By Ethan Lamptey, EAL Spray Finishes, Milton Keynes · Updated
If your uPVC frames, glass and seals are in good condition, spraying is usually the better choice: EAL Spray Finishes sprays windows from £50 each, while replacement typically costs £300 to £1,000 per window. Spraying changes the colour and finish only. If your windows are draughty, misted between the panes, warped or failing, replacement is the better long-term buy, because spraying can't fix the window itself.
Side-by-side comparison
| Spray existing windows | Replace with new | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per window | From £50 with EAL | £300–£1,000 (typical UK) |
| What changes | Colour and finish | Whole window: frame, glass, seals, hardware |
| Energy efficiency | Unchanged | Can improve with modern glazing |
| Disruption | Frames stay in, house stays secure | Frames removed, openings made good |
| Waste | None, nothing to landfill | Old frames and glass removed |
| Colour choice | Any RAL or British Standard colour | Manufacturer's range |
When spraying is the right choice
- Frames are sound, square and open and close properly.
- Glass is clear, with no misting between the panes.
- You want a different colour: white or rosewood to anthracite, black, cream or green.
- Frames are yellowed, faded or chalky but otherwise fine.
- You're on a budget, selling, letting or refreshing a whole house in one go.
Millions of UK homes have uPVC fitted in the 1990s and 2000s that is structurally fine but dated. That's exactly what spraying is for.
When new windows win
- Sealed units have failed and the glass mists up between the panes.
- Frames are warped, cracked or no longer close tightly.
- You want better thermal performance, acoustic glass or improved security hardware.
- The window design itself needs to change, for example adding opening lights or fire-escape hinges.
Spraying doesn't change the glass, seals or insulation of the frame, so it won't make a cold or draughty window warmer. Sometimes a mix works well: replace one or two failed windows and spray the rest to match.
Energy efficiency: what spraying does and doesn't do
Your window's energy performance comes from the glass, the gas between the panes, the spacer bars, the seals and the frame chambers. Spraying sits on the outside surface of the frame, so it doesn't change any of that, for better or worse.
If your windows are already reasonably efficient and you mainly want them to look different, spraying keeps that performance and changes the look. If heat loss is the main problem, put the money into new glazing first.
Disruption and waste
Replacing windows means taking the old frames out, making good the openings and disposing of the old units. Spraying happens with the windows in place. Rooms stay secure, there's no making good inside, and nothing goes to landfill.
A typical house with four windows and a front door is a day or two on site with EAL. You can stay at home throughout.
Questions to ask before you decide
- Do the windows open, close and lock properly? If yes, they're good candidates for spraying.
- Is there misting between the panes? If so, those units need replacing whatever you decide about colour.
- Is your main goal the look of the house or cutting heat loss? Spraying solves the first, new glazing the second.
- How long do you plan to stay? A respray is an affordable way to refresh a house you're selling or letting.
- Would a mix work? Replacing one failed window and spraying the rest to match is often the best value.
- Does a lease, estate rule or conservation area affect what you can change? See permission to change window colour.
If you're still unsure, send photos of the windows. You'll be told honestly whether they're worth spraying or whether replacement makes more sense.
Whole-house numbers
Across a whole house the difference grows. Typical UK market figures for spraying a whole house run from about £800 to £1,500 for a terrace up to £1,200 to £2,000 for a detached house. Replacing every window and door on the same houses commonly runs into many thousands of pounds.
EAL prices a whole-house respray per item from your photos, starting from £50 per window and £150 per door. See full house respray, the uPVC spraying cost guide and a real example in the detached house case study.