Wipe-Down With Wax and Grease Remover (Again)

Yes — we wipe again.

Why?

Because sanding often brings hidden contaminants to the surface. We’ve seen it countless times — a beautiful sanded frame that, when sprayed, develops fish-eyes or rejection spots due to leftover silicone or wax.

The second wax and grease wipe is one of the most critical steps in the process.

This is where others often go wrong. One wipe is not enough.


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Step 6: Masking (And Doing It Right)

Masking isn’t prep?

We say it is.

Taping up is where you:

Protect the glass and walls.

Define your final lines.

Show the customer how much care you’re putting in.

Avoid overspray disasters.


We use green automotive masking tape that holds tight and creates perfect edges. We run paper or plastic to shield surrounding areas. And we double-check all weather seals, drainage holes, and gaps before a single drop of primer is sprayed.

Done properly, masking can take just as long as painting.

But it’s worth every minute.


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Step 7: Choosing the Right Primer (And Applying It Correctly)

Primer is not just a layer of paint.

It’s the foundation of adhesion.

We use a high-grade all-surface primer specifically designed for aluminium and LSE substrates. And here’s where thickness matters.

One mist coat? Not enough.

One heavy coat? Risky and runs easily.


Instead, we apply 2–3 light-to-medium coats, building up a consistent dry film thickness (DFT). This gives us:

Uniform coverage

Full opacity

Strong bonding to the surface


If it’s hot and windy, we slow down and adjust. If it’s humid, we change tack. We don’t race through primer — we let it flash off properly between coats and inspect every frame before moving on.


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Step 8: Final Inspection Before Top Coat

Only once the primer is:

Dry

Even

Clean

Intact


…do we move on to spraying the final colour.

The inspection stage is critical. Tiny imperfections? We sand them flat and prime again. Dust settled overnight? We re-clean.

Prep doesn’t end when you start painting.


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Common Mistakes Other Painters Still Make

Here’s a short list of what we’ve seen time and time again:

Using house wash instead of wax and grease remover.

Skipping degreasing altogether.

Using one light scuff pad for every window.

Spraying primer in one coat instead of building layers.

Rushing masking or taping directly to the window rubbers.

Skipping second wipe-downs after sanding.

Using the wrong primer entirely (such as acrylic primers).

Not checking for silicone contamination.


These may seem like small things… until your paint starts peeling 6 months later.


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Our Gold Coast Surface Prep Promise

We’ve repainted aluminium windows across nearly every suburb on the Gold Coast — from Mudgeeraba and Robina to Mermaid Beach, Hope Island, Burleigh Waters, Reedy Creek, Nerang, Broadbeach Waters, Ashmore, Benowa, Varsity Lakes, Palm Beach, Elanora, Tugun, Clear Island Waters, and many more.

In every location, every house, every style — the story is the same.

Good prep = good paintwork.

You can have the best spray gear and the highest-quality topcoat in the world… but if your preparation is lazy, your paint will fail.

We refuse to cut corners.


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What Sets RepaintPro Apart

100 years of family painting experience.

Aluminium window spraying specialists since 2015.

A full prep system that we’ve refined through thousands of jobs.

No subcontractors.

No shortcuts.

We even replace sliding door wheels while the panels are out for painting — because we know what customers actually appreciate.


And yes — we’re fully licensed with the QBCC, and offer a 6-year workmanship warranty backed by our license.


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Our Focus Is Solving the Problem

We are not here to sell you anything.
But we are here to solve the problem of what to do with those ugly windows that don’t match anything anymore.

We get it — replacing aluminium windows is expensive, wasteful, and sometimes impossible if the sizes don’t match modern profiles.

Painting gives you a second life for those frames, without the landfill and without the price tag of a full reno.


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Let’s Talk About Your Project

If you’ve been thinking about updating the colour of your aluminium windows, but you’re unsure whether it’s even possible — let us show you what’s achievable with the right prep and process.

We can quote online if you send us photos, or we can visit your home and give you a clear idea of what’s involved.

Just don’t fall for the shortcuts.

Prep is everything.


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???? Serving All Gold Coast Suburbs

We offer aluminium window repainting across:

Mudgeeraba

Robina

Varsity Lakes

Reedy Creek

Nerang

Ashmore

Benowa

Burleigh Heads

Burleigh Waters

Tugun

Elanora

Palm Beach

Currumbin

Mermaid Beach

Mermaid Waters

Miami

Clear Island Waters

Broadbeach

Broadbeach Waters

Hope Island

Helensvale

Upper Coomera

Coomera

Pacific Pines

Molendinar

Parkwood

Labrador

Southport

Arundel

And everywhere in between



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Final Thoughts

We hope this post has helped you understand just how crucial proper surface preparation is when repainting aluminium windows — and why it makes all the difference.

We don’t paint over problems — we fix them first.

If that sounds like the kind of company you want working on your home, reach out to RepaintPro today.

Let’s modernise those windows properly.
No peeling. No problems. Just professional, long-lasting results.