How to Paint Gutters
Painting gutters is a common practice for many homeowners and provides a pleasant curb appeal to any home. It’s important to keep your gutters looking good, and choosing a high-quality, waterproof paint can help you do just that. Below, we’ll walk you through the process of how to properly paint your gutters to ensure that your paint job lasts for years to come.
1. Preparing Your Gutters for the Painting Process
It’s important to prepare for your painting process so you’re not stuck without materials you need in the middle of a job. It might seem easy to paint gutters at first. A coat of paint and you’re done, right? Not so much. You can’t apply paint directly to the gutter system and call it a day as your paint will not stick.
Purchase the brush and rollers that suit your needs and retrieve some painters cloth or cardboard for your work space. Next, remove the braces of the gutter and clean your gutters with a scrub brush, soap and water, or a pressure washer. If your gutter is not clean, your paint will not stick.
2. Apply a High-Quality Primer
Primer will prepare the surface to accept the paint and give your gutter some buffer room from outside damage. Without applying primer, you’ll need to repaint much more often and you run the risk of letting the paint rust and erode your gutter system. You’ll want to use a clear acrylic bonding primer, found in most hardware stores. This is the type of primer that many professional painters use. Just remember to avoid ammonia content in your primer as this can ruin your paint job.
Allow the primer to set for 48-72 hours after evenly coating the entire gutter and brackets. This will allow it to seep into any missed seams.
3. Apply an Enamel Paint
While enamel paint isn’t strictly necessary, it’s always a good idea to apply an enamel paint which is a heavier material than regular paint to help prevent rust and erosion of your gutter. It’s important to keep in mind that enamel paint is different than painted enamel.
4. Apply Your Paint
Now that all of your gutters are prepared, it’s time to apply the first coat of paint. Ensure you apply the paint in an even coat and you have the brushes you want to get the desired effect of the brush stroke, whether you’re using a brush or a roller.
Leave your first paint to dry for at least 24 hours before applying the second coat of paint. Many projects will only take two coats of paint to be finished. At the end of your project, be sure to reattach your gutters firmly the roof line of your home and there are no gaps or lines to let water through.
If you decide in the future that you want to paint your gutter system again, it’s important to strip the paint completely from your gutter and start from a blank canvas.
