This spring, I decided to add a little color to my front porch and went with bright pink, Tarheel blue, and black. A little tip…those colors DO NOT go with mauve at all! So, I got a quote from my painter to give them a good two-coat makeover. I hadn’t budgeted for this expense and I had lived with this color for so long that I could live with it longer, so I thought. The more I looked at those vinyl shutters against my pretty bright pink, Tarheel blue, and black pillows, the more I hated them!
So off to the internet I went to read about how to paint vinyl shutters, what type of paint to use, how to take them off the house, etc. I think I became a vinyl shutter painting expert. I decided that while I may not have budgeted for a professional painter, I could do this job with a little sweat equity for less than $35, and that, we could swing. First, I tried to take the shutters off the house…nope, not happening, because that would be too easy! Next, I went to the local home improvement store, bought a $30 can of paint; some sponge brushes, and went to town. Now, I have eight shutters and bought a gallon of paint, unsure of exactly how much I would need. Truth is, had I not knocked the can off the ladder and spilled 1/3 of it (Yes, I really did that!), then a $15 quart of paint would have been more than plenty and I would have been waaaayyyy under budget. So, if you budget $25 for this little project, grab your paint, add the sponge brush and a few pieces of card stock paper, you will probably have enough change left over for an ice cream that you can enjoy while admiring your handy work.
Let’s talk about how I made that BIG transformation and how you can do it too. Seriously, it’s just a few easy steps. The hardest part was the time it took because, for my particular vinyl shutters, it was tedious.
- Grab the ladder (please be careful, because I cannot be responsible if you fall or knock off a can of paint, HA!)
- Take the piece of card stock (or cardboard box or whatever you have on hand that is thick) and place it between the shutter and the house. This will allow you to paint the sides, top, and bottom without worrying about getting the paint on the house or dealing with the dreaded painters tape
- Paint, slowly and deliberately, making sure to get into all the crevices
Before you run off to the paint store, let me save you some time and tell you what I learned while painting my vinyl shutters:
- Paint on the vinyl siding is not the end of the world! Once the vinyl shutters dry, grab a magic eraser and erase that paint right off of your house
- Make sure to paint the bottoms of the shutter, and if you have them, each slat! The bottom of the shutters on the bottom floor most likely won’t be seen, however, I had the top floor finished, went outside to admire my handy work from the ground level and, ooops! There was mauve paint glaring at me from the bottom of the shutter LOL!
- You will need two coats! Don’t try to skip and skim on this
- Don’t paint in direct sunlight and don’t put the paint bucket in direct sunlight. The paint will start to curdle if it’s in direct sunlight and won’t go on the vinyl shutters well
- I can’t speak to this personally because my shutters were a deep mauve and I painted them black, but the internet “experts” say Do not paint your shutters darker than they currently are. If they are butter yellow, don’t grab the navy blue. Again, according to said experts, when it absorbs the heat, vinyl shutters will start to warp because they weren’t manufactured for a dark color. (maybe do a quick Google search to make up your own mind about this one)
It took me about 30 minutes per shutter, because we have the slatted shutters that require you to paint each and every single slat. If you have the kind without slats, then you’re in luck and this project should fly by! After about 4 hours each day (I did two one day and the other two another day), this is the Before & After.
BEFORE_ Original Color of the Vinyl Shutters
AND….
AFTER_New Color of the Vinyl Shutters
It makes such a big difference, right?! If you’re getting ready to sell your house, this is such a simple and affordable option that will definitely boost your curb appeal!
