How Long Does Sprayed uPVC Last?

It's the question every uPVC respray customer asks. The bad news: there are botched uPVC jobs in Plymouth that have flaked off within 12 months. The good news: that almost never happens to a properly prepared job. Here's the truth about uPVC paint lifespan.

Quick answer

A properly sprayed uPVC window, door or conservatory should last 10+ years with no flaking, fading or peeling. Our work is backed by a 10-year paint guarantee. The difference between a 10-year job and a 12-month failure is 95% prep, 5% paint.

What kills cheap uPVC jobs in 12 months

Every uPVC respray that fails fast has the same handful of causes:

1. Insufficient degreasing. uPVC collects an invisible film of household grease, pollution and silicone (from sealants and cleaners). Paint won't bond to this. We use a dedicated uPVC degreaser before any prep, twice.
2. Wrong primer — or no primer at all. Standard primer doesn't stick to plastic. uPVC needs a dedicated adhesion-promoter primer that chemically bites into the surface.
3. Bad weather during spraying. Outdoor spraying in damp, cold or windy conditions traps moisture under the film. We won't spray if the dew point is wrong or the surface temperature is below 8°C.
4. Single-coat application. Cheap jobs use one coat to save time. We apply primer, base coat, then full topcoat — three film builds minimum.
5. Standard exterior paint instead of uPVC-specific. The topcoat needs to flex with the plastic as it expands and contracts in heat. Wall paint doesn't.

What we do to get 10+ years

Our uPVC spray process:

1. Survey — confirm substrate (uPVC vs aluminium vs composite), check for cracks, sealant failures
2. Mask — every pane, brick, render and sill professionally masked
3. Degrease twice — alcohol-based, lint-free, no residue
4. Light key-sand on smooth uPVC, none needed on woodgrain
5. Adhesion-promoter primer — uPVC-specific, chemically bonding
6. Base coat — opaque colour layer
7. Topcoat — flexible UV-stable uPVC-grade paint, two coats
8. Cure — typically 24 hours before unmasking, longer in cold weather

What conditions accelerate failure?

Even a perfectly applied uPVC respray can wear faster than 10 years if:

• It's south-facing with no shade — UV is the biggest enemy. Premium uPVC paint has UV stabilisers but very intense southern aspect can shorten lifespan by 1–2 years
• It's near the coast — salt air degrades any exterior paint faster. We use marine-grade primers within 0.5 km of the sea
• It's regularly cleaned with abrasive chemicals (bleach, jet wash on max). Don't.
• It's used with frequent acetone or solvent contact (rare in residential)

Will the colour fade?

Modern UV-stable uPVC paints fade very slightly over 10–15 years on south-facing elevations. The shift is usually unnoticeable unless you put a freshly sprayed door next to a 10-year-old one of the same colour. Anthracite grey, which is the most popular colour, holds up exceptionally well.

How do you know if a job is going to last?

Ask the sprayer these three questions before you book:

• "What primer do you use on uPVC?" — they should name a specific adhesion-promoter brand, not just "uPVC primer"
• "How long does the prep take vs the spraying?" — prep should be longer. If they say spray-only takes a day on a full house with no detailed prep, that's a red flag
• "What's the guarantee, and is it in writing?" — we issue a 10-year written paint guarantee on every uPVC job

What if it does go wrong?

Inside the 10-year guarantee period, if any of our work flakes, peels or fails due to bond failure, we come back and refinish that area free. We've issued one warranty call in three years and it was a hairline split where a window had been jet-washed at 3,000 psi.

The honest bottom line

10+ years on a Plymouth house, fully UV-stable, salt-resistant and colour-stable. The number scares people because they've heard about jobs that failed in months. Those are botched jobs, not the norm. Done correctly, sprayed uPVC outlasts replacement uPVC of the same age — because new uPVC eventually fades and yellows too.

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