Painting your gutters is an easy and cost-effective way to give your home a facelift. As long as you know the steps, you can paint them to look smooth and avoid the cost of professional painters. It's important to take the time to properly prepare the surface for the new paint, as rushing through the process can result in paint that peels off in a year or two. Start by washing the gutters so that they are free of dirt and debris.
Peel and sand them so they are ready to be painted. Then, prime the gutters and apply a top coat to make them look smooth, clean and well painted. Gutters that have already been painted over the factory finish may or may not need priming. If the paint is peeling, it is best to apply an adhesive primer, after carefully removing the loose paint by pressure washing and scraping.
The gutters in good condition can be repainted without priming. This makes the surface ready to accept paint, which improves adhesion and prevents the gutter from being damaged too much. When choosing a type of paint to use on gutters, you should look for acrylic paint, especially for aluminum gutters. Bright white gutters look good, but dirt and discoloration will be more noticeable on them than on darker ones.
Use silicon carbide or aluminum oxide sandpaper for best results when sanding gutters before painting. If you're comfortable climbing an extension ladder, you can easily spray paint gutters with a careful mask to protect the edges of the fascia and other areas that aren't being painted. In addition to specialized oxidized paint, you might consider painting your gutters for an aesthetic effect. Place the ends of the hanging cloths in the gutter and place a couple of stones on top to keep them in place. Painting downspouts and gutters is an economical alternative to buying replacement parts, and painting them with a sprayer is much faster than doing it by hand.
If done correctly, aluminum gutters can be painted and must last for many years.
