Call Today! 604-338-4817
Gutters are not normally considered a pleasant or eye-catching part of your house, however, that doesn’t mean you want them to keep sticking out like a sore thumb. In case you intend changing your home color or you just wish to work on your old and worn-out gutters, you can paint them to any color you desire.
Every gutter has specific material used to build it. How good its painting looks depends on the materials used in building the gutter. Aluminum gutters are the simplest to paint since the best types of paint blend well on aluminum.
It can last for years without any risk of peeling or rusting. As simple as it is to paint aluminum gutters, you still have to ensure that you buy the right primer and paint. As long as you have a well-built aluminum gutter, primer, and paints your gutter will look brand new when painted. Take your time and meticulously do the right thing the first time, so you won’t have to repaint or re-do anything else.
Vinyl gutters often come in different colors, but they are not very easy to paint. Most organizations do not recommend painting vinyl drainages or gutters since the finish isn’t designed to be painted. It is still possible to do it, however, we are going to focus primarily on how to paint your gutter.
Getting the proper type of primer makes a major difference in case you want a top-notch finish that can last for years. A clear acrylic bonding primer is the best on the market, try as much as possible to avoid latex primers that contain ammonia. As much as they can be efficient and convenient, do not use a primer paint combo either, as these also contain ammonia.
Looking out for a primer that doesn’t have ammonia is important since ammonia can easily react with oxidized aluminum and develop bubbles under the paint. You may end up losing your new paint job within a few weeks or months, thus making all your efforts a total waste of time. Hence, ignore the ammonia-based primers and search for clear acrylic. As far as paint choices are concerned, you have several options. It is okay to search for any regular exterior or external latex paints. They are the same as the type you would use to paint the exterior of your home, and they are okay to paint the gutters.
If there is paint already on the gutters, you have to wash it out before painting. Also, you will need to carry out proper gutter cleaning if you want the gutter paint to properly blend with the aluminum.
Use a good cleaning solvent to remove some of the long-standing dirt stains on the gutter. Consider the option of hiring a professional gutter cleaning company to assist in cleaning your gutters in case they are too dirty.
It is not okay to paint right over the old paint and dirt; you should not give it a second thought. Painting over old paint means your paint and new primer won’t bond properly with the metal surface of your gutters. It might look good for some time, but, it won’t last for as long as it should have, and you may also find yourself repainting after a short time. The same thing goes for dirty gutters since dirt would block the paint and primer from blending to the metal surface directly.
Do your gutters always take away from your home instead of adding a nice finishing touch to your home’s roofline? If you have been neglecting the gutters, the answer is going to be a definitive yes.
The old gutters can look new again with a paint job. However, rather than starting with painting, you need to begin with the old standby: gutter cleaning. Gutter cleaning usually involves a couple of different steps:
First, you need to remove debris from the gutters – Flush the gutters with water and take note of the downspouts to know if there is any debris lodged there that can back up water.
Ensure that the gutters are attached securely – They should not be sag or loose outwards, and they should also not be anything close to being lumpy.
Once you are done, the next thing you should do is to “Rinse toward the gutter downspout with high-pressure nozzles from your hose and thoroughly scrub it clean.”
A hose attachment, a scrub brush, as well as some phosphate-free cleaner, white vinegar, or cream of tartar. In case you have vinyl gutters instead of aluminum gutters, utilize a good and reliable detergent product.
Mix the detergent with half a cup of bleach in 2 gallons of water and use the mixture to scrub and clean your gutters.
Usually, you start getting filled up and sagging gutters when it gets filled up with debris. All gutter problems first start from clogging; it is possible to stop most of these gutter problems. You may not need to replace or paint the gutter.
It is essential to always clean your gutters throughout the year as well as seasonally to stop debris from building up; as this can lead to blocked gutters that then start to sag under the weight of the leaves and sticks. They can further bend outward, spilling water from the sides of the gutter.
Blocked gutters also grow algae and this makes it very difficult to clean over time as dirt and debris stick to the sides of the gutter. If water sits in your gutter and spills over the side frequently, your gutter may start rusting.
Having a trouble-free gutter means you have to either add a gutter cover or clean them seasonally. A gutter cover is a structure that typically sits over the top of the gutter. Keeping your gutter clean will save you the cost of repairing and painting it frequently.
