Have you found some extra time on your hands lately? Are you tired of the colors on your house?

A good paint job spices up the look of your home and even makes it more valuable.

There’s no better time than now to learn to improve the exterior of your home by learning to paint exterior shutters.

How to Paint Exterior Shutters

Painting shutters takes time and expertise, but the payoff is worth it. You can transform the look of your house when you paint your shutters. You make your windows pop and your home stand out in the neighborhood.

Trend Watching

Pay attention to the trends. You’d hate to spend copious amounts of time and money to discover that your house will look like something from five years ago.

Research what paint colors are trending right now. The year 2020 has brought back blues, earth-toned colors, moody tones, and soft pink in particular. These colors will give you an idea of what to do when painting exterior shutters.

As you consider color, be aware that you should not paint your shutters a color darker than their original color. Manufacturers designed your shutters to absorb a particular amount of heat. A dark color could lead them to have to absorb more heat than they can tolerate, and they will warp.

Perfect Paint

If you want your hard work to last more than a season, pay attention to the type of paint you use.

If your shutters are plastic or vinyl, use a high-quality exterior, acrylic latex paint. Look for paint made specifically for plastic.

Make sure you get some primer as well. When you prime your shutters first, you increase the chances that your final coast will adhere well to the shutter.

Some paint companies have designed paints specifically for plastic. Read the paint cans or bottles first before applying them. If you have a paint made specifically for plastic, you will not have to prime the shutters first.

Best Supplies

Gather all the supplies you’ll need before you even begin to prep your project. You want everything on-hand before you start so you do not have to stop in the middle of the project to run to the hardware store. Here’s what you need:

  • Bleach for prepping the surface
  • A garden hose to hose off the cleaned shutter
  • A 2″ to 2 1/2″ wide nylon/polyester brush
  • Paint specifically made for the surface you’re painting

Prep the Surface

Prep your shutters. Give them a good scrub down. If they have any mold or mildew on them, you need to kill it by using a mixture consisting of one part bleach to four parts water. Put the mixture in a pump garden spray or spray bottle.

Spray down your shutters and then rinse them off with a garden hose. Make sure you wear proper eye and body protection. Do not get any bleach water on your plants either if you want them to survive the shutter-painting process.

Use Precise Technique

Shutters take patience and time. Do not just slap the paint on. Instead, move in a step-by-step fashion so you can get the best result possible.

  1. Use a small bucket. Pour your mixed paint into a small container that you can hold rather than keeping it in a large can. Then dip your brush into the can.
  2. Paint the shutter slats one at a time, starting from the top and then moving down. Use even, horizontal strokes. Use a lighter stroke over each painted area.
  3. Paint the edge of the shutter starting at the top corner where the shutter meets the house. Move around the shutter until you get back to the corner where you started.
  4. Wipe off any excess paint that you accidentally got unto the house.
  5. Paint the face of the frame around the shutter with small, even brush strokes and continue until the shutter is complete.
  6. Let the paint dry and come back for a second coat, repeating steps one through five if necessary.

Ideal Conditions

Successful shutter painting requires ideal conditions. You cannot expect to have a beautifully finished shutter in extremely cool or warm weather.

Ideally, you should paint your shutter when it has direct sun on it. It will cure the fastest this way. The temperature should be between 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and you should have moderate humidity.

Difficult Materials

If you have the pleasure of painting metal shutters, you will need to add some extra steps to your project.

  1. Remove the shutters from the house.
  2. Put the shutter upright into a tub with warm, soapy water. Scrub them down to get all the dirt off of them.
  3. Use a sanding sponge with fine-grit paper to loosen paint from the shutter.
  4. Hose down the shutter and let it air dry.
  5. Spot prime the shutters with spray primer.
  6. Once the spot primer has dried, spray an even coat of your paint on the shutter. Let them dry for 30 minutes.
  7. Spray your final topcoat on the shutter using smooth strokes. Let the shutters dry completely. Then attach them to the house.

How to Paint Tricky Parts

Knowing how to paint shutters will prepare you to paint other difficult areas. In particular, high ceilings, interior trim work, and lattice require some of the same techniques you use in painting shutters.

High Ceilings

For a high ceiling, you need a leader or a scaffold. Then prepare the room by throwing a drop cloth on anything that might catch paint like the floor or the furniture. You will need to prime the ceiling first, let it dry, and then paint the ceiling with smooth, even strokes.

Interior Trim

Painting trim requires similar prep work. You need to clean the surface with soap and water and let it dry.

Then you should tape off the area, so you do not get any paint on the walls. Line the sidewall adjacent to the trim with painter’s tape.

Then start painting the trim on the outside first. Follow the frame of the trim. Then move unto the face of the trim once you’ve finished the edging.

Lattice Work

If you can remove lattice before you paint it, do that. This will give you the freedom to be as sloppy as you need to be.

If you can spray paint the lattice, do this. Prep it by brushing off all of the dirt and cobwebs, and then spray it thoroughly with a primer. Let the primer dry, and then spray it down with your color.

If you’re using a brush to paint your lattice, make sure you keep the paint light on the brush, so the paint does not drip.

Shine Up Those Shutters

When you paint exterior shutters, you give your house a whole new look. Painting shutters will take time, and isn’t something that just anyone can do, but the final product is worth the effort.

For all of your commercial and residential painting needs, contact us.