What Colours Can You Spray Paint uPVC? A RAL and NCS Guide

You can spray uPVC almost any solid colour: any shade in the RAL Classic or RAL Design ranges, an NCS reference, or a colour matched from a sample. In practice most Yorkshire homeowners choose from a short list of dark, hard-wearing shades, led by RAL 7016 Anthracite Grey. The best choice for your house depends more on your brick or stone than on trends, and you will see sprayed samples against your own walls before any work starts.

What Colour Options Are Available for uPVC?

A professional uPVC spray painter can work from any colour in the RAL Classic range (more than 200 standard shades) or the RAL Design System (more than 1,600 shades). NCS (Natural Colour System) references, which some architects and designers specify, can be matched as well. For most houses that means the choice is effectively open.

If you have a paint chip, a fabric or an existing door you want to match, our colour matching service reads the sample and mixes a formula, then we spray a test panel for you to check in daylight. Solid, opaque colours match most reliably. Metallic and pearlescent effects are much harder to reproduce in a sprayed uPVC coating, so if you want one, raise it at the survey and we will tell you honestly what is achievable.

Every uPVC job uses Kolorbond-certified coatings, which is what allows us to give a 10-year written guarantee on uPVC windows, doors and conservatories, covering adhesion and colour stability. Prices for uPVC spray painting in Yorkshire run from £80 to £150 a window and £200 to £350 a uPVC door, whatever colour you choose.

The uPVC Colours Yorkshire Homeowners Choose Most

A handful of shades account for most of the uPVC colour changes we are asked for. Here is what each one does well.

RAL 7016 Anthracite Grey

The colour we are asked for most. It works with red brick, buff brick, Yorkshire stone, render and timber cladding. It reads as contemporary without being stark, and it hides dirt and weathering better than white. If you are unsure, it is the safest choice. Our post on anthracite grey uPVC windows compares it with the lighter RAL 7024 and the darker RAL 7021.

RAL 9005 Jet Black

Stronger and more dramatic than anthracite. It suits Victorian and Edwardian houses, where black reads as close to the dark painted timber these homes originally had, and it gives a sharp contrast on stone fronts. It shows dust and pollen more readily than grey.

RAL 6005 Moss Green

A deep, muted green that sits well with Yorkshire limestone, millstone grit and the earthy brick of many North Yorkshire market towns and Dales villages. It is a confident choice that suits rural and semi-rural houses.

RAL 5011 Steel Blue

A deep navy-leaning blue with a heritage feel. It suits traditional terraces and houses with dark grey or blue-grey stone. It is less versatile than grey across property types, but it looks very good on the right house.

RAL 9001 Cream White

For people who want a fresher white rather than a colour change. Old white uPVC often yellows, and a warm cream gives a clean result that looks intentional rather than faded. It suits period cottages and pale schemes.

RAL 8022 Black Brown

A very deep brown that reads almost black from a distance but looks warmer up close. It suits warm orange or brown brick, where pure black can look cold.

What Do RAL and NCS Numbers Mean?

RAL is a German colour standard that dates back to 1927. RAL Classic colours have four-digit codes, and the first digit tells you the colour group: 1000s are yellows, 2000s oranges, 3000s reds, 4000s violets, 5000s blues, 6000s greens, 7000s greys, 8000s browns and 9000s whites and blacks. The remaining digits identify the shade.

NCS is a Swedish system based on how people perceive colour, and it uses a different notation (for example S 2502-B). Designers sometimes specify it for heritage work. We can work from NCS references and match them in a spray-grade coating. For a deeper look at colour systems, spectrophotometer matching and brand colours such as Farrow & Ball, see our guide to colour matching for spray painting.

Most customers choose a colour by name or by looking through a physical RAL fan deck at the survey. We bring swatches and sprayed samples to every visit, because screens show colours very differently from one device to the next.

Two-Tone uPVC Schemes

Two-tone schemes look considered when the colours work together. The usual approach is anthracite or black windows with a contrasting front door, which updates the whole house while letting the door make the statement. Pairings that work well include:

• RAL 7016 Anthracite Grey windows with a RAL 6005 Moss Green door
• RAL 7016 Anthracite Grey windows with a RAL 9005 Jet Black door
• RAL 9005 Jet Black windows with a RAL 3004 Purple Red door
• RAL 9001 Cream White windows with a RAL 5011 Steel Blue door

You can also have the inside face of a frame sprayed a different colour from the outside. It needs more masking, so it adds time and cost, and it is most often requested on bifold and large glazed doors. For door colour ideas that suit local stone, see the best front door colours for Yorkshire stone houses.

How to Choose a uPVC Colour for Your Brick or Stone

The outside of your house should be the main guide. A fashionable colour that clashes with the brickwork will look out of place, however good it looks on its own.

• Red brick (common in Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield and Doncaster). Anthracite grey, navy and deep green all work. Pure black can look stark. Cream suits older, traditional red-brick homes.
• Buff or golden brick (common in parts of East Yorkshire). Anthracite grey, black and dark brown all give good contrast, and green works well.
• Limestone or millstone grit (the Dales, Wharfedale, Craven). Almost any dark colour works. Moss green and deep blue suit the local character particularly well.
• Render or painted walls. The most flexible backdrop. Dark frames on white or pale grey render look especially crisp.

What Our Customers Chose

A few of the uPVC colour changes customers have described in their Google reviews:

“Very happy with the professional service and excellent transformation of our old brown uPVC windows and doors to grey. The attention to detail and quality of work is fab.”

“I've had my white uPVC bay windows sprayed grey and they've done a great job. The paint looks just like a factory finish and totally transformed the house.”

“Great job spraying our front and back door frames anthracite grey to match our new windows. The colour is a perfect match and looks so much better than white pvc.”

You can read more on our reviews page.

Does a Dark Colour Make uPVC Frames Hotter?

Yes, dark colours absorb more sunlight than light ones, so a black frame on a south-facing window gets warmer than a white one in direct summer sun. That is real physics, not a myth.

For a typical window or door it is not a reason to avoid dark colours. Professional uPVC coatings are flexible and UV-resistant, and they are made to move with the frame as it expands and contracts through the seasons. The case worth discussing is very large, dark, south-facing frames that sit in full sun all day, such as some conservatory rooflines. If that applies to your house, we will talk it through at the survey.

For more on durability, see how long uPVC spray painting lasts in Yorkshire weather. If you are weighing a colour change against new windows, our uPVC spraying vs window replacement cost comparison sets out the numbers, and the complete guide to uPVC spray painting in Yorkshire covers every surface and the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most popular uPVC colour in Yorkshire?

RAL 7016 Anthracite Grey is the uPVC colour we are asked for most, because it suits most brick and stone and works on both modern and traditional houses. RAL 9005 Jet Black and deep greens such as RAL 6005 Moss Green are the other common choices.

Can you match a custom colour for uPVC spraying?

Yes. We can work from any RAL or NCS reference, and our colour matching service can match a paint chip or sample in most cases. Solid colours match most reliably. Metallic and pearlescent effects are much harder to reproduce, so ask at the survey and we will tell you what is achievable.

Can you spray uPVC two different colours?

Yes. A common scheme is grey or black windows with a contrasting front door. The inside and outside faces of a frame can also be sprayed different colours, though that needs more masking and adds to the time and cost.

What guarantee do you give on sprayed uPVC?

uPVC windows, doors and conservatories sprayed with Kolorbond-certified coatings carry a 10-year written guarantee covering adhesion and colour stability. The full terms are on our guarantee page.