Painting Wood Shutters: Here’s How You Can Do It at Ease!

Do you have wooden window shutters at home?

Painting the wood shutters is always essential to prevent substantial damages and low lifespan. You may see the fading signs of wear after a couple of years.

Precisely, this is the time you should think of painting the wood shutters as you did during newly installation.

There are some other types of shutters available. Among them, vinyl shutters can resist the water. But shutters made of wood cannot prevent water or moisture. As a result, they get rot earlier after the old paint breaks down. It also causes the wood surface barren to moisture.

How to Paint Wood Shutters

When you plan to paint the old, painted, or new shutters, paint on each side, including the reverse side. It keeps the unit sealed and protected. Anyway, do you know how to paint wood shutters? We are showing the instructions to paint wood shutters most flexibly.

Best Paint for Wood Shutters

Oil-based paints are preferable for the better durability of wood surfaces. They dry soon and give a long-lasting finish and stick to the surface well. When you paint the shutters with oil-based paints, they will rarely have stains. Therefore, you will need to use oil-based primers with oil-based paints.

Latex or water-based paints are very convenient to apply on wood shutters. These paints are great in any exterior applications. These paints dry faster than oil-based paints. No cracks or peels will be visible if the paint gets damaged or wear off.

You can find both as a collection in the local home improvement stores. Also, there is an option to mix custom colors to mix well.

Can you use spray paint on wood shutters?

We do not recommend spray paints to paint the wood shutters. Because they are not as progressive as liquid oil-based or latex paints. The finish on the surface may not be smooth and durable like other paints.

You may find only a few spray paints suitable for exterior applications. If you spray on untreated wood, it will soak up the paint that results in a blotchy outlook. Again, if you use lacquer or acrylic for the finish, its solvents may react worse with the sealant for shutters. As a result, there will be bubbles or peeling of paints.

Spray paints are quite unstable in different weather and humidity. They can only work in specific temperatures and humidity for a part of the year.

Wood Shutters Removal for DIY Painting Project

You will need these tools to remove the wooden shutters:

Once you have arranged these tools, you can start removing the selected shutters. You can use the extension ladder to reach and remove the wooden shutters. It can be of different sizes, yet we prefer 24 feet ladder made of aluminum. This length of the ladder is enough to access second-story shutters. In fact, it is good for a two-story home.

Now, you need to hang the bucket from a ladder with the bucket hook. Then, remove the screws with drill and store them in the bucket carefully. One safety concern is, check the areas if there are any active hornets. You can use insect killers or hornet spray to clean the area. Usually, hornets love to build nests in such areas.

In most cases, long wood screws are used to attach the shutters to house siding. You can use the drill after a full charge to remove those lengthy screws. Be careful while tossing the screws in the bucket as you are standing high. Also, after unscrewing the screws, you can keep the drill inside the bucket if you fail to clip it onto your waist.

Maximum time all the shutter sizes are the same, including the position of fastener holes. You can use the marker to put a number on the back of each shutter. It enables relentless installation afterward, painting, and during installation.

Preparation of Wood Shutters

It is almost the same as the preparation of vinyl shutters painting. You may see dirt and mildews on the shutters. It is prevalent to see them. Additionally, if your shutters have peeling paint, try to scrape off and sand them finely.

Tools needed:

Work area must be clean and clear till you reattach the shutters after painting. You can use an exterior house cleaner to clean the area where you will paint the removed shutters. Try to find a better-quality cleaner and mildew remover. In Addition, cover the area with a drop cloth.

For flexible work, you can use a power washer with a 15° nozzle to clean the shutters. Make no mistake in choosing a 0° red color nozzle to do it. 15° yellow color tip is a better choice.

Peeling Paint Removal

If you want to paint on old, painted shutters, there must be a chance of peeling paint. A power washer and an electric sander may help you in this case. Once you pressure wash the shutters, all the loose paints will be gone. Then, use the sander to remove the residues.

You may find an electric, portable paint remover to prep peeling shutters. Usually, this machine has a very coarse disc like a grinder. It can eliminate paint faster than regular orbital sanders. Ensure you are using hand gloves for safety issues.

Sand, Prime the Shutter Surfaces

Check if the shutter surface is okay for paint remover. If not, you can use a regular orbital sander for light sanding. You should do it before priming the shutters. Sanding will remove the glossy look of the outdated paint. Also, the new paint gets good adhesion to the surface. Usually, 120 to 150 grit sandpaper is suitable for sanding the shutters thoroughly.

We do not suggest priming the shutter surfaces if they are in good condition. Applying one or two coats of paint will be enough for it. But you should use a quality exterior primer for badly weathered paint with bare wood spots.

Painting the Wood Shutters

The most straightforward way of painting wood shutters is using an airless sprayer with a quality brush for paint layout. We suggest you brushing the surfaces to flow the paint into the wood pores. Also, a roller brush may work, but a regular paintbrush is a better performer. Paint the back of each shutter for full painting.

Tools Needed:

If you are working on grass, a drop cloth cover will be safe for them. Because excess paints and paint spills are harmful to grass growth. Otherwise, you can take the shutters inside a garage or external space of your house. Keep these things in mind while painting the wood shutters.

Paintbrushes with nylon polyester bristles are helpful in painting. Also, you can clean the brushes easily.
You can use a spray tip with a bit larger orifice while choosing an airless sprayer. The reason behind this is exterior paints are thicker enough to jam the small tip.
First, have a light coat of paint and brush the area. Then, wait for drying the surfaces. Apply the next coat using a satin finish. Avoid applying excessive paints to prevent the stickiness and softness of paint for a long time.

Read more: How to Paint Wood to Look like Metal?

Verdict

Painting can make the old, faded wood shutters into original, new look and valuable. Obviously, it is dull to see wood rot with peeling paints, bubbles. Repainting can increase the lifespan of shutters and the beauty of your house.

Try to choose the best paint for wood shutters and follow our “how to paint wood shutters” article. Rest of the project will be more satisfying. Have a great painting day!