what the chnce of painting metal gutters?
My house in grey, I want grey gutters in one place.
Can metal gutters be painted successfully or does the paint peel off and ruin the look?
From work boots to power tools, these favorite picks make perfect gifts for moms and women who build.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
You could paint them with the proper preparation and they would be fine (IMO) but the end product would probably not be as good as a factory finish. The factory finish is a baked on enamel... Seamless gutters come in about 20 different colors (2 or 3 different gray colors are available).
Well, I have aluminum gutters that were factory finished white. I hate the way the look. The paint has broken down and is now a chalky, powdery finish. It is more grey than white. They can't be more than 10 years old.
Any paint you use will have to be able to handle the expansion and contraction of the metal. I guess latex would be required and oil (being a hard curing paint) would be out. Personally, I would opt for a factory finish.
I have painted gutters several times w/ long lasting result......I begin w/ a new aluminum gutter, wipe it down w/ Prep-Sol or lacquer thinner, then scotchbrite, then wipe again, (fresh rag) and then spray w/ rustoleum or krylon. Works perfectly.
What?! I can't hear you. Can you speak a little louder? :-)Personally, given how inexpensive gutters are compared to other things in a home fixup, I would opt for factory finish gutters.
If you'll go to "view" in your task bar and click once, the drop down menu should have "text size" as one option. I've tried to increase the font size on my posts, but for some reason, as soon as I type the first letter, it reverts to a default size.
Now, about those gutters, two reasons I've resorted to in-house vs. sublet: 1. Location. One log cabin, 125 years old, on a cliff, 50 miles from a zip code. 2. Size. A single twenty foot run is going to incur a serious minimum fee from the seamless boys.
Proper prep is key in painting anything. Clean twice, scrub again. Scuff sand and clean again. Use the proper primer. If you want a semi-gloss or gloss use a sandable primer. Fine sand, 220 maybe even 320 grit. I would use spray if possible. If you use the right paint for the material a decent few coats of spray should build a smoother finish. It's a lot of time and effort so weigh that versus having a gutter installer put in colored seamless. DIY may well take a full weekend and maybe longer, a gutter man should have it done in half a day, a day or two if you're talking multiple gutters.