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

The short answer is: almost any colour you can think of. Professional uPVC spray painting gives you access to the full RAL range, NCS references, and custom colour matching. Choosing the right colour for your specific property takes a little more thought than simply picking a favourite shade.

What Colour Options Are Actually Available?

Any colour in the RAL Classic or RAL Design System can be matched by a professional uPVC spray painter. RAL Classic contains over 200 standard colours. RAL Design System extends this to over 1,800 colours. NCS (Natural Colour System), used by some designers and architects, can also be matched. In practice, this means the colour options for uPVC are effectively unlimited.

Custom colour matching is also possible in many cases. If you have a specific paint chip, a fabric sample or a colour from a designer's palette, we can often mix a batch to that specification. Custom matching works best for standard opaque finishes. Metallic, pearlescent and translucent effects are not achievable on uPVC with the current paint systems available.

The Most Popular uPVC Colours in Yorkshire

Based on ColourHaus job data across 203 Yorkshire towns, the colour choices for uPVC are remarkably consistent. A handful of shades account for the large majority of all requests.

RAL 7016 Anthracite Grey

This is the dominant choice for uPVC windows and doors across Yorkshire. It works with red brick, buff brick, Yorkshire stone, render and timber cladding. It reads as contemporary without being stark, and it ages well because it does not show dirt and weathering the way lighter colours do. If you are unsure which colour to choose, anthracite grey is the safe, reliable answer that almost no one regrets.

RAL 9005 Jet Black

The second most popular choice. Stronger and more dramatic than anthracite grey. Particularly effective on Victorian and Edwardian properties where the black reads as historically appropriate, and on stone-fronted properties where the contrast is striking. Less forgiving in terms of showing dust and pollen than grey.

RAL 6005 Moss Green

The fastest-growing colour choice since 2022. A deep, muted green that works exceptionally well with Yorkshire limestone, millstone grit and the earthy brick tones common in North Yorkshire market towns and the Dales. It is a confident choice that photographs well and has excellent buyer appeal in rural and semi-rural areas.

RAL 5011 Steel Blue

A mid-depth navy-adjacent blue with strong heritage character. Popular in conservation areas, on traditional terraces in Leeds, Bradford and Harrogate, and on properties with dark grey or blue-grey stone. Less versatile than grey across property types but looks outstanding when it suits the property.

RAL 9001 Cream White

The most popular choice for customers who want a fresher white rather than a colour change. White uPVC yellows over time. RAL 9001 Cream White gives a warm, clean result that looks intentional rather than faded. Works well on period cottages, rural properties and any home where a very pale palette is preferred.

RAL 8022 Black Brown

A very deep brown-black with warmth. Reads almost as black from a distance but has a richer character up close. Particularly popular on properties with warm-toned orange or brown brick, where pure black can look cold by comparison.

Understanding RAL and NCS: What Do the Numbers Mean?

RAL is a European colour standard developed in Germany in 1927. The Classic range uses four-digit codes. The first digit indicates the colour group: 1000s are yellows, 2000s are oranges, 3000s are reds, 4000s are violets, 5000s are blues, 6000s are greens, 7000s are greys, 8000s are browns and 9000s are blacks and whites. The remaining digits identify the specific shade within that group.

NCS is a Swedish colour system based on how human vision perceives colour. It uses a different notation to RAL. Designers and architects sometimes specify NCS references, particularly for heritage or conservation work where precise colour matching to natural materials is needed. We can work with NCS references and convert them to the closest available paint match.

In practice, most customers choose a colour either by name (anthracite grey, moss green) or by browsing a physical RAL fan deck at the site visit. We bring RAL swatches to every consultation so you can see colours against your actual brickwork rather than relying on screen representations, which vary significantly between devices.

Two-Tone Options

Two-tone uPVC schemes are popular and look very considered when done well. The most common combination is anthracite grey windows paired with a contrasting front door colour. This allows you to update the windows to a contemporary look while making a bolder statement on the door.

Popular two-tone pairings from ColourHaus jobs across Yorkshire:

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

It is also possible to spray the inside face of a frame a different colour from the outside, though this requires more extensive masking and adds to the time and cost. It is most commonly requested on bifold or large glazed doors where the external and internal colour schemes differ.

How to Choose Based on Your Brick or Stone Colour

The exterior finish of your property should be the primary guide when choosing a uPVC colour. Trend-driven choices that clash with the brickwork look out of place regardless of how fashionable the colour is in isolation.

Some practical guidelines based on the most common Yorkshire property types:

• Red brick (common in Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Doncaster). Anthracite grey, navy and deep green all work well. Pure black can look stark. Cream suits older, more traditional red-brick homes.
• Buff or golden brick (common in East Yorkshire and Humberside). Anthracite grey, black and dark brown all contrast effectively. Green also works strongly.
• Yorkshire limestone or millstone grit (common in the Dales, Wharfedale, Craven). Almost any dark colour works. Moss green and deep blue are particularly popular and appropriate to the vernacular character.
• Rendered or painted exterior. The most flexible backdrop. Any colour can work depending on the render colour. Dark doors and windows on a white or pale grey render look particularly striking.

Does Colour Affect Heat Absorption?

Very dark colours absorb more solar radiation than lighter colours. A jet black uPVC frame on a south-facing window in direct summer sun will reach higher temperatures than a white frame. This is a real physical effect, not a myth.

In practice, this is not a significant problem with quality professional coatings. The paint systems used by professional applicators are flexible and UV-resistant. They are designed to cope with the thermal expansion and contraction of uPVC frames in all seasons. The coating does not crack or lift because of normal summer temperature variations.

The one scenario worth noting is very large, dark-coloured south-facing frames with unusual thermal loads, such as conservatory roofline frames in direct sun all day. We discuss this with customers at the site visit if it is relevant. For a typical window or door on a normal house, colour choice does not need to be restricted on thermal grounds.

For more detail on durability and the factors that affect it, see our post on how long uPVC spray painting lasts in Yorkshire weather. For the full guide to uPVC spraying including all surfaces, costs and the process, see our complete guide to uPVC spray painting in Yorkshire. For anthracite-specific information, see our post on anthracite grey uPVC windows in Yorkshire.

Frequently Asked Questions