After I built my dream home, I realized that there were a few changes we needed to make to the interior. For starters, I knew that I needed to do something to make the interior decor special, so I started focusing more and more on making the space special. I started working with a professional painter and wallpaper hanger, and he really did wonders in making my home look and feel different and unique. I wanted to create a blog all about creating a gorgeous home, so I made this website. I hope you find articles that will inspire you to make your space better.
How To Paint Aluminum Gutters
If you aluminum gutters have faded, or they don't match your new house color you don't have to buy new ones. The beauty of aluminum gutters is they last a long time, they don't rust, and they accept paint easily. Painting aluminum gutters takes some patience, but it can be completed by following these directions.
Prepare to Paint
To paint the gutters, you need:
- work gloves
- step ladder or extension ladder
- hose
- scrub brush
- dish soap
- hammer (optional)
- screwdriver
- paint scraper
- paint brush
- paint thinner
- metal-based primer
- copper paint and patina medium (optional)
- oil-based metal paint
Plan to paint during a spell with no rain, so materials can dry. Set a step-ladder or extension ladder on a sturdy spot, and wear a safety harness, if your roof is high. Detach the gutters to make painting and cleaning them easier, especially for a two-story house.
Use the screwdriver to remove the attachments from the downspouts, then detach the clamp, and lay them in a safe place. Pull nails put with the claw end of the hammer and set them aside.
Clean the Gutters
Scrape loose paint with the paint scraper, use several drops of dish soap on a damp sponge to scrub the gutters, then hose them down to rinse. Avoid using pressure washers, since it leaves residue. For extra dirty gutters or stubborn stains, clean with oxygen bleach.
.If you are leaving the gutters in place, you will need to stand on top of the roof or on top of the ladder. Squirt some dish soap on them, scrub, spray them down to rinse, and let them dry. Rinsing from the ground causes dirt to accumulate in the gutters.
You may notice a chalky appearance after they dry, which is normal. The chalky appearance comes from pigment particles of the original paint.
Prime and Paint the Gutters
When you buy paint and primer, ensure they contain no ammonia, since it causes gas bubbles from reaction to hidden oxidized aluminum. Clear acrylic bonding primer works well with aluminum, and it will hide the chalky appearance .
If clear primer isn't available, oil-based metal primer works, but thin it out with 16 ounces of paint thinner per gallon. Prime and paint the gutter brackets separately. Brush on a thin layer of primer, let it dry, which commonly takes forty-eight hours, and add another coat,
After forty-eight hours, apply the paint, cleaning brushes as needed in a bucket of water. Add another coat, if needed. To give the gutters a copper look, brush on two coats of copper paint, then apply the patina medium. Reinstall the gutters after everything dries.
Contact a commercial painter if you need more help.