Painting Your Gutters

Have you ever noticed how over time gutters have a tendency to look old, worn out, and even a bit rusty? One way to prevent that from happening is by painting your gutters. However, there is more to painting your gutters than simply slapping a bit of paint on them here and there. Just follow these directions, and you will have freshly painted gutters that are in good working order. Considering the size of the project you really might want to think about inviting some friends or family to help you out, as well as setting aside an entire weekend to accomplish the work.

1. Inspect and remove the gutters. Get a ladder large enough to reach your gutters, and begin removing them. As you remove them, lay them out near where you removed them, so that you can easily remember where they are supposed to go back to. While you are removing the gutters, also begin inspecting them for any excessive damage, and whether or not they are still in serviceable condition. Obtain replacement pieces for anything that needs it.
2. Strip old paint. Using a combination of paint striping chemicals, rags, and paint scrapers begin stripping the old paint (if any) off of the gutters. Use the chemicals as sparingly as possible, applying them directly to the rag, and then wiping and scrubbing the paint off. Scrape off as much of the paint as possible first with the scraper though.
3. Sand the gutters. Once you have finished stripping the old paint, you will want to work the gutters over lightly with a piece of sand paper. Not only will this help "rough up" anything that is excessively smooth (as gutters can sometime get), it will also help to smooth out any remaining rough patches.
4. Double check. After sanding the gutters, spend time double checking both your work as well as the condition of the gutters. Do any touchup work that needs to be handles, as well as getting any materials or replacement parts that are needed. If you find anything that you missed, be sure that you get those areas as well or you have very spotty results.
5. Apply the primer. Now that the old paint on the gutters have been removed, you can begin working on the actual painting. The first step in doing this would be to obtain the proper type of primer, which in this instance is one that is but rust preventing and oil based. Paint the primer on using a regular paint brush. Paint one side first as much as you can without flipping the gutter over, and then allow the gutters to dry. Flip the gutter over, and repeat the primer painting process. Allow the primer to dry completely on all the pieces before you begin painting.
6. Apply the paint. With the primer now applied, you can begin painting the gutters. It really doesn't matter if you choose flat, satin, or gloss paint, as long as it is an oil based enamel. That being said, in almost all situations satin and gloss paints will provide a more nonporous surface that will help to repel water. Apply the first coat as thin as you can so that you can brush out any runs as easily as possible. Allow the paint to dry, and then repeat the process as many times as necessary until your gutters reach the look and appearance as you want.
7. Check once more. After you have finished painting the gutters, you are still not finished. You now need to look over your work again. When you are doing this be as thorough as possible to ensure that you haven't missed any pieces, and that you still have all the pieces that you need in order to reinstall the gutters. Once again, if you find anything missing or in need of excessive repair, replace it with a new part or piece after you have finished painting it as well.

Once you have finished double checking the paint job you have done, you can begin reinstalling your gutters. Since this is a rather large project, you will naturally feel like rushing once you get to the end, try to fight this feeling as much as you possibly can. That way you will avoid making any possible mistakes or even damaging something that you will end up having to replace.