Tips when painting shutters
There are many ways to give a home’s exterior a new look. Though it might not be as grand as replacing siding, repainting shutters affords homeowners a chance to try a bold new color or simply replace fading colors, and each option can make a home more appealing.
Homeowners who have never painted shutters can consider these tips as they prepare to begin the project.
• Do not go it alone. The most important step homeowners can take before beginning a shutter-painting project is to enlist the help of a friend or family member. Someone to hold the ladder can make the project safer. Enlisting a third individual, working on the ground, who can take the shutters from the person on the ladder may be a wise move as well.
• Remove the shutters. When painting shutters, homeowners will want to remove them from the house. It might seem easier to leave the shutters on and then paint them carefully with a brush, but that is both time-consuming and a potential safety risk. Some shutters are installed with fasteners that look like screws, but that appearance is misleading, and shutters installed in this way cannot be removed with a drill or screwdriver. Homeowners should determine which material their shutters are made from, then look for a corresponding removal tutorial on YouTube. Homeowners who cannot find the tutorial can contact the manufacturer or a contractor to determine the best way to remove the shutters.
• Clean the shutters prior to painting them. It has likely been years since the shutters were last painted, and over that time, they have no doubt accumulated a lot of dirt and mildew. Homeowners can try a garden hose to clean them, and if that does not work, a power washer may be needed. If using a power washer with wooden shutters, be especially careful, as the force of the power washer may damage the wood. Vinyl shutters, like vinyl siding, can typically handle a strong power washing without being damaged. Wooden shutters will also need to have old paint removed before they can be repainted. The experts at TrueValue note that paint can be removed from wooden shutters with a sander or by applying a chemical paint stripper.
• Prime wooden shutters before painting. Though vinyl shutters will not need to be primed unless the old paint is peeling, wooden shutters must be primed before they are painted. Priming can be a tedious process, so homeowners should leave themselves ample time for this part of the project.
• Rent an airless sprayer to paint the shutters. Many hardware or paint stores rent airless sprayers, and these can be the quickest way to paint shutters. Professionals typically apply two coats of paint, and the first coat should be allowed to fully dry before the second coat is applied.
• Re-hang the shutters after they have fully dried. Only after the shutters have fully dried should they be placed back on the house. Employ the same buddy system when re-hanging the shutters, having one person hold the ladder and another pass each shutter up one at a time.
Painting shutters can give a home a fresh look without costing homeowners a lot of money.