If your home has prefinished "Plantation" style shutter blinds that are weathering and need refinishing there are a few things to consider. Many of these blinds come prefinished with a lacquer based paint finish from the factory. Due to the abundant sunlight and moisture (lacquer based paints worst enemy) that these blinds have to endure, eventually they will start to flake and peel and need refinished. My advice being a paint contractor is to hire a professional to take on this task.
You basically have two options. One is to remove them from the windows and doors and find a place to spray them (my recommended option), two is to paint them in place by hand with a brush (not recommened ). Either way they will need properly prepared before painting. If you have a garage or unfinshed area in your home that can be utilized for setting up a spray booth, or if you hire a contractor that has a shop for that can be used, option 1 will bring the best results. With a sprayed on finish they will retain the factory finish appearance.
If you decided to go with the spray method you will first need to sand any flaking areas with a medium grit sanding sponge or 150 grit sandpaper. I also recommend dusting and wiping them down with a tack cloth after this. Next it is best to prime them with an oil base primer like Zinsser Cover Stain or equal to ensure proper adhesion. After allowing to dry I recommend sanding again with a fine grit sanding sponge or 220 grit sandpaper. For a finish coat you will need a high quality paint that doesn't stick when touching another surface that has the finish coat on it also ( like where the shutter closes to the frame ).
I recommend Valspar Signature series paint which you can purchase at Lowe's and is priced reasonibly. After applying the finish coat you will need to wait at least 24 hours before handling and reinstalling the shutter blinds. If you decide to paint them in place ( which I have done by request but don't recommend ) you will need to follow the same preparation instructions as above.
You may decide to skip the priming with the oil for the reason of the smell of the fumes from the oil base product going through the house. If so you will to wipe down the shutters with a bonding agent such as Wil-Bond to help adhesion. This will still have a strong smell but will not linger as long or be as strong as the primer method. You will then need to brush the finish on with a small angle brush such as a 2-1/2 inch Purdy or similar. Depending on your brushing skills and color of the paint this may take two coats of finish or more.
If done correctly your blinds should then hold up for far longer than the factory finish lacquer coat that was used at the factory. For more information on this you may visit our website at http://Dennardbloss.com.
Written by Michael Bloss / Dennard-Bloss Inc. Professional Painting
