Painting Storm Window Shutters

There are a few choices involved in taking up the task of painting your shutters. You may choose to hire someone to professionally paint them or you may choose to do the job yourself. The difference in choosing one over the other, of course, is price.

Maintaining Storm Window Shutters

Part of owning your storm window shutter is maintaining them. This is the case whether your storm shutters are made of wood or vinyl. The frequency with which your storm window shutters require painting as part of maintaining them depends upon a few factors.

If you live in a climate where harsh rain storms, hurricanes or thunder storms occur relatively frequently, a few times each year, then you may find your shutters are due for a fresh coat of paint or cracked storm glass repair sooner rather than later. Or, you may simply feel that your home is appearing a little drab after some time. This could spur you on to repainting your storm window shutters for a quick lift to your home's exterior appearance.

Naturally, repainting your storm window shutters is also a less expensive alternative to replacing them. Many people are also environmentally concerned, especially with materials used for older homes. You may simply wish to prolong the use of an historic home's shutters by being extra proactive in the maintaining of those shutters, and painting them is one way to accomplish this.

But, for general maintenance you need to decide first whether you will paint your wood or vinyl shutters on your own or with the help of a professional. It may help to hire a professional and incur the cost of doing so, if only to ensure the shutters are painted correctly. The shutters may need to be primed first and then lightly sanded before being painted. Usually, they must be primed with the right kind of component primer in order for the paint to adhere correctly.

Very often shutters will require at least two coats of paint, too. Also, since the shutters will need to be removed first before they are primed, sanded and painted do you know that this is something you can handle alone? Or, if your home has more than one floor with shuttered windows, would you be better off with hiring a professional so as to avoid making mistakes or hurting yourself?

Choosing a Professional to Help

While you can undertake the process of painting your wood or vinyl shutters on your own, keep in mind that you need to purchase the right tools. This can mean obtaining a spray gun for paint rather than simply buy a can and a few paint brushes. Again, the task will most likely involve removing the shutters and any hardware in order to paint them on a flat surface.

In this regard, you will want to time the painting of your shutters around relatively nice weather so as to minimize any fumes and maximize the paint's drying time. That can be a lot to consider for a do it yourself home improvement buff. Painting storm window shutters is a good way to prolong the life of your shutters no matter what material they are.

Painting storm window shutters is also often a necessary part of their upkeep. It must be done more frequently when exposed to harsh weather elements or even a good deal of sunshine over time. If you choose to do the job yourself, make sure you have all the proper primer, paint and tools assembled together with the knowledge and willingness to remove and then replace your shutters correctly.