Why does nobody talk about how old ABQ window frames fade in the sun?

I moved into a house in the Heights two years ago with white vinyl window frames. After about 18 months I noticed the south facing ones started looking kinda yellow and chalky. Turns out intense sun exposure here breaks down the UV coating way faster than I expected. Has anyone else dealt with faded window trim around Albuquerque?

3 comments

3 Comments

faith_thomas1d ago

Oh honey, that "fighting it was exhausting and expensive" part hit home for me. I had the same issue with the trim on my garage door in the South Valley. You ever watch those DIY videos where they make it look so easy? I tried that marine grade paint someone recommended and it peeled within three months. The south side of my house just laughs at anything I try to do to it. Now I just wipe the chalk off with a damp cloth and pretend it's fine.

nancy8171d ago

Oh honey, vinyl actually doesn't have a UV coating that breaks down, it's the titanium dioxide pigment that fades and causes that chalky look. You might want to look into a UV-resistant paint if you want to fix it.

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eva_thompson1d ago

Oh honey, I felt that "you might want to look into" part right in my gut. It's like, yeah, we all wish we could just slap some paint on it and call it a day, but life doesn't work that way when you're dealing with old vinyl. I had a similar thing happen with my porch railing last summer, and I tried every trick in the book, and nothing really stuck. The fading and chalking just kept happening no matter what I did, and it drove me crazy. I ended up just accepting the weathered look because fighting it was exhausting and expensive. You're not alone in this struggle, seriously.